"Pilot to Bombardier"

There is a Bugs Bunny cartoon ("Hare Lift," 1952) where the world's largest military aircraft parks right on top of Bugs' rabbit hole. Bugs' immediate frustration turns to curiosity as he boards the plane and becomes caught up in the idea of being the pilot, flying over enemy territory. In fact, the plane isn't going anywhere, but Bugs, gripping the wheel, pretends it is, saying, "Pilot to bombardier. Pilot to bombardier..." Then Yosemite Sam enters the plot, trying to escape the cops, and Bugs' faux flight becomes a real one in a series of running gags as only Looney Tunes can picture it.

A bombardier was the officer in charge of aiming the bombs. He was not the pilot, although some took charge of piloting for brief periods of time. The bombardier trained to know how to site the target, far below, and when to release the bombs so that speed and wind and distance would have them land where they were aimed. The pilot flew the plane over the target. He was responsible for the flight. He did not release the bombs but depended on the bombardier to do his job.

God is our pilot. He is in charge of the flight. Unlike Yosemite Sam, who walked out of the plane into midair only to scramble back in when he realized his fate, we cannot simply abandon the flight. We can refuse to do our job, however.

God has given us the weapons and the training on how to use them. The problem often is we are either not using them at all or we are using the wrong ones. Sometimes, we aim at the wrong target. Our target is not people. Our weapons are not arguments, debates, or mental reasonings. We are fighting with what we should be aiming at. We are fighting with those we should be recruiting.

Our weapons are not carnal or fleshly. We don't swing our fists in a vain battle, but we stand in faith and speak the Word of God, which contains all the living, working power we need.

Every morning, I make my confessions. "I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. I walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. I have the mind of Christ. The Holy Spirit is in me and upon me. He has given me all spiritual wisdom and spiritual understanding. I have insight into mysteries and riddles. I have discernment. I know when to speak and what to say to bring peace. The Holy Spirit speaks to me the things of Christ and shows me things to come." I often add in, "I am compassionate and merciful like Christ. I am kind, gentle, and loving like Christ."

These are the weapons! My target is the bitterness I felt when someone spoke, the fear that choked me when I had to do a particular thing, and the anger at someone's words on social media. I fight against what I wanted to say when I heard that minister's sermon, the judgment I wanted to cast. The truth is, the judgment only affects me, not him. Prayer, spoken in faith, changes us both.

Releasing the bombs onto the proper target is our job, otherwise, we are flying over the target in circles, and that does nothing.

We're fighting against "principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." (Eph 6:12) We're tearing down "imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God." (2Co 10:5) We fight the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. (1Jn 2:16)

We love the people involved. Otherwise, we've broken His commands and pushed God out of the pilot seat. Unlike Bugs Bunny, though, there's no brake to pull that will stop the plane inches before it hits the ground.

"The weapons of the war we're fighting are not of this world but are powered by God and effective at tearing down the strongholds erected against his truth. We are demolishing arguments and ideas, every high-and-mighty philosophy that pits itself against the knowledge of the one true God. We are taking prisoners of every thought, every emotion, and subduing them into obedience to the Anointed One." (1Co 10:4-5 VOICE)

*Image by Engin Akyurt from Pixabay

----------
Suzanne D. Williams, Author
www.feelgoodromance.com
www.suzannedwilliams.com