PLAYING FOR KEEPS

Isaiah 54:1-57:14; Ephesians 6:1-24; Psalm 70:1-5; Proverbs 24:8

“Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink—even if you have no money! Come, take your choice of wine or milk—it’s all free! Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength? Why pay for food that does you no good? Listen to me, and you will eat what is good. You will enjoy the finest food. Come to me with your ears wide open. Listen, and you will find life. I will make an everlasting covenant with you. I will give you all the unfailing love I promised to David.”

“A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.  In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.  Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

“Please, God, rescue me! Come quickly, Lord, and help me.”

“A person who plans evil will get a reputation as a troublemaker.”

Faith is serious business. It is literally a matter of life and death. We are opposed by a powerful Enemy. And most of us are woefully unprepared for the adversity this world and the Prince of it throws at us. Logically, this makes no sense at all… unless we simply don’t take our opposition, or the stakes of our battle, seriously enough. Our continued vulnerability to sin and all that comes with it can only be the result of one of two things. We do not appreciate that we truly are eternal beings whose souls are the prize of our spiritual warfare; or we do not really believe what the Bible tells us about the consequences of leaving our souls unprotected. Either way, we need to work on our preparation and our strategy for survival. Refusing or failing to do so is either brazenly and terminally fatal or just plain stupid. The Lord does not want us to be either.

Several years ago, I began long distance bicycle riding and participated in several 100-150 mile race rides, one in the absolute hottest part of the Texas summer. I began training six months in advance for each, which pretty much made it a year around project. While some of our training rides were really nice and enjoyable, overall, by the time the races arrived, those days were long forgotten. There was one goal – finishing with personal bests – and only one way to do it. We had to train past the point of established endurance. We had to build up a higher pain tolerance. We could only prepare for the race by practicing in a zone that itself was beyond suffering. We knew going in that, during the races, most “weekend warrior” athletes like me would “hit the wall” at some point on the course. When that time came, there were only two options. Those who had trained to the point of adversity would understand the pain and persevere. Those unfamiliar with the stress of a century ride were quick to quit and wait for the vans to carry them back to the starting line and their cars.

I remember clearly my own experience of “the wall.” Having cruised through 70 miles of my second “Hotter Than Hell 100” race in Wichita Falls, Texas, in personal best time, I took a hairpin turn into a 30-35+MPH headwind, and everything just sort of stopped. In was like giving it all on a stationary bike set to maximum resistance after hours of struggling. Even professional teams were slowed to a literal crawl. Worse, the sun broke full through, and there was not a tree in sight. After about ten more miles, the course became littered with the bodies of defeated riders. Emergency vans could not keep up. A leg of the course was closed to save slower riders from collapse. Those lucky few who found them huddled in the mostly illusory shade of giant tumbleweeds and cacti. The rest of us had little choice but to press on. Finally, I stopped sweating in the 113 degree weather. Anyone who has ever participated in an endurance sporting event knows this is a very dangerous sign. Nevertheless, I had nowhere to go but forward. To have stopped would have been to fry, literally. There was no shade, no place to take refuge, no water but what I had to ration out of my own bottles. The wind did eventually stop, but even this was a mixed blessing, as we baked further. At least on the bike, I had some additional circulation. So I forged on.

The next rest stop was 7 miles away, and it was the longest seven miles of my life. My dream of a personal best evaporated. Survival really became the goal, and the odds continued to drop. Physical stress was only part of it. The fear of heatstroke and possible death became very real and wore on me mentally as the miles stretched on. I knew I was in serious trouble. Finally, I stumbled into the shelter and collapsed on a cot in front of a large fan. Never have I been so grateful to have a strange woman cover my body with towels soaked in ice water, including shoving several down my pants. Eventually, I recovered and finished the race, but I will never forget the near thing it became. What started out as a fun adventure ended up being a real battle for continued existence. It was tough enough as it was. Had I not been trained, the outcome almost certainly would have been far worse.

When we look at today’s verses, it is plain Christ has given us all we need for the battle, from sustenance to armor. He, at least, takes the battle seriously. Two conclusions can be drawn from His provision. First, He expects serious resistance against His people. Second, He does not expect His people to simply go quietly into the night when faced with it. The Spirit expects us to fight for Him. He recognizes blood is going to be shed. He wants us ready. The only rational response is to prepare as our Commander in Chief recommends. A life of faith is not a game, nor is it something we can do just when we feel like it. It requires total commitment and a plan of rigorous training. We must play for keeps because Satan knows no other way. He is ruthless and unrelenting. We have to be ready and prepared to fight back. Our souls are at stake.