Are you preparing for battle?
I have been a runner for close to 35 years now. At one point, I was a competitive runner who trained for races. But back in high school, I just ran when Coach told me to run. And that was it. No other preparation. I didn’t even set out my clothing until that morning. And I know I did not have a focused diet or do any additional core or strength work.
But as I became more mature and aware of things, my preparation changed. I realized that training for a race became much more than an occasional workout. It involved quite a bit more preparation for battle:
- Consistent training (usually twice per day)
- Proper workout paces
- Strength training
- Core and balance training
- Recovery methods such as ice baths, foam rolling, and massage
- Planning for additional sleep needs
- Nutritional analysis and meal planning
- Abstinence from alcohol and late nights
- Proper clothing and gear assembling
- Mental preparedness and race simulation
After college, I got pretty good at utilizing these tools for racing. I had a span of almost 10 years without a “bad” race. I didn’t always win or run a personal best, but I always came close to what I thought I could do on that day. I thought about this concept in 2014 when running a 5,000-meter track race at the Alex Francis Classic Distance Festival. It was the last race on the schedule, and I often raced unattached when I could fit it around my coaching. But the race didn’t go exceptionally well. I was tired, unmotivated, hadn’t planned out my nutrition for the evening or week, or thought about recovery or training paces lately. And it showed. I was going through the motions but didn’t have it put together.
“…take up the complete armor of Elohim, so that you have power to withstand in the wicked day, and having done all, to stand.” – Ephesians 6:13
I had not “put on the full armor” when it came to my racing. And without it, instead of standing, I crumbled.
Most of you are probably familiar with the spiritual armor of Elohim in Ephesians 6. But how many of us have DONE anything about it? Are we truly prepared? What does our day look like? Does it start and end with Scripture reading? Does it include obedience to the commandments? Are we brave and motivated enough to deliver the faith to others who need to hear the Word of Yahuah? Do we even pray? How about fasting?
Unlike in sports, we don’t wrestle against flesh and blood. This isn’t a competition against our neighbor or that person who disagrees with your theology. It is a war with wicked and evil spirits. And if you are not preparing for battle, you are going to lose. It won’t even be a fight. Perhaps the adversary isn’t even worried about you because he knows you haven’t prepared.
I used to think this way when I was a high school wrestler. There were certain opponents I did not worry about. I knew some competitors were unprepared, weak, novice, and unmotivated. I didn’t even consider them competitors, to be honest. They were just speed bumps to get over before facing the tougher foes. Here is a question for you…Does the devil look at you that way? Is he even bothered with you?
Paul shows us how to win this war. The passage in Ephesians is straight out of Isaiah, the Psalms, and two apocryphal books, The Wisdom of Solomon, and 4th Maccabees. Paul is showing you the full armor of a Hebrew soldier (not a Roman soldier, like some suggest). Paul isn’t making up a new concept here. These are words that were penned by Isaiah, David, Solomon, and others. But Paul is pulling from these writers and highlighting who we are and who we should be, as he does in other passages.
“So let us put off the works of darkness and let us put on the armor of light.” – Romans 13:12
Truth, righteousness, peace, belief, deliverance, sword of the spirit, prayer and fasting. These all speak of what we should be and do as believers. And we know that our Messiah Yahusha came as a witness to the Torah, which speaks of these concepts.
“My teaching is not Mine, but His who sent Me.” – John 7:16
“Your righteousness is righteousness forever, and your Torah is truth.” – Psalms 119:142
If you were ever a successful athlete, you probably have a solid foundation of preparation habits. It requires a lot of effort to get to where you want to be. It is a battle every single day. So what are some of the things we do as believers if we want to be prepared for spiritual battle?
- Faith in Messiah
- Obedience to the Father’s Commands
- Daily Scripture Reading
- Consistent Prayer
- Fasting
- Praise and Thanksgiving
- An Open Heart to the Word
- Courage to Share the Faith
These are just a few, and they may look different for you. Your walk will not be the same as mine. But you must prepare for that battle. Going to church and listening to someone talk for 30 minutes just won’t cut it. And making these changes doesn’t come easy. Like in sports, you need to make sacrifices. You might need to cut things out of your life. You might need to prioritize your time better. Scripture reading and prayer (like many activities) seem to be more effective if you do them first thing in the morning. If you knew what time I woke up in the mornings to read, you would think I was crazy. But I’m far from perfect. There is a lot of room for improvement in my walk as well. I will be the first to tell you that.
Can you look at your walk and tell me if the devil is concerned about you as a competitor? He is called the adversary, you know. And don’t tell me you “go to church” so you are fine. Do you walk in righteousness? Do you obey the Truth? Do you even know how Scripture defines Truth?
The Scriptures are at your fingertips. Read them. Learn the faith. Pray without ceasing. Fast from food. Obey the commandments. Walk like Yahusha walked. Put on the full armor of Elohim and prepare for war with the adversary. It won’t be an easy battle.
Off with his head!
FAITH IN MOTION 