22 Rules

 

In 1501, a writer and priest named Desiderius Erasmus was staying at a castle occupied by one of the orders of knights then spread throughout Europe. He met a Knight there who was rather friendly, but quite rough around the edges. The Knight’s wife begged Erasmus to help her husband, so Erasmus wrote Enchiridion Militis Christiani, or The Manual of the Christian Knight. It was a guide to how a Knight should live.

This book has passed down over the generations as an outstanding guide for the sheepdogs and warriors among western society as a way to guide your behavior. It’s been a favorite of mine since a Chaplain turned me on to it many years ago. *The picture at the top is an affiliate link to buy a copy*

Sgt Pascoe of the Michigan State Police pulled out Erasmus’ 22 Rules and Lt Col Dave Grossman recapped them in his work, On Combat. We’re going to look at them here and discuss how they apply to us today.

But first, here is today’s Tactical Wisdom, which applies to Knights and Protectors:

Learn to do right; seek justice.
Defend the oppressed.
Take up the cause of the fatherless;
plead the case of the widow.

Isaiah 1:17

First Rule
Increase Your Faith
Even if the entire world appears mad.

Our faith can carry us through the worst of times. If we lose our faith, we lose our guiding principles that set us apart from the evil we claim to resist.

Second Rule
Act Upon Your Faith.
Even if you must undergo the loss of everything.

We are called to “Go and Make Disciples” in Matthew 28. We are not to keep our faith bottled inside; we need to share it. Also, when we know something is wrong, we cannot just say “Oh, well. I can’t do anything.” James 4:17 says “If a man knows the good he ought to do and does not do it, it will count as sin for him.”. Act on your faith, even if it is unpopular.

Third Rule
Analyze Your Fears.
You will find that things are not as bad as they appear.

Things are never as bad as they look. In order for things to look bad, you have to be ALIVE. If you are wounded, you are not DEAD. There is always a good thing to be seen.

RTWT.