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Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.
Philippians 4:11
Reflect
America has had its share of sad stories, but few are as sadly tragic as the rise and fall of our country’s first traitor—Benedict Arnold. Born into privilege, Arnold initially grew up with education and opportunities, but his father’s alcoholism and his mother’s death changed the direction of the family. Benedict ended up having to support his entire family during his teenage years, and when he was 16, he found refuge in the structure of the military.
Benedict thrived in the military environment, first during the French and Indian War and then during the American Revolution. He advanced quickly through the ranks, moving from captain to brigadier general in little more than a year. But it might not have been quick enough for him. Arnold was intensely ambitious and craved more advancement, but saw five officers promoted above him in 1777. At the same time, Arnold and his new wife (a British sympathizer) had lived a lavish lifestyle and were greatly in debt. Fueled by jealousy, bitterness and anger, Benedict Arnold did the unthinkable—he devised a plot to hand one of America’s biggest assets over to the British.
Today, West Point is the location of the United States Military Academy, but back then, it was a key military installation that overlooked the Hudson River and prevented the British from using the river to interrupt America’s supply chain and to stage military attacks on key locations. George Washington viewed West Point as perhaps America’s most vital fortification, so perhaps that’s why Arnold was willing to hand it over. Even prior to his appointment as the commander of West Point, he was providing the British with American troop strengths and locations. But in 1780, he had a full-fledged plot to cede West Point to the British. Good fortune for the Americans (and bad fortune for Arnold) exposed the plot, and Arnold evaded capture and fled to New York City. For the rest of the war, he turned on his former comrades and served as a general in the British army. After the war, he moved to England, where he was a modestly successful businessman. Arnold had hoped to prosper from becoming a traitor to his country, but he was never as rich as he had hoped to be. When he died, he still had considerable debts, and his greatest legacy is that his name is a synonym for the words “traitor” and “treachery.”
So why did he do it? It seems that Benedict Arnold became bitter with General Washington when he did not receive the promotion he thought he was due. At the same time, his increasing debts were placing financial pressure on his family, and the promise of payment from the British undoubtedly looked promising. It’s doubtful that Arnold came to this decision overnight. He likely started with just a little bitterness and allowed that to fester and grow into an inferno of rage and fury.
That’s how sin starts. No one sets out to destroy themselves with the wages of sin. Most often, people dabble with sin a little bit at a time and before they realize it, they’re consumed and surrounded by it. A touch of sin is like a little bit of cancer. It will never stay small, and one day the disease will destroy the entire body. The best way to defeat it is to never go down its path. And the only way to defeat sin once it’s taken full root is to fully confess the sin to the Lord and to allow HIm to purge it from you completely.
Today, make sure that you have a clean slate with the Lord. Confess any lingering sin to Him and allow Him to cleanse you fully from anything that’s plaguing you. And if you have anything in your life that is encouraging you to travel the road of envy, bitterness or anger, seek the Lord to help you overcome those feelings and to replace them with the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Don’t leave any room for sin to take root and to grow in your life, but instead pursue the path of God’s grace, mercy and love.
Reflection copyright © 2025 Doug DeBolt.
