Anchored in an Unshakable Code of Honor and Sacrifice

The soldiers trade, if it is to mean anything at all, has to be anchored in an unshakeable code of honor. Otherwise, those of us who follow the drums become nothing more than a bunch of hired assassins walking around in gawdy clothes…a disgrace to God and mankind. General Carl Von Clausewitz, On War, 1832

Von Clausewitz’s writings and theories are taught and studied at all military academies and war colleges in the western world. However, he has given us many terms used in everyday parlance, not only in military science, but in business schools, law schools and leadership studies. You might want to check out terms such as…center of gravity, tipping point, point of culminating victory, and nine principles of war. You likely will see the applications in spiritual warfare, as well as, in your personal and/or professional life. The nine principles of war are in numerous graduate school curricula and many leadership books.

Over the years I have gained much appreciation for the Clausewitzian insight into our nature from his writings about mankind engaged in warfare. In fact, Clausewitz gave us this brilliant, concise overview: “The essence of warfare is the violent conflict between two hostiles and irreconcilable wills, each trying to impose itself on the other.” We can simply check the news of the day to see the current application of his brilliant insight for nations as well as individuals.

In 1985 I came across this Clausewitz nugget which has guided my personal and professional conduct, as well as helped to explain the conduct of others. Clausewitz maintained that: “It is the value of the objective that determines the amount of sacrifice given in magnitude and duration.” This has helped me to access the value of my marriage, my family, my faith, my patriotism, etc., by the singular standard of sacrifice. Our wives, our children and others indeed get a sense of their value to us by seeing the magnitude and duration of our sacrifice for them. Using this standard can give us all a deeper and clearer picture into our value to Jesus Christ, based upon the magnitude of his sacrifice for each of us.

Honor is one of those troubling little core value words that, if ignored, places both a culture and an individual in great peril. We must embrace afresh the meaning of honor, the noun: the esteem due or paid to worth; reverence; as well as the verb: to revere, to treat with deference and respect. I believe that an unshakable code of honor and sacrifice must be our anchor in 2022, just as our old pal Clausewitz proffered 190 years ago, if we are to persevere.

Reflecting on Clausewitz: The Christian life, if it is to mean anything at all, has to be anchored in an unshakeable code of honor and willingness to sacrifice for others. Otherwise, those of us who identify as followers of The Christ, become nothing more than a bunch of hypocrites walking around espousing wordy doctrines…a disgrace to God and the Cross of Christ.

“Give to everyone what you owe them; If respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.” Romans 13:7a; d.

Barney Barnes, 08-06-2022, Promise Keepers National Ambassador for the Military and Prisons