“God, I ask this question
Do you look down on me and smile
When I charge my rifle
Prep my grenades
Check every detail of my gear
And prepare to kill your beloved creations?

Yaweh, you told me
I shall not kill
Except in your name
And with your blessing
If you’ve decided to use me
To carry out your will”

Chris, it is the state of your spirit when doing battle. Your questions in this prayer have been answered. I believe doing battle as a warrior is just and righteous when defending the defenseless from evil. This also includes preemptive offensive operations. Remember that there is a difference between killing and murder that is lost on many that do not see this difference. When a fellow team member is killed in battle, I cannot let the flood of emotional rage and desire for vengeance cloud my judgement and soul cause as I well know, it can get me killed, or worse, my fellow warriors.

When an armed thug threatens my families security and I take him down in defense, resulting in their death, it is a righteous killing. I do not hate him and consider his actions as I would a rabid dog that was a family pet.

In this same scenario, I deliver a non-fatal shot rendering the thug defenseless and THEN out of rage, I walk up and shoot them in the head, that is murder.

I am guilty of hate and rage. It is so easy to hate and far harder to love. I believe that God blesses the warrior that can extract hate and desire for vengeance from their heart.This kind of warrior does not desire war, but can recognize a threat from a non-threat and takes righteous action.

Again, the difference between killing and murder is the motivation for taking life, and what is in their heart when doing so. I remember the words of my Ranger Instructor during a raid: “Kill them all. Not because you hate’em, but because you have a mission. Any left alive are a threat to that mission”. The rules of war state that once we assault through the objective, we must render aid to the injured enemy behind us. To do so, requires time that we do not have and puts the mission at risk. Because of this reality, it was important for me to ensure the state of my spirit was in order.

Righteously kill without hesitation, but never murder. This same principal can be observed by anyone, religious or not.

This is my belief. As you are an LEO, I pray for your safety in this increasingly insane world of anti-cop sentiment.

A Post-Modern Miracle
And lo, the great Seventh Tower fell at the speed of lightning straight down unto its own footprint and the people were amazed, for the giant bird had passed over it, the falling boulders from the sky which struck it were small and the fires therein were not great and did not rage. “How can this be?”, marvelled the people, “that the mighty tower has fallen?” And the wise men replied, “Verily, we know not, for the like has never been seen before by the sons of men. Perhaps fiery heat has caused one column to sway, causing the tower to fall at the speed of lightning straight down into its own footprint; yea, destroying the entire tower unto dust. How can we know the ways of fire upon steel?” And they pronounced it a miracle. Yet some of the people doubted and said, “Did not the king proclaim ‘pull it’ and the tower then fall?” And the spirit of darkness and deceit descended upon their minds and they did not believe the miracle. Then the faithful were sore afraid and grew angry and said, “These men are possessed of demons and mad, for they believe not except what their own eyes have seen and ears have heard and minds have understood. Let us cast them out of the kingdom of polite discourse henceforth and forever.” And so it was done. But the doubters continued to mutter, “The people believe not in the miracles of the supernatural, yet believe in miracles of nature. It is indeed passing strange.”

Here is a possible modern miracle appropriate for today’s 70th anniversary of Hiroshima.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hubert_Schiffer

Miracles require faith.
“And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.”
Matthew 13:58.
I’m not trying to convince you nor do I think you’re deranged, just sayin’.

Not really. Since I like to argue, I enjoyed it.