“Wolf Pack” Tactics

By Gene Frost

            During the Second World War, the German Naval Command employed a strategy designed to disrupt Allied shipping. They would deploy their submarine fleet in search of an Allied convoy. When one was detected, all other submarines would then be contacted so that together, as a “wolf pack,^” they would attack.

            The carnal mind works in the same way about spiritual matters. When one of a religious party feels threatened, there goes out the word to concentrate on the offensive party. The “wolf pack” begins to collect all the damaging material on the offender they can find. All members of the party are informed and the attack begins.

            We say this is the “carnal mind” because the weapons are not of God. Instead of meeting the opposition on the basis of truth, an attack is made upon his person. The idea is to destroy the man and thereby silence his opposition. The spiritual mind has no need of such weaponry, for truth is his arsenal and with it he can overturn the sophistries and specious arguments of error. (2 Cor. 10:3-6)

            This is not to say that all of the forces of truth should not be turned on the citadels of error, but to the contrary. What we deplore is the party spirit which sets the party's interest above truth, and which shuns not to use any tactic to preserve party domain. It is this spirit which converts its members into a ^“wolf pack” — a tactic designed to intimidate the timid soul and to destroy the bold. Even so, men may be destroyed, and unjustly so, but truth cannot be crushed.

            The “wolf pack^” tactic has no place in the forces of righteousness. Whenever and wherever it is detected, it must be censured. A holy cry of indignant brethren ought to ring out to disperse such ungodly movement. Otherwise, a few ambitious men can gravitate to themselves undue power and influence to intimidate and forcefully advance their selfish interest.

Gospel Anchor (February 1977)