In the military, going AWOL (Absent Without Leave) is a grave offense. It signifies abandoning your post, turning your back on your comrades, and refusing to fight for the cause you pledged to defend. When soldiers go AWOL, they are chased down by the civilian police and charged by their commanding officer or a military court. The consequences for going AWOL for over 30 days can include up to one year of confinement and forfeiture of all pay and allowances, followed by dishonorable discharge. In 1945, Herman Perry went AWOL after shooting a lieutenant who wanted to arrest him. When he was eventually recaptured, he was hanged for murder and for going AWOL.
If natural armies don’t take it lightly with soldiers who turn their back on the battle, how do you think our Commander sees believers who desert their duty posts? Many face the temptation to go AWOL. Many begin with great passion to serve the Lord and put their hands on the plow, but the allure of the world, the weariness of the fight, or the sting of disappointment have subtly tempted many to look back, question their commitment, and ultimately, stray from the path.
Jesus’ words in Luke 9:62 remind us of the danger of turning back after pledging our allegiance to Him. He said, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” Many people in Jesus’ time were farmers, so they understood what it meant to put their hands on the plow and why it was dangerous to look back. When a farmer plowed a field, he needed to keep his eyes forward to make straight rows in the soil because once he started looking back, the lines would become crooked, and the work wouldn’t be done properly.
Jesus wasn’t giving His disciples a casual suggestion by saying this. He was laying before them the price of discipleship. Once you take the pledge of allegiance to follow the Lord, you automatically lose the right to turn back to your old ways. These words of Jesus were also a form of protection for His disciples from the grave consequences of turning back. In Ephesians 6:10-17, Paul gave a detailed description of a Christian soldier’s armour. While there was a piece of protection for the head (helmet), one for the heart (the breastplate), another for the legs (shoes), one for the waist (the belt), and a general weapon of offense and defense (the sword), there was no protection for the back. This means that any soldier who turned his back in the battle would be vulnerable to the enemy’s swords and arrows.
Demas is an example of a soldier who went AWOL. Although he started as a companion of Paul and a fellow labourer in the Gospel, 2 Timothy 4:10 tells us the sad news that he deserted God’s army.
‘Since Demas deserted me and has left to go to Thessalonica, for he loves his own life.’ 2 Timothy 4:10.
It got to a point in Demas’ journey when he felt the demands of following the Commander were too much, and his love for himself outgrew his love for the Lord. He chose temporary gratification over the priceless and eternal reward of remaining faithful in the Lord’s army.
No soldier suddenly wakes up and goes AWOL. It’s usually a gradual process, a slow fade. It begins with small compromises. We miss a prayer meeting here, and skip our Bible reading there. We allow little lies to creep into our conversations or entertain impure thoughts in our minds. We become lax in our accountability to fellow believers, and slowly but surely, the fire of our faith begins to dwindle. Like a frog in boiling water, we adjust to the increasing temperature of worldliness, not realising the danger until it’s too late.
We start justifying our lack of zeal. “I’m just too busy,” we tell ourselves. “I’ll get back to it later.” But “later” never comes. The world’s voice grows louder, and the voice of the Holy Spirit becomes fainter. We become more comfortable in the company of those who don’t share our faith and less comfortable in the presence of God until, suddenly, we find ourselves far from the front lines with our backs against the One who saved us. We don’t realise we have lost our first love until we have drifted far away like the Prodigal son.
Often, it is the legitimate things of life that take us away from the eternal path carved out by the Commander for His soldiers. Jesus called these things the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things. (Mark 4:19). In 1 John 2:15-16, John tells us that God’s love is not in us when we love the world. The moment we begin to love the world, we have every tendency to go AWOL eventually.
The challenge today, beloved Comrade, is to examine your heart. Have you allowed the cares of this world to choke the life out of your faith? Have you traded the eternal riches of Christ for the fleeting pleasures of sin? If so, it’s time to turn back.
Perhaps you’re reading this, and a sense of unease is stirring within you, or you have recognised some of these tendencies in your own life. Maybe you’ve already taken a few steps down that slippery slope. If you sense you have wandered away from the center of God’s will, there’s hope. The Lord is merciful and gracious. He’s always ready to receive a repentant soldier.
It’s time to return to your Commander-in-Chief. Don’t delay. Don’t make excuses. Confess your sin, ask for forgiveness, and rededicate yourself to the cause of Christ. He is waiting with open arms to welcome you back into the ranks. The Lord will not cast away any soldier who returns to Him sincerely.