The tendencies to grow bitter, complacent, oblivious or uninvolved dominate today’s battle of the vigilant Christian.  Remember the enemy is devious, utilizing deception and historical performance, that’s right, our historical actions to aid in strategy meant to dampen, turn away or switch off each active Christian.  Think of it in cyber language, if he cannot crash your system, he will seek to deny service to it, damage your data, interrupt your supply lines and communication or just make everything so slow that we give up on performance.  That is the task of vigilance, we must remain aware, on plan and prepared for whatever is to come our way.  Thinking that we will survive the increasingly chaotic world without significant conflict both spiritual and real is absolute lack of care and diligence.  We must trust God to deliver us from our trials but we must do all that we can to prepare for the trials which will certainly confront each of us.  After all what is this world meant for if not to prepare each of us for eternity by testing us throughout our mortal existence?

We were meant to withstand the fire, not of or in our own power, authority, cleverness and effort but by the saving grace and indwelling of the Living Spirit of God.  That does not mean that we will be able to avoid the radical steps of faith which got us thrown into the furnace in the first place.  My place is in the trial, standing in faith, knowing that Christ strengthens me and the Father will never leave or forsake me in the midst of any trial.  I was not meant for hermitage, avoidance, fear or capitulation, but to stand in courage by the seeds of faith given me through belief, submission, repentance and prayer.  How then do I prepare for those imminent trials, knowing fully that I will never be able to avoid them, defeat them or ignore them without assistance by the graceful, trustworthy Hand of God?  The answer is the armor of God, for the mind, the spirit and the body.  We were meant to possess the mind of Christ through salvation, protecting our thoughts from intrusion, deception and manipulation, such that we can observe lasting victory even in the midst of disastrous calamity, whispering of utter defeat.  We are meant to be shielded from the attacks of the enemy by God’s faithfulness reflected in our faithful wielding of His shield.  We are meant to take the fight to the enemy, causing him to flee by using the two edged sword of God’s Holy Word.  How do we learn utilization and proper usage of these defensive and offensive protections?  By studying, learning and applying God’s Word and living and growing alongside other Christians as the frequency and severity of the enemy’s imminent assaults increase.

What then are you doing alone, fully understanding these things, believing wrongly that you will somehow survive the coming onslaught?  We were meant to face these challenges together.  I do not care how much the enemy wants you to tend your wounded feelings of pride and sensitivity, having been hurt by the expected frailties of those humans in the church.  Do not be led astray into thinking that you can do better on your own.  None of us gets there alone, that is why we came into the world through a representative union of two humans.  None of us was meant to be alone, that is not God’s intention.  So I beg you to forgive, get over, rise above any issues which have taken you outside the church and placed you dangerously susceptible to worldly thinking.  Find a family of believers and build them up while they may encourage your own efforts to remain spotless and free from the poisons of humanity.  I beg the Lord to send His ministering angels to guard your heart and pray for you in this the greatest hour of our historical need as Christians.  Praise God in the Great Name of Jesus Christ the King.