A number of years ago I witnessed a drawing of a soldier as a watchman on the walls of a fortified city, well equipped but sadly, fast asleep. While he is taking a nap you can make out the silhouettes of a great army covering the surrounding hillsides, and converging upon the city with equipment prepared to scale the walls for an invasion.
That picture depicted the status of many watchmen within the Body of Believers, who were fully asleep to the realities of the kingdom life, purpose, and the assaults against her.
Regrettably, not much has changed over the years within the Body, for at present we find the same kind of mindset. In reality this has been the experience of the Church since its birthing, as the war has prolonged over the centuries the tendency of those involved in each generation is to become distracted and careless.
There are two periods of a day that are stressed strongly in the New Testament, and that is the period of Day and Night. To live in the Day means to live or walk in the light, that is to walk in His life. Those who are outside of Christ are identified as those living in the Night. There is however a state of sleep that is addressed to believers who belong to the Day, yet finding themselves living in a stupor, in a daze and aloof.
How is this possible you may ask? This state of sleep finds its origin from a lethargic attitude towards the truth or the spirit of God's word, in turn, that kind of attitude encourages a deliberate intent to circumvent the "law of life" and concurrently re-energizes the self-life. That is, should any who are called to be in Christ choose any other way of living apart from the law of the Spirit of life, is simultaneously sentenced to a life of futility, waste, non-fulfillment, ongoing internal conflict, groping in darkness, just to name a few. Irregardless of being fully appointed to eternal life and being fully equipped, that person can be so out of touch of reality (not man's reality but God's reality), that they live far below their God-given grace.
As an example, a person who is out of touch of God's reality can only understand and accept that receiving eternal life is something to come in the here-after, they view eternal as numerical or quantitative and not as qualitative, thus they refuse the God given ability to live the Zoe life, the God given life even while present in time (John 10:10).
The same attitude surfaces when it comes to understanding the full equipping at the new birth; everything that's needed to live victoriously and godly comes at the receiving of Christ, for it is all in Christ. It is not given in relation to man's abilities exercised but according to God's ability being exercised is received and enjoyed by man.
Whenever the self-life is exercised opposed to the God-life the adversary has legal rights to invade, steal and captivate. It is on account of a legal infringement that gives the enemy access to our lives or the camp; whenever the law of the spirit of life is broken, the law of sin and death rises again to bring fear, condemnation, blindness, loss of freedom in Christ. 1Pet. 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
The scriptures in The Message translation 1 Thess. 5:4-8 helps us to understand more clearly, "But friends, you're not in the dark, so how could you be taken off guard by any of this? You're sons of Light, daughters of Day. We live under wide open skies and know where we stand. So let's not sleepwalk through life like those others. Let's keep our eyes open and be smart. People sleep at night and get drunk at night. But not us! Since we're creatures of Day, let's act like it. Walk out into the daylight sober, dressed up in faith, love, and the hope of salvation."
Following are the words of an old hymn that is and will be ever relevant for everyone that's enlisted in this great army of the ages:Soldiers of Christ, arise,
And put your armor on,
Strong in the strength which God supplies,
Through His eternal Son;
Strong in the Lord of Hosts,
And in His mighty pow'r,
Who in the strength of Jesus trusts
Is more than conqueror.
II Timothy 2:3-6 emphasizes my point "Take [with me] your share of the hardships and suffering [which you are called to endure] as a good (first-class) soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier when in service gets entangled in the enterprises of [civilian] life; his aim is to satisfy and please the one who enlisted him. And if anyone enters competitive games, he is not crowned unless he competes lawfully (fairly, according to the rules laid down). [It is] the hard-working farmer [who labors to produce] who must be the first partaker of the fruits. " Amplified Version
Stand then in His great might,
With all His strength endued;
And take, to arm you for the fight,
The panoply of God,
That, having all things done,
And all your conflicts past,
Ye may o'ercome through Christ alone,
And stand complete at last.
Leave no unguarded place,
No weakness of the soul,
Take every virtue, every grace,
And fortify the whole.
To keep your armor bright
Attend with constant care,
Still walking in your Captain's sight
And watching unto prayer.
Pray, without ceasing pray,
Your Captain gives the word;
His summons cheerfully obey,
And call upon the Lord:
To God your every want
In instant prayer display;
Pray always; pray, and never faint;
Pray, without ceasing pray.
From strength to strength go on;
Wrestle, and fight, and pray;
Tread all the powers of darkness down,
And win the well-fought day:
Still let the Spirit cry
In all His soldiers, "Come!"
Till Christ the Lord descend from high,
And take the conquerors home.
