“The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the LORD.” – Proverbs 21:31

 In 1999 I joined the military and have spent most of my life, since that day, preparing to fight evil. As many of you know, in the military, soldiers take an oath vowing to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic”. They commit their lives to this, for the sake of the freedom of our nation, and then they train and fight those enemies. They spend countless hours each week honing the edge of the sword for battle. Learning individual skills that contribute to their unit’s tasks, all in support of a greater mission. They study, train, and exercise their skills in circumstances as close to reality as possible. Why? So that when the real battle comes, they will be prepared. 

Many of our fighting men and women who trained diligently (and were better for it), never saw combat. I’ve seen the same thing in the martial arts, people training and preparing themselves so that wherever they go, others might be a little safer because they are there and ready. They have honed their ability to defend themselves and others in the event of a violent attack. Hours each week strengthening their bodies, pre-programming themselves to respond in the unfortunate event they need to. 

Perhaps more commonly, many of you exercise at home or in the gym. Training, like an athlete preparing for a competition. Yet, you may not have a particular competition in mind. The training is for health’s sake alone.  Whatever the case, training is vital to success. Preparedness. If you do not train and prepare, especially for a fight with a real-life enemy, you shouldn’t expect to fight well. So…we train. The Apostle Paul reminds us that physical training has some value (1 Tim 4:8). We train to fight our military enemies, we train to fight evil, and we train to fight bad health. As the Proverb above states, we prepare the horse for battle, yet we trust in the LORD for our victory. 

We train to fight these anticipated battles, yet we have no idea WHEN or IF they will happen. Training hours logged, effort expended, for what? Preparing for a possibility of conflict. For potential bad things that may or may not come. Yet, we engage in another battle daily and we face something far more certain than earthly fighting… Eternity. Remember 1 Peter 5:8, “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” 

What we do today matters. What we do each day for the rest of our earthly lives matters. The conflict with the enemy is certain. Our day of judgment, certain. The words of 1 Timothy 4:7-8 ring in our ears. While physical training is of some value, training for godliness is of value in every way; both now and in eternity. 

Have I trained to face these certainties to the same degree as I have prepared for earthly conflict? 

This was the question dogging me for years. I knew that God and His purposes were the most important thing in my life (and in your life). But, I spent far more time and resources on other things. I wanted to be used of God but knew I needed training. 

Three years ago, I turned to my Pastor, Dr. Dan Walsh of Wildwood Bible Church, and asked what sort of training options our church offered. I wanted to be useful for the Lord but knew I was ill-equipped. Our family had attended faithfully at various churches over the years, and received good instruction, but I wanted a more solid grounding and systematic equipping in the Word of God. To know it and understand it so that I might be able to wield it like a sword, ready for battle. 

Ephesians 2 tells us that we were all dead in trespasses and sins until God made us alive. Why? “For good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Eph 2:10). Good works, prepared for you and me, to walk in. But how could I walk in a worthy manner, without first pouring out the filth of the world and my own flesh? Without putting on the new self? Remember what the Apostle Paul taught his friend Timothy? “Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.” This is what I wanted. This is what we should all desire, to be used by our Lord and Master Jesus Christ; for His purposes. 

What providence, Pastor Dan informed me that just a few weeks later, the Anchorage Grace Church community was hosting a dinner to share information and raise support for The Master’s Seminary Anchorage Extension and our church was attending! I started that first year and have been ever grateful to continue in this program along with the other men. Iron sharpening iron.  This training, held right here in Anchorage, is the forge needed, to prepare men to fight and equip others to fight the battle facing us all. To take up the whole armor of God and stand against the schemes of the devil (Eph 6). 

So, my prayer is that we all actively seek ways to be prepared and equipped for those good works set before us. Like Timothy, his mother, and his grandmother, let us all seek to please the One who enlisted us as soldiers in His army (2 Tim 2:4). Let us seek to be workers who rightly handle the word of truth (2 Tim 2:14) and who are prepared for use by pouring out that which is dishonorable, being cleansed and ready for honorable service (2 Tim 2:21). The only way we can be properly prepared for the battle facing us, the battle with eternal consequences is to be trained and ready to respond with the Word of God. 

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” 2 Timothy 3:16-17.

 I ask you, are you prepared? Are you ready for service? If not, seek out your pastor, seek out training. Consider the TMS Anchorage Extension, where iron sharpens iron. Remember, the enemy and the battle are real and certain. Eternity is certain. May we train, fight, and finish well; in honor of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.