In a book about Seal Team Six, one of the Navy Seals is quoted about their training. He says, “The more we sweat in training, the less we bleed in war.” This elite team is credited with the successful raid that killed Osama Bin Laden.
As Christians, we are God’s elite fighting force. “Suffer hardship with me,” Paul wrote Timothy, “As a good soldier of Christ Jesus” (2 Tm. 2:3). We are reminded that “our struggle is not against flesh and blood,” but our war is “against spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ep. 6:12).
Our training consists of Bible study, prayer, worship, and fellowship with other “soldiers of Christ.” The more time we spend in training, the less we bleed in this spiritual war. Satan is “enraged” against the church and is “off to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus” (Re. 12:17). The sure way to lose a war is to not know you are in one. “Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm” (Ep. 6:13) How is your training going? Or have you gone AWOL? Maybe it is time to re-enlist and get back in the fight.
-Dennis Doughty
