her ents , ▁sometimes ▁referring ▁to ▁themselves ▁as ▁" p ray er ▁war riors ", ▁w age ▁" sp irit ual ▁battle " ▁on ▁the ▁" p ray er ▁battle field ." ▁Spirit ual ▁war fare ▁is ▁the ▁latest ▁iteration ▁in ▁a ▁long - standing ▁partners hip ▁between ▁religious ▁organization ▁and ▁militar ization , ▁two ▁spher es ▁that ▁are ▁rarely ▁considered ▁together , ▁although ▁ag gress ive ▁forms ▁of ▁prayer ▁have ▁long ▁been ▁used ▁to ▁further ▁the ▁a ims ▁of ▁expand ing ▁Christian ▁influence ▁through ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁conversion ▁tact ics . ▁These ▁tact ics ▁have ▁begun ▁being ▁art ic ulated ▁in ▁militar istic ▁imag ery , ▁using ▁terms ▁such ▁as ▁" en list , ▁r ally , ▁advance ▁and ▁bl itz ". ▁Major ▁moments ▁of ▁increased ▁political ▁militar ization ▁have ▁occurred ▁concurrent ly ▁with ▁the ▁growth ▁of ▁prom in ence ▁of ▁militar istic ▁imag ery ▁in ▁many ▁evangel ical ▁communities , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁evangel ical ▁eng agement ▁in ▁a ▁militar ized ▁project ▁of ▁ag gress ive ▁mission ary ▁expansion ▁conducted ▁against ▁the ▁back drop ▁of ▁the ▁Vietnam ▁War ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s . ▁ ▁G ender ▁The ▁military ▁also ▁has ▁a ▁role ▁in ▁defining ▁gender ▁ident ities . ▁War - mov ies ▁( i . e . ▁Ram bo ) ▁reflect ▁the ▁cultural ▁ident ities ▁of ▁mascul inity ▁with ▁the ▁war rior . ▁( See ▁Gib son , ▁ 1 9 9 4 .) ▁Represent ations ▁of ▁Vietnam ▁in ▁popular ▁culture ▁display ▁the ▁male ▁body ▁as ▁a