July 7, 1972, on the tropical island of Saipan–a seemingly insignificant 43-square mile territory in the South Pacific; a dead dentist from Milwaukee was discovered sprawled out over a large machine gun. The slain man’s body was riddled with 76 bullets–an excessive amount of rounds by any standards–even in the midst of a bloody World War. 

More incredible than the number of bullets he took to his frame, was the number of Japanese bodies scattered near his corpse. Surrounding his body were 98 dead enemy soldiers. One man–a regular guy, who had only months earlier been one of the first recipients of a draft notice–had slaughtered them single-handedly. 

Only a few hours earlier, 29 year old Captain Ben Salomon had volunteered to man a medical aid station filled with 30 injured Americans. As he and his staff were treating the men, around 5,000 Japanese soldiers launched a suicide banzai mission against American forces, storming the beaches, breaking US lines, and heading in the direction of the Salomon’s aid station.

As hundreds of enemy soldiers approached his tent, the Captain swiftly gave orders to his medics. “Get [the wounded] back to the regiment if you can!” He commanded, “I’ll try to hold these bastards off till you get going.” Immediately, Salomon charged out toward the enemy to provide cover for his escaping wounded comrades. 

It was reported that he killed so many men–even as he was being hit–that he had to keep moving his machine gun back to create space for the next wave of enemy soldiers to pile up. A short while later, Captain Ben Salomon dead. Many years later, the Captain was posthumously presented with the Medal of Honor for his incredible bravery and self-sacrifice.

If you are anything like me, you may find this heroic war story difficult to relate to. Most of us haven’t experienced combat. Few of us have experienced “fight or flight” hormones in their proper context–saving our own lives or the lives of others from danger. 

So what is it about Captain Salomon’s story that calls into the echoey cavern of our masculine souls, daring us to come out and be men of this spirit? Is it his physical act of heroism that inspires us to want to be this kind of man? I don’t think so.

Consider how hero-drunk our culture is. From the time we were crapping our Batman Pampers and drinking from a Ninja Turtle sippy cup, we fantasized about subduing the the bad guy, we wanted to shoot bandits off of horses, or battle dragons in a suit of armor to rescue a maiden in distress, and we all felt empowered by swinging a big stick or wearing a cape. In a sense, we were raised by “heroes” and we made a daily practice of trying to be one. 

How’d that work out for you? Take down any bad guys lately? The reality is, no matter how many John Wayne or John Wick stories we consume, this abundance of inspiration has not necessarily resulted in building strong, courageous men. So why would the story of Captain Salomon be any different? 

To take hold of the valuable lessons hidden within Captain Salomon’s story we have to go deeper than the physical act we see. We have look at what type of character creates this kind of man. Most of us will not likely end up in a physical conflict against a hundred men, but it is equally true that we are experiencing an even greater war inside of ourselves and in the unseen atmosphere of our lives every single day.

Wake Up to Your Warzone

Each day, you arise to the buzzing of a great war that rages inside of you, and all around you, in the invisible realms of your life. This battle of good versus evil is very real. And the stakes are life-or-death.

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.“

– Ephesians 6

Your enemy specializes in gaslighting and propaganda. He works to deceive you into ignorance and apathy. He transmits that there is no war–that all is well. Go back to your regularly scheduled programming.

But you can’t–not now that you are awake. How could you return to sleep, knowing that you and your house are a target? You must be a man. You must defend the castle. You must drive out the enemy. But how?

Driving Out the Enemy

Once a man realizes he is at war, he must identify the barbarians. Who are your enemies? Who are your wife’s enemies? Your children’s enemies? What weapons are being used against you? What strategies are they using on you and your family? How are they getting in?

Devils are real. These spirits become easier to identify as you walk out onto the battlefield. Your enemy is tasked with enslaving you and your descendants from generation to generation. Have you ever noticed it? That familiar character flaw that your grandfather had, that your father had, that seems to have landed right on your lap and is priming itself to take down your children? You see it sometimes, but it feels like you are powerless over it. Does that sound familiar? What does this bring to mind?

Perhaps there are overwhelming feelings of fear, depression or anxiety, thoughts of poverty or lack, unforgiveness or hatred, addiction or compulsion, psychological instability, fatherlessness or loneliness, insecurity or self-hatred, physical, sexual or emotional abuse. Maybe its a lousy marriage, sour relationships, or that voice that whispers that you are worthless, unlovable, untrustable, and definitely unforgivable. Do you see any patterns here?

What I am describing is the work of your enemy and it is not ok to allow this invasion or occupation to continue, just as it is not ok for a nation to allow enemy forces into their borders.

How are you going to stop this? You need a strategy. There is good news for the awakened man who is committed to put an end to this violation. You can be the man who takes a stand against this oppression and breaks through into freedom for yourself, your spouse, your children, and your children’s children. 

Scripture provides a clear strategy for how to win this stand-off with the enemy. 

“Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” 

– James 4 

Now, I was never in the military, but I can’t imagine many soldiers have received strategic orders as simple and easy-to-understand as that!

When we submit ourselves to God, we receive the power of Christ’s death–which effectively neuters the power of the devil. This means that all of the curses and torment we described earlier, loses it’s grip on your life. By faith (believing), this reality is transferred to us, and our resistance–the expression of our “NO!” to this oppression gets backed up by the whole force of Heaven.

When a man begins to take authority over these enemies, they don’t stick around. They no longer want to hang out in his house and mess with him and his family. Men, you a gate to your house. What you allow in–what you accept for yourself and your family–will surely come in. What you resist and drive out, will find a more hospitable home to crash elsewhere.

 

The Importance of Covering

Captain Salomon’s provided cover for those entrusted in his care. They were able to escape because he stood between them and the enemy–he became the gate. This is a fundamental duty for all men. You are responsible for the physical, emotional, and spiritual covering of your wife, children, and all those entrusted to your care. For the enemy to get to them, it must first face you.

An important question for a man to ask is this: “Where have I yielded leadership in the physical, emotional, or spiritual dynamics of my home?” What am I letting in? What do I need to keep out?

The Greatest Gift A Man Can Give

In sacrificing his own life for others, Salomon modeled the words of Christ. 

“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”

– John 15:13

This act of laying down one’s life has multiple levels to it. Is Christ referring to actually taking a dirt nap? Yes, after all, He exemplified this by laying His life down in the most gruesome and painful way until He was officially dead.

However, as we live and breathe, we have daily opportunity to participate in this act. Many men like to talk tough, and say they would die for their spouse, but they won’t even give her five minutes of their undivided attention when she tries to express something important to her. We say we would lay our lives down for our brother, but we won’t even forgive him for something he did or said years ago. Often times, laying your life down is as practical as playing matchbox cars with your son when you’d rather be doing something else. Maybe that’s a good place to start.

Leave A Meaningful Legacy

Salomon did not receive a reward or recognition for his actions during his lifetime. But many men were alive to tell the tale to their grandchildren about the man who–if it weren’t for him–they wouldn’t have existed. That’s quite a legacy. What a gift to leave behind!

In every sacrifice (great and small) that is required of you, consider the long-term implications. What are the actions of your life sowing into your wife, your children, your grandchildren, your circle of influence? What temporary comfort or pleasure could you trade-off now to leave a rich inheritance of faith, values, wisdom, and wealth to those you will 100% certainly be leaving behind one day? How can you set them up for success?