Readiness

A United States Army officer told of the contrast in his pupils during two different eras of teaching at the artillery training school at Fort Sill, Oklahoma (Home of the Field Artillery). In 1958-60 the attitude was so lax that the instructors had a problem getting the men to stay awake to hear the lectures. During the 1965-67 classes, however, the men, hearing the same basic lectures, were alert and took copious notes. What made the difference in the class of 65? They knew that in less than six weeks they would be facing the enemy in Vietnam.

Friends, do we not realize that each of us are facing a power enemy today? This is why Peter declared, "Be sober, be watchful: your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Pet. 5:8). We are in a spiritual battle and Satan is doing all that he can to bring us down. The question that we must ask ourselves is are we lax in our preparation for the battle? Are we awake to the dangers that are ahead? Are we studying carefully our field manual, the Bible? Are we implementing these battle tested procedures in the heat of our daily skirmishes with temptation? Are we alert to and content against the enemies' deceptions, false doctrine? Beloved, "war the good warfare" (1 Tim. 1:18), "fight the good fight of the faith" (1 Tim. 6:12), "be watchful" (1 Pet. 5:8), and "be ready unto every good work" (Tit. 3:1).

Tom Moore