I sat in a circle of 15 students, Bible in-hand. It was a sports team Bible study at a local secular college. The event was advertised as an “ask anything” or “stump the pastor” night. The Bible study leader said that his teammates were eager to finally have some of their aching questions answered. Before sitting down, I had already sized them up. This was a fairly prestigious school and I knew most of the men in front of me were deep, critical thinkers.

These are situations that I relish in. I enjoy mining the depths of the Bible and theology, helping others think deeply about faith. I’d been in similar “ask anything” events countless times with both high school students at church and at the Christian university down the road. I’d been asked the whole gamut of questions from both skeptics and Christians alike: “How can a good God allow suffering?” “Can Christians believe in evolution?” “Is Hell eternal?” etc. etc. I’d even been asked if Adam and Eve would have needed to cut their hair before the Fall!

I was prepared for an intellectual battle. And I had my Sword in hand.

Then, I was asked the first question…

“So, how can I battle temptation?”

All the other young men nodded their heads, glad that the question was asked.

I sat there, puzzled. Unsure of what just happened.

I quickly opened my Bible to Romans 8 and led the men through the passage. It was a clear comfort to them.

Then, the next question came: “What have you found most helpful for growing in your faith?”

The breath was knocked out of me again. This wasn’t what I was expecting. What about the “problem of evil?” Don’t you want to know the theological nuances of Calvinism and Arminianism? What about the End Times? Premillennialism or Amillennialism, anyone? Were the Nephilim actually giants? Did Noah save dinosaur’s on the ark?

As I continued to answer students’ questions for the next hour, I soon realized that the questions I was so used to being asked were simply not that important to these young men. Why?

Because frontline soldiers ask different questions.

These were young Christians trying to live out their faith in the midst of a small, secular school. They interacted with smart, non-Christian peers all the time. They were faced with social temptations and worldly academic philosophies every day. Now wasn’t the time for the heady and theoretical. It was the time for the real and practical. They were in the battle, and they needed help with the fight.

What kind of questions did WWI soldiers ask their commanding officer while under fire in foxholes? As bullets are ricocheting around them… “Sir, I’m curious what your military philosophy is and what influenced your tactical approach.” I doubt they cared much about philosophy and influences in that moment. Instead, they were asking, “What should I do next? How can we defeat the enemy here?”

As a pastor, I don’t live on the frontlines like these college athletes do. I’m not immersed in a secular culture and among secular peers anywhere near the degree that they are. That’s okay. But it’s helpful for me to visit them regularly, encourage them, and… hear their questions.

Understanding the questions of frontline soldiers is important for all of us. It’s convicting. It makes me ask the same questions of myself. And it puts my faith in perspective. It reminds of me the primary questions I should be asking all of my Christian brothers and sisters: “How are you fighting sin? How are you growing in your faith?”

It’s not that the other heady or intellectual questions are unimportant. They’re important in the same way that the military officer’s philosophy and tactical approach are important. But they’re not the most essential thing in every situation.

Please be praying for our Christian brothers and sisters on the frontlines – whether enrolled at the secular university down the road or serving as a missionary across the sea. They need you.

And you need them.