The Cunning Serpent
"Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?" Genesis 3:1 KJV
On a small hill top overlooking the outskirts of the Afghan village the sun pulled upward in the sky to our east.
We waited patiently for the Taliban to show up.
Dressed in Army digital cammies. The kind that only blend into a gravel parking lot, we sat patiently waiting in the back of the RG-31. An RG-31 is a 4×4 multi-purpose mine-resistant ambush protected infantry mobility vehicle and our insertion platform for this special mission.
This marked the first…
but not the last time…
I would wear garb that was not a Marine Corps issued uniform to deceive those around us. Those possibly watching our movements or attempted to figure out who we were. On another of those occasions years later in my Special Operations career, I found myself inside an international airport with a fake security badge, while concealing a SIG Sauer P226 under my shirt.
But those were the spine tingling times…
“For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:5
Our contingent was comprised of three Marine Special Operation Team (MSOT) members. Rod was our Special Amphibious Reconnaissance Corpsman (SARC). His primary roll on the team was advanced medical. He was a long course 18 delta guy that had the capability to keep a bullet riddled, bomb blasted, Special Operator or “shooter” alive until extraction back to a trauma hospital. Long term care and trauma was his bread and butter.
Other than having a surgical doctor sitting right next to you on target, there is no other person you would want if things went sideways and found yourself with a bullet hole in your chest. Unlike the surgical doctor, Rod would be the first in the stack to kick down the door and bring destruction to the enemy if warranted. The best of both worlds.
Shawn was our HUMINT guy; he was the main reason for being on this hill top. We had glommed on to a conventional Army patrol that was conducting a Key Leader Engagement (KLE) with the village elders below.
That was our cover for action. The reason we were wearing the gravel colored uniforms. Our typical analog woodland BDU’s we usually wore would stick out on the outskirts of the KLE. To the on lookers, we just looked like Army guys providing over watch security.
“And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.” Genesis 3:6 KJV
A dirty dusty dirt colored Opel approached us from the adjacent hill slope. Our Afghan interpreter was on his cell phone chatting away with his hands to his sides making weird frenchman-esque gestures.
I glanced at Shawn to see any facial expressions. Searching for a glimpse of discernment.
The dirty Opel pulled up within twenty feet of our RG-31 nose pointing towards our rear door. Shawn and our terp walked over to meet with the two Taliban. The passenger was looking in my direction, I could see from being higher up in the RG that he had a AK-47 resting in between him and the seat cushion.
Can’t blame him for wanting to protect himself.
Even low level Taliban were willing to take risks to climb the corporate ladder. Looking for lucrative opportunities and schemes to play both sides. Not sure how these serpents could look their buddies in the eyes and deceive them.
but they did.
Power, money, revenge, pride. All valid reasons why they sold their souls.
“And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. “ Genesis 3:7
Deceit is Satan’s most valued weapon system. Wielded with destructive precision. With just a flick of the tongue.
We have all been deceived at some point in life. I could name a long list of those deceptions taking place right now. The times I have been deceived. Lied to. Cheated. The list is long…and would most likely mirror all of your experiences in life.
“Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.” Proverbs 23:9
Discernment through the Holy Spirit is our breaching tool against Satan’s schemes, deceptions and inversions.
Prayer is the catalyst needed to delegate the sword of wisdom against the deceiver.
“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12 KJV
May our prayers be…