I know that in the US of A, battle reenactments are very popular. I myself was a re-enactor for a number of years going to all the forts of that period...(1744-1760) What the Americans call "the French and Indian war."
Now some people get carried away with this form of exercise and some downright crazy over it. I got out of it because of the political mess and it was time as the Lord led me out. But I observed a lot of things by doing this.
Now participating in a battle...say of Gettysburg...does not mean you were actually IN the battle historically. Although sometimes it may FEEL that way. Sometimes I could swear I was going back in history...even just for a few moments. Quite the rush...
A few people might get deluded into thinking they were actual veterans of these re-enactment battles by allowing their minds to be overcome by the realism in the battle sequences. The sights, the sounds, the smells...it all seems quite real at times. Even an ex-president of the US once related a war story as if he had actually been a bomber pilot in WW2. He was confusing a movie role he had once acted in with reality. So this happens. And the more nebulous or spiritual the undertaking the more is the tendency to mix up truth for supposition.
And where we see this taking place the most is in church. People tend to lose their logical minds and all reason in order to participate in church. Some churches put on such a show that it almost seems real. Hence the difficulty in telling the difference between what is real and what is just playing church.
So many church services are like re-enactments. Even our breaking bread (communion) is like a re-enactment of sorts. So there is a real possibility of confusing a symbolic thing for having done the real thing.
How can you tell the difference between a real battle and a re-enactment? Just ask the dress-up soldiers how scared they were the night before the battle. Re-enactors have no fear at all...they may even be looking forward to the fun involved.
But not so the real soldiers in a real battle. Those tremble and shake with fear. Many have wet themselves or worse..visibly shaking...even panicky before a battle.
And that is how you can tell
who has been with God compared to those who are just make-believing.
Those who know the Lord tremble in fear. The re-enactors don't understand why there should be any fear...after all, all the "fallen ones" get back up and party after the battle. But not so after a real battle.
The lack of the fear of the Lord means these have not understood that they could die or be very grievously wounded...eternally so..for these all is "peace and safety."