A Good Soldier Prepares

   "And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight.

  And remember, the Lord’s patience gives people time to be saved. This is what our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you with the wisdom God gave him— speaking of these things in all of his letters. Some of his comments are hard to understand, and those who are ignorant and unstable have twisted his letters to mean something quite different, just as they do with other parts of Scripture. And this will result in their destruction."

Peter’s Final Words

  "I am warning you ahead of time, dear friends. Be on guard so that you will not be carried away by the errors of these wicked people and lose your own secure footing.  Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All glory to him, both now and forever! Amen." (2 Peter 3:14-19)

Christians are in a three-front spiritual war. We battle against our own flesh and this world’s influence even as Satan tries to take us captive. A good soldier needs to understand his mission thoroughly, or else he will make mistakes and fall to the Enemy.

During a Christian soldier’s lifetime, God will adjust His orders to suit the current battle. But the warrior’s ultimate mission never changes—to reach the campaign’s end with his testimony intact. In other words, a believer’s first priority is to guard against error and temptation by knowing the truth.

Sadly, many believers realize too late the need to defend themselves. While they are looking for momentous, obvious attacks, the Enemy sneaks in with guerrilla warfare—often right into the church itself. People with enticing new ideas and appealing words infiltrate and spread half-truths. Ill-equipped soldiers swallow this poison until their faith is impaired and their testimony nearly dead.

What the weakened soldier lacks is adequate preparation for the mission. One cannot stand unarmed before an enemy bent upon destruction! Yet in our hands, we carry our whole arsenal—the Bible. Everything God’s soldiers should know is in His Book. But we must read, study, and think about His principles in order to wield our weapons correctly (Ephesians 6:13-17).

Never underestimate the Enemy. You can’t avoid spiritual warfare, which invades your church, your home, and even your body and mind. Study the Bible so you can put on truth and wisdom to defend yourself. Then you can complete your mission and face your commander Jesus Christ in victory!

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