Conscripts and Walking Dead in Spiritual Warfare

Conscripts Today, my thoughts drift to conscripts. I guess by saying that I am bringing you in at the end of the thought process. As a friend of mine is keen on saying-Let's back that truck up a minute... Bondage Breaker There is a group of young people in our church which has undertaken to complete Neil T. Anderson's Bondage Breaker study. From the very moment the decision was made I can see Satan working (or at least his buddies) to stop the potential outcome from being one of total victory. Of course, He and his allies are our sworn enemies and so this comes as no surprise really. What amazes me is the diversity of his tactics. It appears as if he has been hard at work preparing for this opportunity for a long time. Leaders and students Anyway, it was the allies, in this case the young people and the leaders that I was actually thinking of when I followed the mental rabbit trail to come up with 'conscripts.' It occurs to me that bringing unskilled warriors into conflict with the enemy is exactly like this. Conscripts So, conscripts were local, non-combatants that were rounded up before the impending battle and armed with whatever was at hand, usually farm implements or house tools but occasionally more sophisticated weaponry. They would be lumped into a unit and stood out on the battlefield to impress the enemy or to enhance the courage of the allied troops. Didn't usually work although occasionally, if there were enough of them or if tactical advantage could be gained they could make a huge impact. Surviving spiritual warfare Typically, the conscripts that survived would be a little better skilled for next time and if next time was soon they would likely be armed with weapons from fallen foes. In a way it was trial by fire and the death toll was always high. Spiritual warfare So, I was thinking how every single thing in life plays a role in spiritual warfare and how most people do not understand or believe that. What's more, those who do believe it often do not have a deep seated conviction and so will fail to stand their ground. Preparing for spiritual warfare I'm saying that those who are now being asked to prepare themselves for real spiritual warfare and to equip themselves by adamantly approaching a good Biblical study are more like conscripts than trained warriors and are possibly headed for a fairly high 'mortality' rate. That is to say, if something is not done then more will 'fall' in spiritual warfare than will be victorious long enough to have a major impact. walking dead However, now I am thinking about walking dead movies...Funny thing about someone who’s already dead and still coming, you have to hit them hard and often to even slow them down. For if one died for all then all have died... So, if these young Christians are sold out for Christ then they will survive-surely not without hits but they will not quit, surrender, or fall. That being said, there should be some fruit that would be measurable. For example, if a young Christian really is the walking dead (speaking metaphorically) then they should be relentless, diving back into the fray (reading , studying, encouraging one another, acting out what they are learning to the best of the ability, and so on.) I am pressed but not crushed, persecuted, not abandoned... conscripts and walking dead in spiritual warfare I guess it all boils down to this. We are not conscripts even if we are not as trained as we should be. We need to embrace the things of God and realize that if He drives us no power less (and all are less) can stop us. Praise God for the valley of dry bones has been brought to life again. Pastor Dan Stevenson NewHeightsFellowshipchurch.org afamilyofgod@bex.net