I took on this teaching because of God's leading to do so and for the basic need in the body of Christ to know HOW TO WIN AGAINST AN ENEMY unwilling to play fairly or honorably.
I will quote Sun Tzu's great work many, many times, using his wisdom on warfare and applying it to God's greater wisdom in spiritual warfare!
Think very deeply while reading this and learn from Sun Tzu's wisdom because this wisdom on warfare came originally from the spirit of God whether he knew it or not, Joshua & Moses learned it first hand from Egypt. God gives ALL GOOD AND PERFECT WISDOM even to the Wicked who TWIST it to their own demise. Throughout history God's original creation has been used by Wicked and Righteous alike with very different results.
Keep in mind that Satan himself is the General of the forces of evil his only downfall is in his ARROGANCE in his PRIDEFULLED stubbornness and IMPATEINCE but he follows his previous wisdom before his fall. And please always remember that the forces of Darkness operate in twisted understandings of this wisdom they do not play fair and honorable in their warfare against you because darkness has blinded them to anything!
"1.1 Sun Wu and his Book
Ssu-ma Ch‘ien gives the following biography of Sun Tzu:
1 Sun Tzu Wu was a native of the Ch‘i State. His ART OF WAR brought him to the notice of Ho Lu,2 King of Wu.
Ho Lu said to him: "I have carefully perused your 13 chapters.
May I submit your theory of managing soldiers to a slight test?"
Sun Tzu replied: "You may."
Ho Lu asked: "May the test be applied to women?"
The answer was again in the affirmative, so arrangements were made to bring 180 ladies out of the Palace.
Sun Tzu divided them into two companies, and placed one of the King’s favorite concubines at the head of each. He then bade them all take spears in their hands, and addressed them thus:
"I presume you know the difference between front and back, right hand and left hand?"
The girls replied: Yes.
Sun Tzu went on: "When I say "Eyes front," you must look straight ahead.
When I say "Left turn," you must face towards your left hand. When I say "Right turn," you must face towards your right hand. When I say "About turn," you must face right round towards your back."
Again the girls assented. The words of command having been thus explained, he set up the halberds and battle-axes in order to begin the drill.
Then, to the sound of drums, he gave the order "Right turn." But the girls only burst out laughing. Sun Tzu said: "If words of command are not clear and distinct, if orders are not thoroughly understood, then the general is to blame."
So he started drilling them again, and this time gave the order "Left turn," whereupon the girls once more burst into fits of laughter.
Sun Tzu: "If words of command are not clear and distinct, if orders are not thoroughly understood, the general is to blame.
But if his orders ARE clear, and the soldiers nevertheless disobey, then it is the fault of their officers."
So saying, he ordered the leaders of the two companies to be beheaded. Now the king of Wu was watching the scene from the top of a raised pavilion; and when he saw that his favorite concubines were about to be executed, he was greatly alarmed and hurriedly sent down the following message:
"We are now quite satisfied as to our general’s ability to handle troops.
If We are bereft of these two concubines, our meat and drink will
lose their savor.
It is our wish that they shall not be beheaded."
Sun Tzu replied:
"Having once received His Majesty’s commission to be the general of his forces, there are certain commands of His Majesty which, acting in that capacity, I am unable to accept."
Accordingly, he had the two leaders beheaded, and straightway installed the pair next in order as leaders in their place."
Gruesome as this is in all reality it is a very IMPORTANT LESSON in both Obedience and Discipline he knew that following the orders of leaders meant NOTHING if exceptions were made concerning obedience to his orders EVEN if it was only to prove his point about his teachings!
Notice here that the Women learned much in short order about the consequences to others of fooling around and not being serious about your orders.
The entire Church today MUST learn that God does not want nor need FAIR WEATHER friends who only follow when the winds of life are calm. He needs actual Spiritual Warriors who pray and fight as ONE PEOPLE unafraid of the enemy in any form he takes!
"When this had been done, the drum was sounded for the drill once more; and the girls went through all the evolutions, turning to the right or to the left, marching ahead or wheeling back, kneeling or standing, with perfect accuracy and precision,
not venturing to utter a sound.
Then Sun Tzu sent a messenger to the King saying:
"Your soldiers, Sire, are now properly drilled and disciplined, and ready for your majesty’s inspection. They can be put to any use that their sovereign may desire; bid them go through fire and water, and they will not disobey."
But the King replied: "Let our general cease drilling and return to camp. As for us, We have no wish to come down and inspect the troops."
Thereupon Sun Tzu said: "The King is only fond of words, and cannot translate them into deeds."
This same undisciplined action happens in Churches across America and the World, we are lazy unwilling good for nothings spiritually inept. None of us Man nor Women are separate in this damnation but together IN CHRIST we are one blessing IF we listen AND HEED the Spirit's call to war!
OUR holy words do not match our actions just the Pharisees and Sadducees of Jesus time we have become ALL ACT and no obedience.
"After that, Ho Lu saw that Sun Tzu was one who knew how to handle an army, and finally appointed him general.
In the west, he defeated the Ch‘u State and forced his way into Ying, the capital; to the north he put fear into the States of Ch‘i and Chin, and spread his fame abroad amongst the feudal princes.
And Sun Tzu shared in the might of the King."
WOW!
Can you now see just how important following orders perfectly as given, was so very important here? Their fickleness and playfulness in doing as told resulted in the death of those in charge of them!
Their actions directly influenced the lives of these Men leading them do you understand this principle in the Modern Church today.
Could ANYONE survive today if Jesus were to act like Sun Tzu ACTED HERE? What if I told you Jesus DOES ACT just like this spiritually towards his Church Leaders many of which have fallen by the wayside because of NOT following his commands to the letter.
We think in terms of physical death which in some cases HAS OCCURED but more times than not God simply TAKES YOU OUT OF PLAY spiritually from the battlefield.
Can you now understand WHY GOD REQUIRES OBEDIENCE EVEN UNTO DEATH in many instances in the bible?
Making a Vow to God to serve him is not a trivial matter when God makes a covenant with you his very nature is placed on the line in this trade off as it was with Abraham in Genesis 12: 1-3
The LORD said to Abram, "Leave your land, your relatives, and your father's home. Go to the land that I will show you.
Gen 12:2 I will make you a great nation, I will bless you. I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.
Gen 12:3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you, I will curse. Through you every family on earth will be blessed."
Obedience must be perfect or your warfare will fail, not following orders from your General (Jesus) or his Officers in charge results in DEATH IN OUR CASE OF COURSE of our warfare and could result in our physical death if we persist in disobedience!
When we ignore his leading we not only curse ourselves we directly negatively affect those around us, our stubbornness, laziness and obstinance hurt the very plan of God to battle unseen forces.
DO YOU THINK YOU WILL GET A DIFFERENT RESULT THAN COUNTLESS THOUSANDS WHO HAVE DONE THE SAME THING AND GOTTEN THE SAME RESULTS
Abraham WAS his new name remember God had to remove him from everything that spoke the opposite of what God commanded him to be and do, just as his Name was changed to promote his seed SO OUR LIVES MUST BE RENEWED COMPLETELY FROM THE TOP (OUR MINDS) TO THE BOTTOM (OUR FLESH) sometimes more than not in FORCED COMPLIENCE!
Abraham's inner nature wasn't changed he did not have the New Birth he had to perfectly follow his leading from without, we have God's leading from WITHIN. Did he fail...absolutely as we do he got in FEAR in Egypt:
Gen 12:11 When he was about to enter Egypt, Abram said to his wife Sarai, "I know that you're a beautiful woman.
Gen 12:12 When the Egyptians see you, they'll say, 'This is his wife!' Then they'll kill me but let you live.
Gen 12:13 Please say that you're my sister. Then everything will be alright for me, and because of you I will live."
Abraham the spiritual giant was walking in the flesh not God's perfect knowledge, YES his facts were ok, his fears had real evidence of fulfillment but what he missed is what all of us miss about God he knows our circumstances completely WE DO NOT waking in the natural. Abraham was walking not as Abraham the Father of a Multitude but as Abram in old understanding.
What General Sun Tzu was teaching his army was similar to this understanding he was teaching them to OBEY his commands no matter what was going on around them, no matter what others said, no matter the terrain, no matter the weather, cold, heat, distance or anything in your present life they were too PAY ATTENTION NOT TO THAT BUT TO WHAT their GENERAL SAYS.
Our focus must be on HIM not on our present conditions! Now back to Sun Tzu and the ART OF WAR:
"LAYING PLANS"
Much spiritual warfare isn't done by planning on our part this is why most warfare doesn't work in a permanent fashion in our lives. We fail to think ahead even when we know the Devil is going to attack us.
"1. Sun Tzu said: The art of war is of vital importance to the State."
In the place of "the State" here let's say "To Heaven" God puts his Warring abilities of vital importance to progressing his will in the earth, God is a "Man of War" who operates in complete LOVE which is his very essence, his nature.
Nothing God does or wills to happen happens apart from LOVE. God's LOVE is pure, unadulterated, free from imperfections.
So by all standards of WAR his decisions are perfect knowing the end from the beginning before the battle even starts, he unlike an earthly General CANNOT MAKE A MISTAKE and Lose but he does use these same ideals of Sun Tzu's Art of War.
"2. It is a matter of life and death, a road either to safety or to ruin. Hence it is a subject of inquiry which can on no account be neglected."
Following GOD'S ART OF DOING BATTLE is FOR US a matter of life and Death daily; as Paul taught us. We live THROUGH Jesus' victorious win upon the cross and carry that same victory forward into our current battles against God's enemies!
Making your plan to battle is a biblical mandate but what is not wise is blabbing your plan to the enemy prematurely, letting him know your next more is deadly. Keeping the enemy in the dark is your best outcome trust me!
Rom 12:1-2 "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."
"3. The art of war, then, is governed by five constant factors, to be taken into account in one’s deliberations, when seeking to determine the conditions obtaining in the field.
4. These are:
(1) The Moral Law: causes the people to be in complete accord with their ruler, so that they will follow him regardless of their lives, undismayed by any danger.
[Tu Yu quotes Wang Tzu as saying: "Without constant practice, the officers will be nervous and undecided when mustering for battle; without constant practice, the general will be wavering and irresolute when the crisis is at hand."]
[It appears from what follows that Sun Tzu means by "Moral Law" a principle of harmony, not unlike the Tao of Lao Tzu in its moral aspect.
One might be tempted to render it by "morale," were it not considered as an attribute of the ruler in ss. 13.]"
Consider what he's saying here our warfare is Governed CONSTANTLY by these 4 things, they are the reasons we War effectively.
God's MORAL LAW gives us step by step instruction not only of discipline but we operate in a morale based in the perfection of God's LOVE!
Remember that every WORD given by God is a CONTAINER FILLED WITH THE POWER TO MAKE IT COME TO PASS!
The words God speaks are just like seed planted in the soil of our hearts entering thru our ears. That seed is PRELOADED with the "spiritual DNA of the thing spoken" the seed of tree has the TREE in it before its planted all it needs is water and good soil to become that tree!
In the same way God's spoken Moral Laws have the fulfillment of their command inside them just waiting for us to nurture them with the Water of the Word thru speaking and hearing and hearing and speaking...this is how God created everything!
"(2) Heaven: signifies night and day, cold and heat, times and seasons.
[The commentators, I think, make an unnecessary mystery of two words here. Meng Shih refers to "the hard and the soft, waxing and waning" of Heaven.
Wang Hsi, however, may be right in saying that what is meant is "the general economy of Heaven," including the five elements, the four seasons, wind and clouds, and other phenomena.]"
Circumstances on earth sometimes determine how our warring in the Spirit goes that's a fact we cannot ignore. The natural surrounds us constantly and we must be aware of these natural boundaries and account for them in our planning.
Sometimes life hits us like in the movie "Everything, everywhere all at once" and we must take all this into account when making our plan to war against Satan the one distracting us with these things.
Remember if Satan can distract your focus away from him by playing these games with the natural elements he will easily defeat your battle. Don't let your focus leave the eyes of Jesus to the left hand or to right hand, be single minded on the fight!
"the general economy of Heaven," including the five elements, the four seasons, wind and clouds, and other phenomena."
Natural blockages like weather in the 4 seasons must be included in your plans; we are held under "times and seasons" that obviously God himself IS NOT so its very important we plan our spiritual war with the natural in mind but NOT AT HEART!
We also must keep in mind that God can MAKE A WAY where there seems to no way forward!
"(3) Earth: comprises distances, great and small; danger and security; open ground and narrow passes; the chances of life and death."
This is an obvious one most will think is normal to think about in "spiritual warfare" because our warring isn't always at home in comfort but it's done most of the time where we work, where we go to Church, when we vacation, when we're tired, when we're not at our best.
We are warring against Principalities and Powers than DECEIVE, MISDIRECT AND OPENLY LIE about us to others, about us TO OUR MINDS and all the while we must focus on God's direction, God's power and his love in the open ground and the narrow passes where movement is limited and the chances of your life or your death are real issues.
The greatest Faith is produced under the greatest pressure.
Please take note that we as his body DO NOT get to pick and choose what we put on daily its ALL THE ARMOR or none, its complete protection or none IF WE WISH TO WIN WE MUST PUT IT ALL ON!
Ephesians 6: 10-18
"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;"
Not sure if you know this but the inspiration for this armor is usually the Roman Soldier of Paul's day but what if its actually the Clothing of the High Priest in the Temple?
"(4) The Commander: stands for the virtues of wisdom, sincerely, benevolence, courage and strictness."
Our Commander is Jesus he works every one of these things trough us IF WE FOCUS ON HIM.
And keep in mind that your Commander is very Jealous for you so do not waver in your Love for him because HE NEVER STOPS LOVING YOU!
"[The five cardinal virtues of the Chinese are
(1) humanity or benevolence;
(2) uprightness of mind;
(3) self-respect, self- control, or "proper feeling;"
(4) wisdom;
(5) sincerity or good faith.
Here "wisdom" and "sincerity" are put before "humanity or benevolence," and the two military virtues of "courage" and "strictness" substituted for "uprightness of mind" and "self-respect, self-control, or ’proper feeling.’"]
(5) Method and discipline.
10. By METHOD AND DISCIPLINE are to be understood the marshaling of the army in its proper subdivisions, the graduations of rank among the officers, the maintenance of roads by which supplies may reach the army, and the control of military expenditure."
This is a simple lesson really but maybe that's because I'm former Military and I understand "Chain of Command" however a lot of People who claim to know don't, they think that because their Christians they not only know it all they take it upon themselves to train others in their lack of knowledge and pretend they have God's blessing to do so.
A Military run like most Churches would soon be Prisoners' of War and most actually are and don't know it! Spiritual Warfare is so very important to the survival of the Body of Christ without it pure revelation knowledge from the throne
"11. These five heads should be familiar to every general: he who knows them will be victorious; he who knows them not will fail."
Our victory is not in human beings no matter who they are or think they are, God uses those who are of no particular fame or station he looks for men and women who simply DO AS ASKED without fanfare that's why Warfare works because his Generals must shine out HIM not themselves!
"12. Therefore, in your deliberations, when seeking to determine the military conditions, let them be made on the basis of a comparison, in this wise:
13. (1) Which of the two sovereigns is imbued with the Moral law?
[I.e., "is in harmony with his subjects." Cf. ss. 5.]
(2) Which of the two generals has most ability?
(3) With whom lie the advantages derived from Heaven and Earth?
(4) On which side is discipline most rigorously enforced?
[Tu Mu alludes to the remarkable story of Ts‘ao Ts‘ao (A.D. 155-220), who was such a strict disciplinarian that once, in accordance with his own severe regulations against injury to standing crops, he condemned himself to death for having allowed him horse to shy into a field of corn!
However, in lieu of losing his head, he was persuaded to satisfy his sense of justice by cutting off his hair. Ts‘ao Ts‘ao’s own comment on the present passage is characteristically curt:
"when you lay down a law, see that it is not disobeyed; if it is disobeyed the offender must be put to death."]"
It would do all of us good to do this comparison with our Churches and the EARLY CHURCH to find out where we stand in God's Army chain of Command. As you will plainly see when doing this it doesn't look very much like God's original blueprint for his people that's because we have fallen asleep at the wheel
Gal 6:3-4
"For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another."
Heb 11:6
"But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. "
"(5) Which army is stronger?
[Morally as well as physically. As Mei Yao-ch‘en puts it, freely rendered, "ESPIRIT DE CORPS and ’big battalions.’"]
(6) On which side are officers and men more highly trained?
[Tu Yu quotes Wang Tzu as saying: "Without constant practice, the officers will be nervous and undecided when mustering for battle; without constant practice, the general will be wavering and irresolute when the crisis is at hand."]
(7) In which army is there the greater constancy both in reward and punishment?
[On which side is there the most absolute certainty that merit will be properly rewarded and misdeeds summarily punished?]
14. By means of these seven considerations I can forecast victory or defeat.
Any warfare must be accomplished with "Constancy" never deviate from the command of God in warfare, feeling aside stay the course because if Satan can insert division HE WINS but if we act as one BODY SATAN LOSES every time! The Kingdom of God operates in UNITY but the kingdom of Darkness works IN DIVISION
15. The general that hearkens to my counsel and acts upon it, will conquer: –let such a one be retained in command!
The general that hearkens not to my counsel nor acts upon it, will suffer defeat: –let such a one be dismissed!
Mat 7:24-27
"Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it."
[The form of this paragraph reminds us that Sun Tzu’s treatise was composed expressly for the benefit of his patron Ho Lu, king of the Wu State.]
16. While heading the profit of my counsel, avail yourself also of any helpful circumstances over and beyond the ordinary rules.
17. According as circumstances are favorable, one should modify one’s plans.
[Sun Tzu, as a practical soldier, will have none of the "bookish theoric." He cautions us here not to pin our faith to abstract principles; "for," as Chang Yu puts it, "while the main laws of strategy can be stated clearly enough for the benefit of all and sundry, you must be guided by the actions of the enemy in attempting to secure a favorable position in actual
warfare."
On the eve of the battle of Waterloo, Lord Uxbridge, commanding the cavalry, went to the Duke of Wellington in order to learn what his plans and calculations were for the morrow, because, as he explained, he might suddenly find himself Commander-in-chief and would be unable to frame new plans in a critical moment.
The Duke listened quietly and then
said: "Who will attack the first tomorrow – I or Bonaparte?" "Bonaparte," replied Lord Uxbridge. "Well," continued the Duke, "Bonaparte has not given me any idea of his projects; and as my plans will depend upon his,
how can you expect me to tell you what mine are?"
18. All warfare is based on deception.
A Military that does not KEEP BACK certain information is headed for a great defeat, DECEPTION simply means in this setting NOT A LIE but a holding onto certain info concerning position, troop strength and the like.
Deception doesn't HAVE to include a lie to be effective but in the case of our CIA and NSA it MOST-times does.
Misdirection is a very well used Military move letting your enemy THINK your here when your really THERE.
How we as believers can DECEIVE the enemy at his own game is found in Scripture many times when God purposely deceives his enemies leading them into ruin.
How else could you interpret an enemy Army killing each other to protect Israel from their wrath?
God many times used CONFUSION of mind to benefit Israel, He hardened people's hatred of Israel to bring them into self judgment using their arrogance and Pride against their own better judgment!
Satan uses deception in a more twisted and wicked fashion without any care whatsoever as to how many die or are maimed as a result he has ZERO LOVE for creation God acts completely out of LOVE FOR THOSE WHO HAVE COVANANT WITH HIM!
Satan has no love for you and thus has no respect of your person famous or otherwise so when he deceives he wants your deception to "Kill, Steal and Destroy" as many as possible even those who serve him.
[The truth of this pithy and profound saying will be admitted by every soldier. Col. Henderson tells us that Wellington, great in so many military qualities, was especially distinguished by "the extraordinary skill with which he concealed his movements and deceived both friend and foe."]
19. Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must seem inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near.
Never let Satan see you sweat is what I get from this, always LOOK your best regardless of feelings and the only way to properly deceive Satan at his own game is to be hiding in arms of God a place SATAN HAS NO UNDERSTANING OF AND NO VIEW OF AT ANY TIME!
By Faith every believer in biblical history was in this hide at the height of their personal victories or Satan would have destroyed them!
Staying inside God's hide makes it easier to fool your enemy into false belief about your actual state thru God's deception that he used to hide Israel from his direct attacks. God baits Satan's forces using the momentum of their pride, their arrogance and insatiable desire for power.
Satan is an imperfect being battling a PERFECT GOD with only his previous wisdom and knowledge which is greatly outdated information. BUT that info is far greater than any knowledge any human has so he deceives us into making him larger and more powerful than he really is.
Why can't WE turn that on its head and make SATAN see us as larger and more powerful than we really are!
Answer............... WE DO IT EVERY TIME WE PRAY IN JESUS MIGHTY NAME OF JESUS!
20. Hold out baits to entice the enemy. Feign disorder, and crush him.
Rom 5:6-9
"For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commended his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him."
OUR weakness is made HIS STRENGTH thru us and in doing so it blinds darkness to all things God plans so as long as we CONTROL OUR words in favor of HIS WORD, Satan has no clue what's going on!
It is in Jesus power thru us to CRUSH THE HEAD OF THE SERPENT only while walking in the power of the Holy Spirit's guidance
[All commentators, except Chang Yu, say, "When he is in disorder, crush him." It is more natural to suppose that Sun Tzu is still illustrating the uses of deception in war.]
21. If he is secure at all points, be prepared for him. If he is in superior strength, evade him.
Here we learn there are times when we must EVADE the enemy these are times when we are weakest in our flesh times when we must curl-up into the arms of Jesus spiritually to heal mentally and physically. We prepare in these times to face evil but never do we FEAR EVIL. In Christ we are covered, unseen by wicked plans, recharging for the battle to come!
The Hide of God is out of necessity to gain empowerment by planning for battle not to hide out of fear, fear kills hope and hope is our Salvation.
22. If your opponent is of choleric temper, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant.
This ALWAYS brings out the worst in evil, but never poke the bear unless your standing with God's word in your mouth because his word must be spoken in boldness and with the Faith of God. REMEMBER that God made you in his image and his words are containers filled with all the powers of heaven IN THE EARTH!
Mark 11:23-26
"For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
Therefore I say unto you, Whatever things you desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.
But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses."
[Wang Tzu, quoted by Tu Yu, says that the good tactician plays with his adversary as a cat plays with a mouse, first feigning weakness and immobility, and then suddenly pouncing upon him.]
23. If he is taking his ease, give him no rest.
[This is probably the meaning though Mei Yao-ch‘en has the note: "while we are taking our ease, wait for the enemy to tire himself out." The YU LAN has "Lure him on and tire him out."]
If his forces are united, separate them.
[Less plausible is the interpretation favored by most of the commentators: "If sovereign and subject are in accord, put division between them."]
24. Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected.
25. These military devices, leading to victory, must not be divulged beforehand.
26. Now the general who wins a battle makes many calculations in his temple ere the battle is fought.
[Chang Yu tells us that in ancient times it was customary for a temple to be set apart for the use of a general who was about to take the field, in order that he might there elaborate his plan of campaign.]
The general who loses a battle makes but few calculations beforehand.
Thus do many calculations lead to victory, and few calculations to defeat: how much more no calculation
at all!
It is by attention to this point that I can foresee who is likely to win or lose.
