Our Daily Bread: Called to ServeExemplo

OODA Loop

There will always be temptations to sin . . . . So watch yourselves! —Luke 17:1,3

Our son Randy was a SWAT team commander for the Boise Police Department. Now he serves as an instructor for the Department of Homeland Security, training other police departments in active shooter response. One of the topics he covers is the OODA Loop.

The OODA Loop describes the process by which combatants react to a threat: Observe the threat as it occurs. Orient yourself to the threat. Decide what action to take. Then Act. 

The key to success in any confrontation is to shorten reaction time by thinking through the loop before the encounter, anticipating every strategy an opponent might use and deciding in advance what the response will be so that reaction becomes instinctive. The theory has an elegant simplicity that lends itself to many applications, not the least of which is our ongoing conflict with evil. As Wisdom would say, “The wise are mightier than the strong . . . . Victory depends on having many advisors” (Proverbs 24:5–6). 

We may not think in terms of this being a spiritual battle, but it is. One of Jesus’s disciples wrote about this when he urged us to remain alert for danger. “Watch out for your great enemy, the devil,” he warned. “He prowls around like a roaring lion” (1 Peter 5:8). 

Once we have made the commitment to follow Jesus, we can expect attacks on our faith. When they come, what response will I make? What will I say or do? Having determined my reaction in advance, I can respond to the attack with calm conviction, for the decision has already been made. 

David Roper

Every temptation is an opportunity to flee to God.