Fifty-years ago I enlisted in the United States Air Force. I remember well the late-night arrival at Lackland Air Base in San Antonio, Texas. It was a hot, humid night in which all of us new recruits were exhausted from hours of travel. A good night’s sleep was in order, but were we ever fooled? The moment the bus door was opened, and the drill instructor stepped inside, this nine-foot tall, (at least he looked like he was), angry, and vile man screamed and cursed like I had never heard before. Instantly I felt I had made a mistake.
The next six weeks I suffered in a remedial training flight where I managed to shed some badly needed excess weight. The days were spent in physical and emotional training where I received much perceived abuse. However, since my two older brothers had served in the Air Force before me, I knew some of what to expect. And, I knew that the seeming abuse was simply for my benefit as the drill instructor tried to prepare us in the unlikely event, we would become prisoners of war while on a tour of duty in South Vietnam.
Military training in any branch of service is hard, but so is training to become a good soldier of Jesus Christ. In his letter to young Timothy, the apostle Paul wrote: “You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please Him who enlisted him as a soldier.” (2 Timothy 2:3-4)
There is no question but that we are engaged in spiritual warfare as in Christ we fight against the flesh, and Satan fights against the Spirit. Temptation and trials come in an attempt by Satan to bring us down in defeat but, at the same time, are used by God to strengthen our faith and train us to serve Him. There will be many skirmishes and heated battles along the journey, but through faith in Christ we shall never be defeated because the war has already been won when Christ was raised from the dead by the power of God.
In Christ we have been set free from the power sin has over us. What we once were we no longer are, and we are training daily to walk in the power of a new life that will please Christ. Know that in Christ we are equipped with armor and a weapon, the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. We can overcome every trial and temptation as we follow the example of Jesus in His own wilderness temptation experience. When Satan tried to tempt Him, Jesus overcame each time with the declaration, “It is written…” Should we not do the same?
- Pastor Jerry L. Dunn, Oak Street Baptist Church
