Terms of Engagement

June 3, 2011

“Therefore, put on God’s complete armor that you may be able to resist and stand your ground on the evil day of danger.” (Ephesians 6:13, Amp)

Today there are wars and rumors of wars around the worlds. Our world is in chaos spiritually, as well as politically, ideologically and physically. As in any war, there must be rules or terms of engagement. Wikipedia says the “rules of engagement provides commanders and personnel with a clearly delineated set of responsibilities and operational constraints.”

Jesus Christ is the Christian’s Commander in Chief. He wrote our Battle Manuel which clearly delineates His Terms of Engagement. We are the personnel who marches where, when and how to His every command. Our first and only command and responsibility is to obey, without questioning, promptly and in the power of His might.

Spiritual chaos is what is causing the all these types of wars. Men are born in sin and are following the “commander” of this world, Satan. Spiritually speaking, unless they change “commanders” and “armies” they are doomed to lose the war, and go to their own destruction. Those who have joined the Army of the Lord God Jehovah, to fight against Satan and his demons, whose purpose is to kill and destroy us, must learn the terms of engagement to be able to stand victorious in the fight. In the Christian’s Battle Manual (the Word of God), the terms of engagement are clearly laid out.

The Bible is God’s Word and is a most vital weapon in fighting and overcoming the enemy. It teaches us who the enemy is and how to engage him. It teaches how to traverse the valleys and the mountains; how to trust God to show us the way through the wilderness; how to climb over the barriers Satan puts in our way. It teaches us all about our armor He has made available; how to confess our failures; and gives us the determination to keep in the fight and not get distracted by all the things in the world that are calling us to side trails. Like the early Christians we have the Holy Spirit and the Word of God to be our Guide and Compass. But if we don’t use our Compass we will lose our way and not know which direction to go. The Christian soldier cannot win without the Word of God, (which clearly spells out the terms of engagement). It is part of our spiritual armor God has made available to us. It is the Sword of the Spirit. As Jesus used the scriptures to defeat Satan when He was being tempted, we must read, study, meditate and memorize our Battle Manuel - our Compass that we may be able to focus, stand and resist on the evil day of temptation to compromise, to turn back or to fall.

We must first “be strong in the Lord and empowered through our union with Him” (Eph.6:10). He is our Commander and Chief so we must focus on Him and look and listen to Him for instruction and protection. We must draw our strength from Him. It is that strength which His boundless might provides. We can’t survive in our own strength. (Eph.6:10; Phil. 4:13).

The next lesson of engagement is to “know your enemy.” We are warring against Satan and his demons who are our spiritual enemies, not people (although he uses people as his instruments of wickedness). He is a despot, a master spirit and power who rules the realm of darkness in this world. He and his demons are the spirit forces of wickedness in the supernatural sphere (Eph.6:12). Satan’s purpose is to steal from us, to kill and destroy us (John 10:10; Gal.5:17).

Satan is everything evil. He is our accuser, Rev.12:10; adversary, I Pet.5:8; the angel of the bottomless pit, Rev.9:11; the devil, Matt.4:1; our enemy, Matt.13:39; father of lies, Jn.8:44; gates of hell, Matt.16:18; lying spirit, I Kgs.22:22; murderer, Jn.8:44; power of darkness, Col.1:13; prince of this world, Jn.12:31; Beelzebub, prince of devils, Matt.12:24; prince of the power of the air, Eph.2:2; ruler of the darkness of this world, Eph.6:12; serpent, Gen.3:4,14; spirit that works in the children of disobedience, Eph.2:2; tempter, Matt.4:3; god of this world, II Cor.4:4; unclean spirit, Matt.12:43; wicked one, Matt. 13:19, 38. These are some of the names of Satan which also are his attributes. Study these scriptures that you may be able to quickly recognize when Satan is working in your life or in the lives of others. Remember, Satan is also “like a roaring lion” seeking whom he can devour (I Pet.5:8). He also masquerades as an “angel of light” (II Cor.7:14). He is a deceiver and a counterfeit. We must intimately and thoroughly know the Genuine (Jesus) to recognize a counterfeit (Satan). Study Satan’s strategies, the way he plans to deceive, divide and conquer. He uses our weaknesses, our ignorance of the Truth (Word) and our luke-warmness. We must be intimately connected to and focused on our Commander and Chief, Jesus.

Next, before going into battle (which is daily) we must put on God’s spiritual battle-dress, His armor of a heavy-armed soldier, which God provides, that we may be able to successfully stand up against all the strategies and the deceits of the devil, our enemy (Eph.6:11).

With all the trash that is assailing our minds in the media, computers, magazines, etc., we must put on the “helmet of salvation,” or be brain-washed with the things of the fleshly mind. I Corinthians 2:16 says God’s children have “the mind of Christ,” but there is a war going on between our flesh and our spirit (Gal.5:17). Within ourselves we cannot win without “setting our minds on things above (spiritual)” (Col.3:2; Phil.4:8), then the Holy Spirit empowers us to overcome the sensitive appetites and will of the flesh. He will deliver us from our fleshly mind and give us the mind of Christ (Rom.7:12-25).

We are to put on the breastplate of righteousness (integrity and right standing with God) (Eph.6:14). The breastplates protects our vital spiritual parts – our heart (pumps the life blood); the lungs (for confessing – breathing out sins and breathing in the life and purity of the Holy Spirit); liver (for purifying the blood so no debilitating sin can destroy us). The breastplate is bullet-proof. Satan cannot penetrate it because it is Christ’s righteousness.

After wrapping ourselves in Jesus’ Robe of Righteousness and His breastplate of righteousness, we then must tightly put on the Belt of Truth to hold our robe and breastplate in place. Without Truth there can be no Righteousness. Jesus is the Truth. For us to wear the Robe and Breastplate of Righteousness, we must procure it through our faith (Eph.2:8,9), our faith in Jesus Christ, the One Who bought our salvation with His blood.

We must always wear our Good News of Peace shoes. Wherever we go we should be prepared to present and share the good news that Jesus saves! If we can’t share, conscience free, we shouldn’t be in that place.

Hold firmly your Shield of Faith. The shield can be easily and quickly manipulated to ward off the fiery darts of the evil one – temptations, accusations, etc. If your faith is diluted by compromise and sin, you “give place to the devil” (Eph.4:25-27). He can get through the holes in your Shield of Faith. Make sure your faith is grounded in Christ Jesus and His death, burial, resurrection and ascension, and His Word which cannot fail.

As a good soldier we have to learn battlefield communication – prayer. I read a definition of prayer that says, “Prayer is communication between God and His allies in the enemy’s country.” We’re behind enemy lines, but prayer is our connection with the Commander.” How can we be a victorious soldier if we don’t stay in communication with our Commander, Jesus? How can He fight for us, or deliver us, or provide our ammunition and needs? How can He heal our wounds, give us instructions, warn us or comfort us or show Himself mighty on our behalf if we don’t communicate our needs and the needs of others in the Army of God? Prayer is the lifeline for the Christian Soldier and necessary for communicating the “Terms of Engagement.” Eph.6:18 instructs us to, “Pray at all times, on every occasion, in the Spirit; with all manner of prayer and entreaty. To that end keep alert and watch with strong purpose and perseverance, interceding for all God’s consecrated people.” Prayer is the “watchman on the wall,” communicating to the Commander the status of the troops and the enemy, and requesting needs; thanking Him for what He has done and praising Him for Who He is and His power to keep; and confessing personal and corporate failures. Then the “watchman” waits for the answer.

If we “soldiers of the cross” will put on all of God’s armor and be in prayer daily, and follow all the “Terms of Engagement,” we can live in victory continually though the battle still rages around us – Satan never gives up and neither should we!

Stand Up For Jesus
George Duffield

Stand up, stand up for Jesus, you soldiers of the cross!
Lift high His royal banner – it must not suffer loss.
From victory unto victory His army shall He lead,
Till every foe is vanquished and Christ is Lord indeed.

Stand up, stand up for Jesus, stand in His strength alone;
The arm of flesh will fail you – you dare not trust your own.
Put on the gospel armor, each piece put on with prayer;
Where duty calls, or danger, be never wanting there.

Stand up, stand up for Jesus, the strife will not be long;
This day the noise of battle – the next, the victor’s song.
To him that overcometh a crown of life shall be;
He with the King of glory shall reign eternally.