On Spiritual Warfare (eBook)

22 Warning Orders for Virtuous Warriors

Lt. Col. Dave Grossman, Chris Pascoe (Autoren)

eBook Download: EPUB

2023 | 1. Auflage
384 Seiten
Broadstreet Publishing Group, LLC (Verlag)
978-1-4245-6623-5 (ISBN)

Infos

Answer God's call to arms. Evil from the world, the flesh, and the devil preys on those we love and stalks our every move. If we're not fighting back, we're losing. In On Spiritual Warfare, the sequel to On Spiritual Combat, Dave Grossman and Chris Pascoe guide Christians through operations of advanced spiritual warfare. Battle the forces of evil with twenty-two intensely practical WARNORDS, or military 'warning orders,' drawn from the writings of Luther and Erasmus. These strategic warnings and tactical orders will equip you to - recognize and fearlessly confront evil, - confess and repent of your own sin, - serve others as you become sanctified, and - mature into a triumphant spiritual warrior of God.Filled with Scripture, powerful hymns, battle prep questions, and practical direction, On Spiritual Warfare is the map you need to successfully complete your mission from God. You become victorious as a Christian by living virtuously. Victory through virtue!  

Lt. Col. Dave Grossman, U.S. Army (Ret.) is an internationally recognized scholar, author, soldier, and speaker. He is one of the world's foremost experts in the field of human aggression, the roots of violence, and violent crime. He is an Army Ranger, a former West Point psychology professor, and is a renowned trainer for military and law enforcement officers. His books include On Killing, On Combat, On Spiritual Combat, On Hunting, and Assassination Generation. Sgt. Christopher Pascoe is retired from the Michigan State Police, where he served as a trooper and sergeant for thirty-one years. He was assigned to several posts, including the Michigan State Police Training Academy. He has made key contributions to the books On Combat and Sheepdogs: Meet Our Nation's Warriors. He is currently an adjunct professor of criminal justice, and guest instructor for newly promoted sergeants and supervisors.    

Textauszug

Sheepdogs: The Mission Continues

The artist Albrecht Dürer dedicated the wood carving “Knight, Death, and the Devil” (1513) to his friend Erasmus

Have faith, Christ has overcome the world…

and by him we shall overcome death and the devil.

—DESIDERIUS ERASMUS

The theologian Desiderius Erasmus (ca. 1466–1536) inspired the artist Albrecht Dürer (1471–1528), who created this wood carving of a knight, death, and the devil. It symbolizes a knight (in this case, Erasmus) who is strengthened by faith as he overcomes his two unwelcome companions, death and the devil. Chris Pascoe and I (Dave Grossman) both love this image. In particular, the faithful dog, so downcast yet determined, following at his master’s feet calls to the “sheepdog” in us.

“I’m Not Your Dog”

In my book On Combat, I introduced the concept of “sheepdog as a protector.”1 In On Spiritual Combat, this model went a step further, introducing the concept of “sheepdogs under the authority of the Great Shepherd.” That metaphor is a model that has helped me understand my relationship with God. I know that we are adopted into the family of God as his beloved children. But most days, it is all I can do to think of myself as God’s faithful dog.

My dog (a chocolate lab whose specialty is finding and lab testing chocolate anywhere in the house) runs into the neighbor’s yard whenever she is off the leash. And she will roll in something stinky and filthy as soon as she gets the chance. But I understand that this is part of her nature, and I still love her. In the same way, God knows my every sin, my every failing, but he still loves me. (Oh, and one other important point about this relationship. I understand God about as well as my dog understands everything about me.) This is how God feels about us! We may roll around in some bad stuff, but we always come back to the Lord, who cleanses us and loves us.

All we ask of our dogs is their devotion to us. And the only way our dogs can survive in a world they cannot comprehend—a world of dangerous streets and unforgiving laws—is to trust us and obey us. In the same way, it is not our place to put expectations on the Creator of the universe. We have no rational right or reasonable expectation to do so. But it is absolutely right and appropriate for God to put expectations on us. And what he asks of us is to trust him, to obey him, and to be devoted to him.

We are the hounds of heaven! We are God’s faithful, loving, obedient sheepdogs, dedicated to protecting the flock. We love our master, the Great Shepherd. And this love encompasses everything else in our relationship to him and spills out in our relationship to others (Matthew 22:36–40). It is the essence of all he asks of us. And that’s good because it is all we have to give.

We are God’s loving sheepdogs. We belong to him. He is our Master—no one else.

American humorist Will Rogers said, “If you get to thinking you’re a person of some influence, try ordering somebody else’s dog around.” When you do that, the dog will look at you scornfully, and if he could talk, he would say, “I’m just a dog. I don’t know much. But I know this: I’m not your dog.”

So when the evil one comes for you and yours, look him in the eye and tell him he has no power over you. Just say, “Hey, I’m not your dog!”

Remember Why We’re Here

Now, as we begin this pilgrimage, this spiritual journey, let us build upon On Spiritual Combat and take this opportunity to review our over-arching mission. Never lose your focus on this as you read, ponder, pray, and apply. This is our purpose in life. This is why we are here.

•To love the Lord God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength (Luke 10:27).

•To love others as yourself (v. 27).

•To fulfill the “Great Commission” because if we truly love people and if we love and obey God, then we will strive with all our heart to carry out the Great Commission and bring others to the knowledge of salvation (Matthew 28:19).

•To be powerful, living witnesses, bringing others to Christ by doing good deeds and never growing weary of doing good (Galatians 6:9).

•To give the honor and glory to God, and reap love, joy, and peace for ourselves (Galatians 5:22).

•And finally, to dwell in heaven forever with our loving Father (Psalm 23:6).

Thus, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, beloved fellow sheepdogs under the authority of the Great Shepherd, we fervently pray that you will read and enjoy On Spiritual Warfare and through it grow in faith and become more powerful Christian spiritual warriors.

Proclaim it now throughout the land: I am a sheepdog under the authority of the Great Shepherd! He who is in me is far greater than he who is in the world! I am a child of the one true King! I am a sheepdog under the authority of the Great Shepherd, and this is as far as the minions of hell are going!

Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen. (Jude 1:24–25 KJV)

Mission Prep

My country, ’tis of thee,

Sweet land of liberty,

Of thee I sing:

Land where my fathers died,

Land of the pilgrim’s pride,

From every mountain side

Let freedom ring.

My native country, thee,

Land of the noble free,

Thy name I love;

I love thy rocks and rills,

Thy woods and templed hills.

My heart with rapture thrills

Like that above.

Our fathers’ God, to thee,

Author of liberty,

To thee we sing;

Long may our land be bright

With freedom’s holy light;

Protect us by thy might,

Great God, our King!

—“My Country, ’Tis of Thee,” by Samuel Francis Smith; the de facto US national anthem until 1931

This book, On Spiritual Warfare, builds upon the first volume, On Spiritual Combat: 30 Missions for Victorious Warfare. While On Spiritual Warfare can stand on its own, it builds on that first book as the next step in advanced spiritual warfare. On Spiritual Combat provides basic training, equipment issue, and preparation for frontline operations in spiritual combat. On Spiritual Warfare goes beyond basic training and provides what you need for longevity in the war against humanity’s greatest threats: sin, death, and Satan and his demons. We give you twenty-two warnings, what to guard against, and link each warning with a corresponding order, what you can do to effectively live and thereby counter the threat. Together, these twenty-two warnings and orders give you a powerful strategy to rise as victors in our war “against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12).

We begin every chapter with a hymn or poem (always colored blue). This beautiful and powerful old “Christian mid-rash” will establish a foundation for the concepts to follow. We encourage you to read these poems aloud because poetry is meant to be spoken, and much of the majesty and power of these words are lost if you don’t bring them alive with your voice and spirit and let them bless, inspire, and empower you. If you know the tune of the hymn, then sing it to yourself and before God. If you are in a public place, then feel free to whisper these words or quietly hum the tune. No matter how you recite them, consider how these wise, strong, and virtuous words have blessed our ancestors across the centuries. They still have that power.

Consider the song at the beginning of this chapter, “My Country, ’Tis of Thee.” Did you know that this was the “de facto” United States National Anthem until 1931?

Did you know that this song was originally a pledge of allegiance to the king of England? But Samuel Francis Smith changed the lyrics while he was a seminary student to make it America’s pledge of allegiance to the true and rightful King, God Almighty.

Did you realize that this hymn is also a prayer? It is a prayer, a plea to God to bless and protect America. Psalm 33:12 tells us that “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD.”

There is great power in such words! Think of the noble, godly individual who wrote this and all those people since who have sung it across the centuries. Think of them looking over your shoulder with pleasure. And know that their objective with that song is also ours.

Belief Is a Choice

Belief is a choice. We choose to believe that there is a loving God who empowers us in an epic and glorious battle against the forces of evil. And we believe that God can and will bless the nation that calls to him. As the hymn says, “Long may our land be bright, With freedom’s holy light. Protect us with thy might, Great God our King!” Amen! (More about the power in that word amen later.)

Furthermore, we hold that the evidence and logical...

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 7.11.2023
• Verlagsort: Savage
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Religion / Theologie ► Christentum ► Moraltheologie / Sozialethik
• Schlagworte: 22 rules • Armor of God • battle training • brave • christian knight • christian midrash • Enchiridion Militis Christiani • Erasmus • Fight of Faith • Good vs. Evil • kill sin • Luther • Military Devotional • Resist the devil • Satan • Sheepdog • Spiritual Warfare
• ISBN-10: 1-4245-6623-1 / 1424566231
• ISBN-13: 978-1-4245-6623-5 / 9781424566235