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Hundreds and hundreds of years prior to this another young man found himself a long way from home. He was an “only son” and resided with his loving Father. One day his Father sent him on a journey. His Father loved his son. He had entrusted him with many important things for him to do. His Father had planted a vineyard and had lent it out. At harvest time he sent his only son so that the husbandman…should give him of the fruit of the vineyard (Luke 20:10). Another task was for his son to travel to…a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return (Luke 19:12). In those days distance wasn’t measured by miles but by how many days journey one was from one point to another. When the son arrived at his destination he found himself many days journey from home albeit he was among friends though…I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you (John 15:15b). At Columbia Heights High School James enjoyed courses in woodwork and metalwork; and starred on the basketball, baseball and boxing teams. But America was at war and like many young high school kids he was chomping at the bit to serve his country. So at age 17, and with his mother's permission, James D. La Belle enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve in Minneapolis. Soon he found himself at the MCRD San Diego California for Recruit training. After boot camp, he went to Camp Pendleton, California, where he completed the intensive combat training course. On June 30, 1944, he reported to the regimental Weapons Company, 27th Marines, 5th Marine Division; and in August he sailed on board the USS George F. Elliott, bound for Hilo, Hawaii. At Camp Tarawa, a Marine camp in Hawaii near Hilo, his regiment engaged in more training in preparation for actual combat. Finally La Belle was ready and on February 19, 1945, he and 30,000 of his friends (Marines) of the 3rd, 4th, and 5th Marine Divisions spearheaded the first American attack on the Japanese Home Islands—Iwo Jima— in World War Two. The initial beach landings were very successful and uneventful. No exchanging of gunfire, no sign of the enemy; patrols fanned out to seek out and engage the Japanese soldiers holding the island but they were met only with deadly silence! Uneasiness fell over the Marines and some became unnerved. The enemy had to be out there somewhere…but where? Unfortunately like many of us Peter learned the hard way to take the words of Jesus to heart…Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour… Whom resist stedfast in the faith (1Pe 5:8-9a). Those words written by Peter is the secret of spiritual warfare as the apostle Paul amplifies Peter's words…For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled (2Co 10:4-6). The weapons of our warfare are: resisting him (Satan, evil, temptation, carnality, and so forth) in the faith, putting on the whole armour of God, and the Blood of the Lamb (1Pe. 5:8-9: Eph. 6:10-18: Rev. 12:11). After forty days in the wilderness Jesus was attacked by his enemy. Jesus didn’t pull Back on Iwo Jima James was in the fight for his life. For 17 days James and his “buddies” slugged it out with the Japanese. The Japanese defenders were not going to give up an inch without a fight; they were well entrenched in fortified bunkers, caves, and an extensive system of tunnels that connected the positions. The Japanese defensive plan was simple: every foot on the Island was exposed to enemy fire. Every foot the Marines advanced was to be paid for in blood. Jesus knew the greatest enemy to conquer was not Satan: but the flesh—the sin nature of every human.
Slowly the Marines were gaining the upper hand on Iwo Jima but the pace was very  Jesus in speaking of his sacrifice (death on the cross) said…Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father (John 10:17-18). And what reward did Jesus’ loving father bestow upon him for his unselfish self-sacrificing deed? And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Php 2:8-11). What does the resurrection mean to you?
—God’s Peace and Blessing, Comment on this article? click here © 2009 Curtis W. Bond All rights reserved
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Jesus found his cousin Jesus found his cousin John the Baptist (Mary the mother of Jesus and John's mother Elisabeth were cousins Luke 1:36) baptizing in the river Jordan. When John saw Jesus coming to him to be baptized, and said, 
out any holy water, or olive oil, or prayer cloth to hurl at the devil. No Jesus calmly and firmly responded with spiritual warfare tactics and repulsed all three temptations…
slow, the fighting brutal, and the death and casualty count was quickly rising. It didn’t take long for the Marines to realize this wasn’t going to be a “walk in the park” (by the end of the battle the casualties were staggering). On March 8, 1945, Private First Class LaBelle had dug into a foxhole with two other Marines. He and his “friends” were gruesomely aware of the enemy's persistent attempts to blast their way their lines with hand grenades. 
Night time was especially dangerous and he maintained a vigilant watch. Suddenly a hostile grenade landed beyond reach in his foxhole. Quickly and with no regard for his own survival he shouted a warning and instantly dived on the grenade thereby absorbing the exploding charge with his own body while protecting his comrades from serious injury. Private First Class LaBelle courageously gave his life for his friends and in doing so was awarded the nation’s highest award: the Congressional Medal of Honor. The apostle Paul wrote that …
