In Times of Peace, We Must Prepare for War

Peacetime is the ideal opportunity to prepare for war. We should not wait until moments of crisis in our lives to try to strengthen our spiritual foundations. Believers grow strong in the Lord every day, especially in times of calm and normalcy.

Each day—through prayer, reading the Word, and fellowship with other believers—Christians equip themselves both for ordinary life and for times of trial. By gaining wisdom daily, recognizing and surrendering the areas of our character that need the Lord’s work, and putting on the whole armor of God, we strengthen the foundations of our lives and become increasingly impervious to the enemy’s attacks.

The fundamental orientation of a son or daughter of God is toward peace, stability, and prosperity. That is their inheritance and their expectation. Yet, while living in peace and enjoying the benefits of being a child of God, they remain alert to the devil’s schemes and prepare for possible times of war, which will undoubtedly come (see 1 Pet. 5:8 and Eph. 6:10–13). This constant vigilance, however, never degenerates into an unhealthy preoccupation with the machinations of demonic hosts. Their attention remains focused on the love and grace of God, which are always resting upon their lives.

Over the years I have known many believers who are keenly aware of the importance of the gifts of the Holy Spirit and spiritual warfare, but tragically deficient in other aspects of Christian maturity. The minds of these dear brothers and sisters are focused almost exclusively on the dramatic and spectacular dimension of Christian life—miracles, prophecies, demons, gifts, the Second Coming. But they dangerously neglect ethical growth, the strengthening of character, and the daily cultivation of the fruit of the Spirit referred to in Galatians 5:22 and 23. Often, their family life is a disaster, and their social relationships—even in the church—leave much to be desired. Their knowledge of the doctrinal aspects of Scripture is very limited, and they have serious difficulties with church authorities.

The main problem with this type of believer is that they view the Christian life almost exclusively from the perspective of crisis. They see themselves as perpetually at war, continually battling dark forces that want to destroy them. This type of Christian therefore has neither the time nor the energy to devote to the patient, systematic cultivation of other aspects of spiritual life. This constant orientation toward crisis and spiritual conflict contains a measure of truth, but distorts the whole of the Christian experience. It is, in fact, exhausting and simplistic, and it hinders the development of a mature, richly developed biblical spirituality.

AN INHERITANCE OF PEACE AND PROSPERITY

It is true that times of war and conflict come in the life of every believer. In Ephesians 6:13, the apostle Paul speaks of “withstanding in the evil day.” He also says that “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (v. 12). But it is equally true that most of a believer’s life should be lived in the peace of the Lord.

In Philippians 4:7, Paul says that “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” God intends for us to live in peace and prosperity, not in a continual state of war and crisis. In Romans 15:13, for example, Paul blesses his readers this way: “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Paul repeatedly speaks of the “God of peace,” and one of his characteristic greetings to his readers is “grace and peace” (see Rom. 14:17 and 15:33; 1 Cor. 1:3 and 2 Cor. 1:2).

That is where the importance of building strong walls to protect our spiritual lives, and laying solid foundations to withstand the pressures of Christian life, comes in. Even while enjoying times of peace and prosperity, we must make sure to strengthen the places the enemy might attack (2 Chr. 17:12 and 13).

Like Joseph, in times of abundance and prosperity we must plan for times of drought and adversity. That way, when the Enemy rises to hurl his fiery darts at us, he will find our armor ready to withstand the evil day.