In December 1944, near the end of World War II in the European theater, the German Army launched the Ardennes Offensive. Most in the Western world know this as the Battle of the Bulge. It was planned with great secrecy. Equipment and men were moved under the cover of darkness with minimized communication.

The goal of the German Army was to split the Allied forces in France by crossing the River Meuse and gain the seaport of Antwerp, Belgium, in just four days. In doing so, they would capture the Allied supply line, obtain much needed fuel and isolate the advancing divisions of Gen. Bernard Montgomery, coming through Belgium, and Gen. George Patton, advancing from northeastern France.

A key to the success of this German offensive was the small town of Bastogne. It was at the junction of several major roads leading to southeast Belgium. (This is summarized from Battle of the Bulge by Chester H. Philips and The Ardennes: Battle of the Bulge by Hugh Cole.)

Bastogne was being defended by the 101st Airborne. A vivid visual depiction of this battle is detailed in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers. The conditions were severe. They were dug into the forest in the middle of terrible winter weather. They had limited ammunition, little food and medical supplies, and lacked winter clothing. They were spread very thinly over the area they had been assigned to defend.

Before the intense fighting began, Gen. Anthony McAuliffe visited the frontline troops. After a brief discussion with the officers, all Gen. McAuliffe could say was, "Hold the line; close the gaps."

We are in a spiritual battle much like Bastogne. Conditions are tough. Our world is rapidly deteriorating both morally and spiritually. We are encircled and isolated. We are constantly under artillery fire from Satan. How can we win our spiritual battle? We must follow the same orders that Gen. McAuliffe gave the 101st Airborne: "Hold the line, close the gaps."

Hold the Line

What does this mean for us? Simply that we cannot give up or compromise in learning and living God's way. Paul told Timothy to "continue in the truths that you were taught and firmly believe" (2 Timothy 3:14, Good News Translation). We must continue to grow in our understanding and application of God's truth each day. As Moses instructed Joshua, we need to "take careful heed...to love the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, to keep His commandments, to hold fast to Him, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul" (Joshua 22:5, emphasis added).  "Hold fast" is translated from a Hebrew word that "is used of something sticking to or clinging to something else," according to the Complete Word Study Dictionary.

When the writer of Hebrews 10:23 says, "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering," we gain the greater understanding of what is meant by "hold fast." The root word for confession can also be translated as covenant. When God granted us repentance and we accepted Christ's sacrifice, we became betrothed to Jesus Christ, entering into a covenant relationship with Him. Remaining faithful to this covenant relationship requires us to keeps God's laws (1 John 5:2-3). Our lives should reflect a pattern of faithfulness in keeping God's ways.

Daniel gives us an encouraging story about a life with a pattern of faithfulness. He was taken to Babylon as a young man. He served three different rulers during two empires. It would have been easy for him to become assimilated into the lifestyles around him. Yet Daniel "purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself" (Daniel 1:8). This decision included concern for his spiritual condition, in addition to the physical dietary differences of Babylon.

God granted him tremendous grace and favor for many years. When he faced the trial of the lion's den, Daniel was an aged man (New King James Study Bible, comment on Daniel 5:13). He could have reasoned that God would understand if he waited until the 30-day decree ended to pray. After all, he was an old man and had served God for many years. But he did not. He was faithful to what he understood despite adversity. So much so that King Nebuchadnezzar could say, "I know that the Spirit of the Holy God is in you" (Daniel 4:9).

What is the pattern in our lives? Daniel's faithfulness was reflected in a display of the fruits of the Spirit. Do we "hold the line" in keeping God's truth? We must take seriously Paul's warning to "listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it" (Hebrews 2:1, New Living Translation).

Close the Gaps

The German artillery "not only surprised American commanders with its considerable volume but also its accuracy, indicating that the enemy had remarkably good target information of American installation" (www.militaryhistoryonline.com/wwii/articles/bastogne.aspx). Satan's bombardment is also extremely accurate and relentless. He has very good intelligence on our weak points. Because of this, we must guard our minds against the penetration of sin.

Peter tells us to "gird up the loins of your mind" (1 Peter 1:13). What exactly does that mean? The New King James Study Bible helps clarify this for us by saying, "Just as people in biblical times would gather up their long robes and tie them around their waists so that they could move quickly and freely, we need to do whatever it takes to focus our thoughts on those things that allow us to serve God successfully, all the while eliminating any thoughts that would trip us up." We must reject the wrong thoughts and ideas from our minds.

Closing the gaps in our mind against sin is called overcoming. We must continually work at controlling our thoughts to be more in line with God's. Proverbs 4:23-27 in the New Century Version says: "Be careful what you think, because your thoughts run your life. Don't use your mouth to tell lies; don't ever say things that are not true. Keep your eyes focused on what is right, and look straight ahead to what is good. Be careful what you do, and always do what is right. Don't turn off the road of goodness; keep away from evil paths."

Doing this takes strength from God. But we must "close the gap" against sin.

During the prophet Ezekiel's day, Israel was filled with corruption and immorality, much as it is today. On one occasion, God told him, "I looked for someone who might rebuild the wall of righteousness that guards the land. I searched for someone to stand in the gap in the wall" (Ezekiel 22:30, NLT).

While this may not seem to apply to us today, consider what the Life Application Study Bible says: "The wall spoken of here is not made of stones but of faithful people united in their efforts to resist evil. When we give the appearance of loving God without living his way, we are covering up sins that could eventually damage us deeply... Repair your life by applying the principles of God's Word."

Those are powerful words we should apply. Sin can ruin our lives if not dealt with and overcome with God's help.

God shows us our gaps with great mercy and tenderness. In Matthew 19, Christ showed the rich, young ruler his gap—love of material wealth. Unfortunately, the rich, young ruler did not have the desire to "close the gap," and he left "sorrowful." When God shows us our gaps, do we desire to face and overcome them, or do we also go away sorrowful?

If we strive to overcome, we know with certainty that "the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us" (Romans 8:18). Christ promised, "To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life... He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death... shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life" (Revelation 2:7, 11; 3:5). We must expend our energies now in overcoming so we can claim those promises.

The 101st Airborne received many credits and honors for their heroic efforts at Bastogne. We, too, look forward to a reward from God if we remain faithful. Paul encourages us to "fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life... I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus...that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ's appearing" (1 Timothy 6:12-14).

Continue to "hold the line; close the gaps"!