SILENT SENTINEL By Mark Philips

In the darkest days of the Cold War, it stood. A silent sentry, ready
in rain or shine to embark on its mission at a moment's notice. It was
truly one of the eeriest sights I ever saw: the alert bomber.

One of the tenets of U.S. defense policy during the Cold War was to
ensure that no enemy could strike the U.S. without retaliation. So at
bases like Dyess Air Force Base in Texas, there was always one bomber
that was different. While the other bombers were parked together in a
neat line near the hangers, this one stood alone, at the end of the
runway, with its hatch open and waiting. Surrounded by barbed-wire,
this bomber sat fully loaded, fully fueled, 24 hours a day. While we
often saw bombers taking off and landing, we knew that whenever we
looked at the alert
bomber, we were seeing a plane fully fueled, and loaded with enough
nuclear weapons to destroy several cities.

Here is how it would work. If the U.S. was attacked, a bell would ring
inside a building next to the alert bomber. Inside this building,
pilots and crewmen lived 24 hours a day, less than 50 yards from the
plane. In less than a minute, these crewmen would race out the door
and across the
tarmac to their plane. The hatch was open and waiting, and by pressing
a button on the hatch, the pilot would start the engines and bring the
plane to life. Within moments of strapping himself into his ejection
seat, the pilot was rolling, and less than 5 minutes after the alarm
bell rang, the huge bomber would be airborn, headed across the world
on its mission of destruction.

We often joked that if we ever drove by the base and the alert bomber
was gone, it was time to start praying really hard.

That plane was an insurance policy of sorts for America. That plane
said to our enemies, "You might destroy every other bomber at this
base, but the cost to you will be several cities of your own, because
you will never strike fast enough to destroy the alert bomber....so
don't even think about it." Defense strategists called it "Mutual
Assured Destruction" , or MAD, and it was the ultimate game of
chicken. But it let us sleep at night in an uncertain and unstable
world.

They say we won the cold war, and that the world is safer today. But
who provides your SPIRITUAL protection? Who do you depend on for your
SPIRITUAL safety? Your minister?
Your spouse? Your own strength? If so, prepare to be obliterated.

There is only one defender you can trust. David knew him well: "The
Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in
whom I take refuge. He is my shield....my stronghold.
I call to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my
enemies. (Psalm 18)

In spiritual warfare, the best defense is NOT a good offense. The best
defense is knowing the best defender.