Being Battle Ready

In the previous post, we looked at how false teachers and doctrine can infiltrate so easily. I ended with the question of whether or not you are ready to detect and deal with them. Look at what Paul says here:

But¹  we did not surrender to them²  even for a moment,³  in order that the truth of the gospel would remain with you.^{4  (Galatians 2:5 NET)}

Paul and the leaders he surrounded himself with did not fall for any of the smooth talk like most of us do. They never let their guard down. That is the key to dealing with the devil’s smooth talk.

Most of us think that we are ready. Trust me, from personal experience that kind of arrogance will be your downfall. Never assume that you are ready to take on what the devil can give you. Your experience is nothing compared to him. He is a pro at everything. The best thing you can do is follow this plan:

1.       Prayer – Never stop praying. Pray while showering, doing dishes, wanting to sell your children J, driving, working, and eating. The devil never rests so neither should you. What is prayer? Communication with God. As you are praying, you should be listening to Him point out pitfalls that might lie ahead.

2.       Be in the Word – This is another way God communicates. Through His Word we obtain the shields and weapons needed for any encounter we have with the devil. He knows it so what excuse do we have in not knowing it ourselves?

3.       Submission – You are not the one to fight him. You are not the one in charge, private. You have to submit to the General. He is the only one who knows the right battle plan and the only one who can beat such an adversary. Submit to God completely and not just when it feels convenient on Sunday morning.

4.       Obedience – This comes with the submission. When God says jump, don’t ask Him how high. Jump, for goodness sakes. Complete obedience is what he is looking for. Why? Because it is the only way that we will be able to survive the battles. Soldiers who don’t obey allow the enemy to win. They hand him the victory.

5.       Action – Now comes the jumping part. If God wants you do act, do it without hesitation. These actions might not make sense. They might seem unchristian. Sometimes we have to remove someone from the fellowship of believers. It does not matter if they have a good heart. If they are representatives of the enemy, they have to go. Sometimes we are called to spend money where it just doesn’t make sense to. Don’t question it. If you know it is from God, do it. Always act when you know the General is speaking. If you are unclear, go back to step 1.

Being battle ready does not happen in a day. It doesn’t happen in ten years. It is a lifetime of training. Remember that God is doing all the hard work. We are honored to be doing the work He assigns us and that is to be vigilant and never give the enemy a foothold.