In This The Faithful Gather

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.  Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.  Ephesians  6:12-13 (NIV)

Eating, fortifying positions, cleaning weapons, planning, maintaining equipment—even resting, all must be done deliberately and constantly by troopers in the field in preparation for the enemy.  The leader, assuming that the attack may come at any time and from any direction, coordinates the troopers’ preparations so that the unit is not vulnerable to a surprise attack.  So, one man sleeps while the man next to him stays alert; one machine gun is cleaned while the other one is fully manned; one man fills the canteens of five men who work.   

The time of day is immaterial to the troopers’ battle preparation.  Prior to  entering the field, their leaders have taught them to clean their weapons in the dark as well as the light.  There are two daily exceptions to these ceaseless preparations and they both occur when the sun is between 6 and 12 degrees below the horizon.  In the morning this is called BMNT (begin morning nautical twilight) and in the evening it is called EENT (end evening nautical twilight).  It is then that traces of illumination near the sunrise/sunset point are nearly impossible to discern as the horizon becomes indistinct.  For the individual trooper, these are the moments of Gloom, both within and without, when the pre-dawn darkness most fully envelopes, and then, when the day gives up its last hope in soft surrender to the dark pitch of night.

It is in these moments of Gloom that the troopers cease all of their preparations.  They strap on their combat gear and move forward to form a circle, aiming their weapons into the Gloom, where the enemy is.  They are silent, on full alert, because it is only by sound, smell or vibration that the troopers can hope to discern the approach of the enemy.   Each trooper concentrates on the ground in front of him, trusting his brothers’ vigil to his side and rear.  This requires discipline.  This discipline is called Stand To.  It was not passed down to us from the armies of Europe.  We learned it the hard way from the Indians, who knew that the ebb of a man’s sense and spirit was when his will was most vulnerable to attack—it is when he is most alone and isolated.  The Gloom is when they attacked, so it is in the Gloom that we learned to Stand To.  We practice it now, in peace and war, for it gives a lurking and watchful enemy pause. 

            Lest the sanguinity birthed of sun and star prove illusory, it is the Gloom that cloaks the Enemy’s approach, for he knows that by nature we crave the light.  He waits then for the Gloom to creep forward, to catch us asleep or distracted by our very preparations for an approach we would prefer in full light, when he can be seen.  By discipline we learn to Stand To in the Gloom, in God’s full armor, ready for battle.