Ready For Battle
As each day goes by and I look around at the many distractions that exist in this world, I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. There are so many things within reach to prevent us from staying focused on what truly matters. At the end of the day, will Netflix, reality television, the latest software update on your cell phone, the latest pair of J’s, or anything else you can think of, be more important than your salvation? Will those things guarantee that you have strong faith in Jesus? If someone asks you about your faith and you have the opportunity to sow a seed for Christ, will you be ready to explain it? (1 Peter 3:15) If not, then it’s time to take a step back and evaluate your priorities. The fact that you can call yourself a Believer in Christ comes with responsibility. We must always be ready for the battles that come in this world – the battle against culture, the battle for the souls of our children, the battle against those who try to shift us from the head of our faith (Jesus). We must stay ready for battle so that we won’t have to get ready, because while we are taking our time getting ready, the enemy is already attacking. So how can we ensure we are ready for battle? Here are a few things that we can do to armor up and remain battle ready:
1. Make Sure The Word Of God Is Within Reach –Very early on in the Bible, we are given instructions by God to meditate on His word day and night. (Joshua 1:8) The good thing about following the instructions of God is that we are given promises that we can stand on. God tells us that we will succeed in all that we do if we follow what is written in the Word. Thankfully, living in 2024 provides multiple ways to consume God’s Word. Whether you use an app, a YouTube channel, an audio book, or good ‘ol paperback, there are multiple ways to ensure that God’s word is always with you. When I was in my 20s I purchased a small Bible (on sale for $5) that I deemed my “travel bible”. I would take it with me whenever I went out of town because it was small enough to fit in a back pack and it ensured that I would never be without my Bible. However you choose to do it, make sure you have the Word within reach. That’s the best way to be sure that you have it whenever you need it.
2. Create An Atmosphere of Prayer - A strong and consistent prayer life is not only the key to a solid relationship with God, but it also serves as a way to hear from God. God speaks to us through people, and he speaks to us through prayer! I once heard a pastor say, “The less prayerful you are, the more carnal and weak you are, and the more vulnerable your mind and heart are to the thoughts and actions of Satan.” Scary right?! That’s a heavy statement, but it’s one that I believe. Think of it this way, when you have a habit of eating healthy and exercising fairly regularly, it’s much easier for you to do something unexpectedly strenuous like helping someone move from their home. If you’re not in the habit of consistent exercise and healthy eating, doing something like that may be a huge challenge for your body. The same applies to our prayer life. If we have a habit of talking to God regularly, sharing our thoughts, our triumphs, and our challenges when we feel under attack by the enemy, we will be able to receive direction from God on what to do and how to overcome. However, if we rarely talk to God, not only will we struggle to know the proper way to fight off the enemy, we may not even realize the enemy is after us. And that’s a truly dangerous place to be. Whether we want to believe it or not, the end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, we must be serious about our prayers. (1 Peter 4:7, Ephesians 6:18)
3. Know the Word of God for Yourself - It’s not good enough to take someone’s word about the do’s and don’ts listed in the Bible. You have to know the Word for yourself. (2 Timothy 2:15) No one will be able to build a bridge to heaven for you to cross into. It’s quite the opposite. You have to make a decision to follow Jesus (Romans 10:9); You have to make a decision to repent of your sins (Acts 2:38); You have to make a decision to hide God’s word in your heart (Psalms 119:11). If you don't know what true faith in Jesus looks like, you are likely to fall victim to anything that comes your way. Anyone will have the ability to sway your faith. The only way to do what the Word says is to know what the word says. It’s as simple as that!
4. Armor Up! - This is the best one of them all. We know that there is an enemy after each and every believer who is ready to steal what we have, kill us dead, and destroy everything else (John 10:10). And this enemy is not necessarily someone who is punching a whole in our car tire, playing pranks on the telephone, or trying to do physical harm to us. This enemy is an unseen and truly evil spirit (Ephesians 6:12). The best ways to fight against this enemy is to be armored up! Ephesians 6:13-17 tells us that we need to be ready for battle:
“…Put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after battle, you will be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on your salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God.”
Whew! If reading that doesn’t move you, then maybe you haven’t had an attack from the enemy strong enough to bring you to your knees. What I know for sure is, the attacks will come. Thankfully when they come, we will already have what we need to emerge victorious.
As believers the only choice that we have to survive and thrive in this life is to be ready for battle at all times. It’s not good enough to know what the world tells us to do to survive, we must be able to stand and fight our way through life on this side of heaven. How blessed are we to have to holy scriptures (The Bible) as a guide to walk through this life. Not only does the Word tell us how we should live, but it also includes examples of what our ancestors did so we will know the right and wrong way to go about our day to day choices. Thank God, we don’t have to do anything alone. (Joshua 1:9) Jesus let us know that although there will be trouble in this world (challenges in our relationships, financial hardship, the sorrow of losing loved ones, attacks from the enemy), we can rest assured that Jesus has overcome it all! (John 16:33) There will be a day that Jesus returns to gather all of those who confess him as Lord (Romans 14:11), but we don’t know when that day will come. Until then, we must remain battle ready, and do all we can for the kingdom while we are able. If you’re not ready for battle, it’s time to get ready. Shake off the uncertainty, shake off the fear, and shake off the apathy. It’s time to armor up!!!
References
Tyndale House Foundation. (1996, 2004, 2015). Holy Bible, New Living Translation. Carol Stream, Illinois. All rights reserved.: Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers.
1. Make Sure The Word Of God Is Within Reach –Very early on in the Bible, we are given instructions by God to meditate on His word day and night. (Joshua 1:8) The good thing about following the instructions of God is that we are given promises that we can stand on. God tells us that we will succeed in all that we do if we follow what is written in the Word. Thankfully, living in 2024 provides multiple ways to consume God’s Word. Whether you use an app, a YouTube channel, an audio book, or good ‘ol paperback, there are multiple ways to ensure that God’s word is always with you. When I was in my 20s I purchased a small Bible (on sale for $5) that I deemed my “travel bible”. I would take it with me whenever I went out of town because it was small enough to fit in a back pack and it ensured that I would never be without my Bible. However you choose to do it, make sure you have the Word within reach. That’s the best way to be sure that you have it whenever you need it.
2. Create An Atmosphere of Prayer - A strong and consistent prayer life is not only the key to a solid relationship with God, but it also serves as a way to hear from God. God speaks to us through people, and he speaks to us through prayer! I once heard a pastor say, “The less prayerful you are, the more carnal and weak you are, and the more vulnerable your mind and heart are to the thoughts and actions of Satan.” Scary right?! That’s a heavy statement, but it’s one that I believe. Think of it this way, when you have a habit of eating healthy and exercising fairly regularly, it’s much easier for you to do something unexpectedly strenuous like helping someone move from their home. If you’re not in the habit of consistent exercise and healthy eating, doing something like that may be a huge challenge for your body. The same applies to our prayer life. If we have a habit of talking to God regularly, sharing our thoughts, our triumphs, and our challenges when we feel under attack by the enemy, we will be able to receive direction from God on what to do and how to overcome. However, if we rarely talk to God, not only will we struggle to know the proper way to fight off the enemy, we may not even realize the enemy is after us. And that’s a truly dangerous place to be. Whether we want to believe it or not, the end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, we must be serious about our prayers. (1 Peter 4:7, Ephesians 6:18)
3. Know the Word of God for Yourself - It’s not good enough to take someone’s word about the do’s and don’ts listed in the Bible. You have to know the Word for yourself. (2 Timothy 2:15) No one will be able to build a bridge to heaven for you to cross into. It’s quite the opposite. You have to make a decision to follow Jesus (Romans 10:9); You have to make a decision to repent of your sins (Acts 2:38); You have to make a decision to hide God’s word in your heart (Psalms 119:11). If you don't know what true faith in Jesus looks like, you are likely to fall victim to anything that comes your way. Anyone will have the ability to sway your faith. The only way to do what the Word says is to know what the word says. It’s as simple as that!
4. Armor Up! - This is the best one of them all. We know that there is an enemy after each and every believer who is ready to steal what we have, kill us dead, and destroy everything else (John 10:10). And this enemy is not necessarily someone who is punching a whole in our car tire, playing pranks on the telephone, or trying to do physical harm to us. This enemy is an unseen and truly evil spirit (Ephesians 6:12). The best ways to fight against this enemy is to be armored up! Ephesians 6:13-17 tells us that we need to be ready for battle:
“…Put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after battle, you will be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on your salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God.”
Whew! If reading that doesn’t move you, then maybe you haven’t had an attack from the enemy strong enough to bring you to your knees. What I know for sure is, the attacks will come. Thankfully when they come, we will already have what we need to emerge victorious.
As believers the only choice that we have to survive and thrive in this life is to be ready for battle at all times. It’s not good enough to know what the world tells us to do to survive, we must be able to stand and fight our way through life on this side of heaven. How blessed are we to have to holy scriptures (The Bible) as a guide to walk through this life. Not only does the Word tell us how we should live, but it also includes examples of what our ancestors did so we will know the right and wrong way to go about our day to day choices. Thank God, we don’t have to do anything alone. (Joshua 1:9) Jesus let us know that although there will be trouble in this world (challenges in our relationships, financial hardship, the sorrow of losing loved ones, attacks from the enemy), we can rest assured that Jesus has overcome it all! (John 16:33) There will be a day that Jesus returns to gather all of those who confess him as Lord (Romans 14:11), but we don’t know when that day will come. Until then, we must remain battle ready, and do all we can for the kingdom while we are able. If you’re not ready for battle, it’s time to get ready. Shake off the uncertainty, shake off the fear, and shake off the apathy. It’s time to armor up!!!
References
Tyndale House Foundation. (1996, 2004, 2015). Holy Bible, New Living Translation. Carol Stream, Illinois. All rights reserved.: Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers.
Recent
Archive
2025
January
2024
January
February
July
December
2023
2022
January
February
2021
Categories
no categories
1 Comment
It's interesting how you make a distinction between having the word within my reach and knowing the word of God. Just because I feel like I know what it says does not mean I shouldn't keep it near and read it often. Knowing IT does not negate opening IT on a regular basis. Excellent distinction. Thank you!