Tactics for Christian Living
Tactics for Christian Living
When spiritual warfare comes to mind, we tend to think of the armor and weapons God provides (Ephesians 6:11-17), but we don’t think as often about the tactics we need to employ in the spiritual battles we face. Nevertheless, God’s word does have a number of things to say about the tactical aspects of Christian life. Some of the tactics we are urged to utilize are very basic things we can do almost effortlessly if we make them a habit, others require more work, yet they can be the difference between defeat and victory. The articles that will appear on this page focus on tactics you can use today.
Short Tactical Notes
In a Hurry to be Patient: A Personal Confession
Is patience a gene? I have always been impatient. Overcoming this failing is part of my personal climb. I have read the biblical verses relating to this subject many times over and some have been helpful, but trying to be patient when you’re feeling...
Do We “Pray Without Ceasing”?
Scripture says in many places that we are to “pray always” or to pray “without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17, Ephesians 6:18, etc.). How can we possibly do that? What does that mean? Understanding the answers will make all the difference in the level...
Get More Out of Your Bible Study … Try a New Translation
An irony of faithful regular Bible study is that the more you read it, the more familiar the Bible becomes – and sometimes we may feel we are just not seeing as much as we did when we first, excitedly, came to the word of...
A Lion in a Pit on a Snowy Day
Among the band of heroes that the Bible tells us were King David’s leading warriors – his “special forces operatives” – one warrior is particularly interesting. David’s chief fighters were all noted for great exploits, but one who stands out even in that crowd is...
Allies, Preparation, and Persistence
The story of David and Goliath may be the most famous conflict story in the Bible, but an earlier battle fought by Abram, before his name was changed to Abraham, was perhaps even more impressive. The story is a fascinating one that carries important...
An Unexpected Source of Strength
“... the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10).Some of us love the sight of a universal gym or a set of free weights. Some of us view such things as being remarkably like our idea of medieval torture devices. But whether we willingly...
Tactical Articles
Warriors in Word, Thought, and Deed
The seasoned and successful warrior learns to recognize dangerous terrain from which ambush or sniper fire might come. This is just as true of the spiritual warrior as it is of physical soldiers – if we are oblivious to where attacks may come from, we are likely to...
Five Paths to Encouragement
The Bible has much to say about encouragement – and shows that it is something even the strongest individuals of faith need at times (Moses, David, and Elijah, to name only three). The Scriptures also show that there is a difference between being...
The Christian Climb
An Alpine Symphony, by Richard Strauss, depicts a dawn to dusk climb up a mountain. Why do we climb mountains? You can get almost as many answers to that question as you can find climbers to ask. Some will say because the mountains are there, others...
Facing the Future Without Fear
Business failures. Layoffs. A shaky stock market and weak economy. It’s not hard to find things to be anxious over today. If it’s not national crises, a variety of everyday problems can disturb us: the lump discovered on a breast; the divorce papers served yesterday;...
Using “The Lord’s Prayer” as a Guide
The New Testament tells us that one day a disciple asked Jesus, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” Jesus replied: “When you pray, say …” and then he proceeded to give what is called “The Lord’s Prayer” (Matthew 6:9–13, and Luke...
The 80% Prayer Principle
By R. Herbert Not all prayer is asking for something, but a great deal of it obviously is. When we do ask, do we pray mainly for our own physical and spiritual needs and concerns? There is no doubt that it is acceptable to pray for these things – we have Christ’s...
