tactical disposition – resist through prayer!
Captain Calthrop is probably best known for the translation of Sun Tzu’s ‘Art of War’ in 1905. Capt. Calthrop translates: “The conditions necessary for victory may be present, but that (victory) cannot always be obtained…”
Tactical Generals spend their entire professional careers preparing for battle, however if they do not intentionally draft a detailed war plan and put that strategy into motion, the enemy will not be defeated.
Ephesians 6:10-18 gives us a very clear picture of ways to prepare ourselves for combat duty. It spells out for us the best way to equip our lives for victory in the battles we face against the enemy each day.
- Encircle, wrap truth around every aspect of your being – belt
- Make sure your heart is in right standing with God – breastplate
- Walk in the peace that only comes from God – shoes
- Carry your faith like a shield, protecting yourself against the blows of the enemy
- Renew your mind, give your thoughts and meditations over to God – helmet
- Wield the sword of the Spirit (the Word of God) plant it in your heart and use it as a weapon against the enemy
Dressing ourselves in the spiritual armor of God is crucial in preparing for combat but we cannot skip the last, vital piece of weaponry that Paul gives us in verse 18: P R A Y E R.
Anyone with experience in the military will tell you that the purpose of war is not the fight. No one wages war for the battle itself. The purpose of war is to destroy the enemy’s will to fight and do it as quickly as possible.
Our enemy, satan, attacks us every day with the intention of breaking our will to resist him, to combat him, and to fight against him. Prayer is the weapon we use to resist his tactics and to fight against him while fully dressed in the armor of God. Prayer is the verb, the action, the war plan – our tactical disposition daily, at every moment, in every situation that holds our perspective on God’s will, so we can respond in victory and not react in weakness and defeat.
Prayer imparts truth, strengthens our heart, gives us soul peace, builds our faith, fixes our minds on Christ, and lifts our sword in the face of the enemy causing him to flee. Once you clothe yourself in the armor of God setting the condition necessary for victory, step into combat by praying without ceasing and victory will be obtained.
PRAYER
Father, today as I dress myself in the spiritual armor you have provided to me, I commit to pray and not give up. Jesus, I will never stop trusting you and seeking you. You are completely dependable. Holy Spirit help me today to be fully aware of, and to resist the attacks of the enemy on my heart and mind and to respond with prayer and not surrender to the enemy in defeat.
