On Spiritual Warfare E-Book

Lt. Col. Dave Grossman

• Herausgeber: BroadStreet Publishing Group, LLC
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Seitenzahl: 619

Beschreibung

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!  

Leseprobe

Get ready to be warriored-up and do battle! This book will arm you with actionable intelligence so you can take your spiritual warfare to the next level.

Lt. David Kemp, twenty-eight-year veteran police officer and SWAT commander

On Spiritual Warfare is the sequel to the bestseller On Spiritual Combat. This new book is the most effective apologetics and personal faith guide available today. It is poetic, motivating, doctrinally sound, and full of Scripture. It will keep you reading page after page. Lt. Col. Dave Grossman and Sgt. Chris Pascoe have done a masterful job of explaining the undeniable connection between evil, violence, and crime in the world and the spiritual warfare required to defeat it. This book is a reminder that “evildoers…will go from bad to worse” (2 Timothy 3:13), but the righteous have a duty to stand and fight in the face of evil. On Spiritual Warfare reveals that our law enforcement officers are more than just “cops”; they are soldiers of light, commissioned and powered by God to fight injustice and evil.

Sgt. Jeff Wolf (Ret.), author of the bestseller Blue Lies: The War on Justice

Now more than ever, those who serve and protect us are under assault. In order to do their job properly, they need to understand that while they may have been trained to combat physical threats, spiritual threats can also destroy lives. On Spiritual Warfare will help guide them toward an effectual engagement in that spiritual conflict.

Joe Giorgione, founder and CEO, 1776 Training and Consulting LLC; emergency medical service and fire instructor for over twenty-five years

My copy of On Spiritual Combat is dog-eared, highlighted, and full of notes. It occupies the space on my bookshelf next to The Westminster Catechism. The current book, On Spiritual Warfare: 22 Warning Orders for Virtuous Warriors, is the next step, delivering an instructional handbook for Christian warriors engaged in both spiritual and physical combat. Authors Lt. Col. Dave Grossman and Sgt. Chris Pascoe have created a treasure trove of verse, hymns, prayers, and commentary that is both inspirational in its message and practical in its application. I especially recommend this book for members of church security teams who must confront evil in the physical realm as they defend their flocks from violent attack.

Mike Smock, CEO, Distributed Security, Inc.

Since 1998, I’ve served in various military and law enforcement capacities. In these vocations, we are absolutely engaged in spiritual warfare. I wish I’d had On Spiritual Warfare years ago to help guide me as I walked this path, and I am thankful to have it now. This is no ordinary devotional. It is truly a modern adaptation of Erasmus’ Manual of a Christian Knight, full of warnings and guidance on how to navigate our perilous times successfully. I believe that embracing the disciplines that are spelled out in this book will help you fully realize and dwell within the freedom that Christ has bought for us, and help you truly thrive in your role as protector and servant. God is on the move, and he is calling warriors to step out in faith. On Spiritual Warfare is going to have a powerful ministry and effect on and through those warriors. It has truly been written for such a time as this!

Andy Bowell, police officer

Do you want to be triumphant in spiritual warfare against the forces of evil? If so, then you have found a special gem containing generations of value. The authors of On Spiritual Warfare have been on their sheep-dog journey for a long time compared to most of us, and in their book they offer a bag full of treasures they’ve collected. If you think of the Bible as a five-thousand-piece puzzle, then On Spiritual Warfare and the previous book, On Spiritual Combat, are like the lid to the puzzle box with a beautiful full-color photo: the clarity they provide is amazing! Let On Spiritual Warfare be the guide on your path to becoming one of God’s special ops warriors.

Miss Sequoia Palmquist

On Spiritual Warfare is neither a traditional devotional nor a theoretical treatise on the Bible’s teachings on spiritual warfare. It is a timely, insightful, morale-boosting manual on effectively engaging the spiritual dangers in our world today. We can and must engage evil on both physical and spiritual fronts, and authors Dave Grossman and Chris Pascoe have knowledge and experience with both. Their book leads us in becoming the warriors that God needs us to be rather than falling as mere casualties or, even worse, as pawns or combatants for the other side. On Spiritual Warfare is the guidebook we all need.

William D. Watkins, writer, editor, teacher, and speaker; author of numerous publications, including The New Absolutes and The Transforming Habits of a Growing Christian

BroadStreet Publishing® Group, LLC

Savage, Minnesota, USA

BroadStreetPublishing.com

On Spiritual Warfare: 22 Warning Orders for Virtuous Warriors

Copyright © 2023 by David A. Grossman and Christopher L. Pascoe

9781424566228 (faux leather)

9781424566235 (ebook)

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without permission in writing from the publisher.

All italics in quotations are those of the authors put there for emphasis.

Unless noted otherwise, all Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked ESV are taken from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible® (NASB), Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.Lockman.org. Scripture marked KJV is taken from the King James Version of the Bible, public domain. Scripture quotations marked CEV are taken from the Contemporary English Version, copyright © 1991, 1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, used by permission. Scripture quotations marked GNT are taken from the Good News Translation in Today’s English Version—Second Edition. Copyright © 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by permission. Scripture quotations marked GW are taken from GOD’S WORD®, © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations. Used by permission of God’s Word Mission Society. All Scripture quotations marked RSV are taken from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All Scripture quotations marked VOICE are taken from The Voice Bible, copyright © 2012, Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NLV are taken from the New Life Version, copyright © 1969 and 2003. Used by permission of Barbour Publishing, Inc., Uhrichsville, Ohio 44683. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked CSB are taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked WEB are taken from the World English Bible, public domain. Scripture quotations marked BSB are taken from The Holy Bible, Berean Study Bible, copyright ©2016, 2020 by Bible Hub, used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. https://bereanbible.com.

Stock or custom editions of BroadStreet Publishing titles may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, ministry, fundraising, or sales promotional use. For information, please email [email protected].

Cover and interior by Garborg Design Works | garborgdesign.com

Printed in China

23 24 25 26 27 5 4 3 2 1

To soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines,

To all first responders,

To everyone who moves toward danger.

To teachers and healthcare workers,

To social workers, clergy, and parents,

To all those who protect and defend.

And let us dedicate ourselves to serving Jesus Christ,

Who died so that everyone may live,

Who came to destroy the works of the devil.

Oh Lord, forgive us our sins,

Lead us in the battle against evil.

Through the power of the Holy Spirit,

Make us your obedient, faithful sheepdogs.

Amen.

Author’s Note

This book is a joint endeavor between Chris Pascoe and me, Dave Grossman, and, we pray, the Holy Spirit.

Chris had a hand in every aspect of creating this book. Indeed, Chris deserves full credit for the initial research and concept development concerning Erasmus, Luther, and the twenty-two orders and warnings derived from their writings. Chris established the initial foundation upon the works of these men, also drawing from his own decades of police experience and godly scholarship.

I, Dave, have contributed from my personal perspective, drawing from my experiences, teaching, and presentations, and continue to build upon themes found in my book On Spiritual Combat. When the first-person voice (I, me, my, mine) is used in this book, the voice is mine.

Chris, however, deserves much credit and appreciation for his many contributions to and inspiration in writing this book.

And we both give God all the glory!

Contents

Foreword by Adam Davis

Sheepdogs: The Mission Continues

WARNORD #1

Warning: The Wicked Have No Faith

Order: Increase Your Faith by Accepting God’s Grace

WARNORD #2

Warning: The Wicked Doubt the Lord

Order: Act on Your God-Given Faith

WARNORD #3

Warning: The Wicked Are Self-Centered

Order: Analyze Your Desires

WARNORD #4

Warning: The Wicked Resist the Lord

Order: Make Christ the Only Guide and Goal of Your Life

WARNORD #5

Warning: The Wicked Are Blinded by Ambition

Order: Turn Away from Worldly Things

WARNORD #6

Warning: The Wicked Spread False Beliefs

Order: Train Your Mind to Distinguish the True Nature of Good and Evil

WARNORD #7

Warning: The Wicked Are Easily Distracted

Order: Never Let Any Failure or Setback Turn You Away from God

WARNORD #8

Warning: The Wicked Are Easily Tempted by Satan

Order: Face Temptation with Prayer, Not with Worry or Excuses

WARNORD #9

Warning: The Wicked Practice Trickery and Deception

Order: Always Be Prepared for an Attack

WARNORD #10

Warning: The Wicked Flee from the Devil

Order: Spit, As It Were, in the Face of Danger

WARNORD #11

Warning: The Wicked Crave Status

Order: Guard against Two Dangers: Moral Cowardice and Personal Pride

WARNORD #12

Warning: The Wicked Are Weak-Minded

Order: Turn Your Weakness into Strength

WARNORD #13

Warning: The Wicked Retreat from the Heart of Battle

Order: Treat Each Battle as Though It Were Your Last

WARNORD #14

Warning: The Wicked Deceive Themselves

Order: Don’t Assume That Doing Good Allows You to Keep a Few Vices

WARNORD #15

Warning: The Wicked Are Easily Provoked

Order: A Good Knight Weighs His Alternatives Carefully

WARNORD #16

Warning: The Wicked Say “The Devil Is Too Strong”

Order: Never Admit Defeat Even If You Have Been Wounded

WARNORD #17

Warning: The Wicked Create Conflict among the Faithful

Order: Always Have a Plan of Action

WARNORD #18

Warning: The Wicked Are Envious of Others

Order: Calm Your Passions by Seeing How Little There Is to Gain

WARNORD #19

Warning: The Wicked Do Not Feel Sorrow for the Pain They Cause

Order: Consider the Impact on Your Family

WARNORD #20

Warning: The Wicked Have No Divine Authority

Order: Virtue Has Its Own Authority

WARNORD #21

Warning: The Wicked Do Not Know God in Christ

Order: Life Can Be Sad, Difficult, and Quick: Make It Count for Something

WARNORD #22

Warning: The Wicked Do Not Confess or Serve Christ

Order: Repent Your Wrongs and Change Your Ways

Conclusion: A Case Study in Spiritual Warfare

Summary

Bibliography

Acknowledgments

About the Authors

Foreword

A few years back, someone I consider a mentor, a dear brother in Christ, and a friend, Dave Grossman, suggested we write a book to spiritually parallel his work On Combat. It was a daunting task in my eyes, but one I was not afraid to tackle. The intimidation came in doing the work justice.

Over the years we have heard from many of you about how On Spiritual Combat has affected your lives in positive ways.

There are many things we can do in this life, many good and noble deeds. But, my friends, the things that matter the most are those things of eternal value.

We encourage you to read On Spiritual Combat, but the book now in front of you can stand on its own. On Spiritual Warfare is concerned with advanced spiritual warfare. It is intended for truly hungry Christian warriors seeking the strong meat of Bible doctrine (Hebrews 5:14). For them it will be a welcome and vital dish served in the foxholes of battle in this life. And all of it will be for God’s glory.

As you navigate through this book, I want to personally challenge you to be a dangerous and courageous believer. In the book of Revelation, cowards are placed in the same category as the sexually immoral, idolaters, liars, and those who practice magic arts (21:8). None of them, including cowards, inherit the kingdom of God. This is not a time in history for cowardly men and women. And there is no such thing as a cowardly Christian.

So equip yourself for battle! Prepare to advance against the enemy of our souls. Prepare to advance against the kingdom of darkness and deliver a taste of heaven to those living in hell on earth. Fight with everything you have because hell is fighting to destroy everything that you love.

Author/coauthor of On Spiritual Combat: 30 Missions for Victorious Warfare, Bulletproof Marriage: A 90-Day Devotional, Behind the Badge: 365 Day Devotional for Law Enforcement, Prayers and Promises for First Responders, and Behind the Lines: 365 Daily Challenges for Military Personnel; www.TheAdamDavis.com

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 arguments for our beliefs about God and his activity in the world are overwhelming. We also know that if we were proven wrong (something we have good reason to believe will never be done), we would still lose nothing of value, and we would still gain some wonderful blessings in this life and in our nation. But knowing we are not wrong but right, we gain everything! All that is true, good, and beautiful is ours, and not just for now but for eternity.

On Spiritual Combat and On Spiritual Warfare establish a framework, an outline of what is held in common across the three great Christian traditions—Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and Protestantism. A 2020 estimate by the Pew Research Center tells us that there are 2.38 billion Christians in the world today, making Christianity by far the world’s largest religion, representing 31.4 percent of the world’s population. Our two books are humble endeavors to describe what these individuals have in common, what C. S. Lewis called “mere Christianity.” Furthermore, and more specifically, our books are designed to show how our loving God intends for us to engage in spiritual combat against the forces of evil in this world.

Since God exists, we can logically agree that God should be able to give guidance, dominion, blessings, and continuity to his believers. Such a God should have been able to make his message clear across the millennia, with continuity from prehistory until modern times; with blessings, prosperity, and dominion to his believers across time; with his houses of worship in every nation; and his Word translated in myriad languages and available even in hotel rooms around the world.

If you see a god who has only a tiny minority of believers. If he is known only to a few. If he is a “johnny come lately” to the game. If his worshipers have not been blessed with dominion and prosperity across the millennia. Then, we respectfully submit, maybe that god is not much of a god if he cannot communicate his will and extend blessings to vast numbers of people across the span of thousands and thousands of years.

One more thing. If you agree that there might be a God, but you are angry or displeased with him because of things that have happened in your life, then we say, “Please don’t curse God when your prayers are not answered the way you think they should be.”

In the end, we will all die. God’s greatest achievement is not to give us wealth or comfort or a few more days in this fallen world. God’s greatest gift, his most awesome, miraculous achievement, is to save our souls and to pay the price for our sin with the blood of Jesus so that we can be adopted children in his family for eternity. And the most important thing we can ever pray for is not that our loved ones will live a little longer, not that they will have comfort or ease in this world. The greatest thing we can pray for, work for, and strive for is that they will come to the knowledge of God’s salvation and embrace it as their own.

Life Is Hard, Then You Die?

The world says, “Life is hard. Then you die.”

God says, “To live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21 KJV). Think about that. “To live” is to be “in Christ,” which is an amazing life of love, joy, and peace. And “to die” is even better because death is the final step into the presence and glory of God. This does not mean that we should be suicidal. God’s Word is clear that self-murder is a sin. Think of it in terms of our overriding mission, our purpose in life: to love God and love people (Mark 12:30–31). I have lost a brother and two nephews to suicide. I can tell you from personal experience that taking your own life will cause enormous pain to your loved ones. For the rest of my life, when I hear the name of that beloved relative who took his life, I will feel remorse, regret, and sorrow. God loves us vastly more than any person can, and the pain and anguish one gives to God by taking their own life is even greater. As Christians, when our time comes, we can approach death with a peace that others can barely comprehend, and that may be the single most powerful, soul-saving, life-affirming act in our short stay here on this fallen world.

Study those two options and decide now which one you would choose. “Life is hard. Then you die”? Or “To live is Christ, and to die is gain”? Which would you choose for your loved ones and for the whole world? Remember, belief is a choice, and you can ask for more faith. You can pray, as did one man in the Bible, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24).

In “normal” battle we win, in large part, by killing people. In spiritual battle, we win by saving them. And that is the glorious endeavor that a loving Father has equipped us for and commanded us to engage in. If you truly comprehend the magnitude of this task, then you understand that we must get this right. It is the single most important thing anyone can ever do.

Thus, while On Spiritual Combat established a solid foundation for basic spiritual combat, On Spiritual Warfare prepares us for advanced spiritual warfare. This book is a call to a life of self-sacrifice and selfless service to God.

On Spiritual Warfare is also about “embracing the suck”—that is, about getting our heads and hearts pointed to the hard work of suffering so that we might be equipped for “Spec Ops Spiritual Combat.” Spiritual warfare is not only about protecting ourselves from the evil one and telling friends and neighbors about Christ’s saving work. It is also about pushing back the gates of hell and assaulting the Normandy beaches of Satan’s evil empire.

As you read this book, if you find yourself saying, “I’ve been through this part before,” then we say, “It’s called the ‘training cycle,’ soldier!” But every old soldier knows that it is not truly a cycle but rather a spiral staircase with each repetition taking you higher and higher. Our goal is to get more out of each repetition, becoming better, wiser, and stronger Christian warriors with each cycle.

“Advanced skills are just the basics mastered” is a truth you will hear in every world-class combat training center. Over the years from elementary school through high school and even into the first couple of years of college, you went through the same cycle, learning the basics of reading, writing, and ’rithmetic. But every year you learned each subject at a higher level. The same thing is true with spiritual growth.

And remember: this war is for real. This is not a game. Not just mortal lives but also eternity and the salvation or destruction of all that we love are hanging in the balance.

Spiritual Warfare—At Every Level

Mighty spiritual warriors have gone before us. With sacrifice and toil and faith, with blood and sweat and prayers, many of these warriors established a firm godly foundation for the nation that became the United States of America. “For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:11). With their National Anthem, they called out to God, raising their voices in a vast chorus, an anthem of communal prayer, a nation singing, crying out, beseeching their heavenly Father.

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.

Foremost among those who established this firm foundation for America were the Puritans and Pilgrims. It was their steadfast conviction, their unwavering, unflinching belief, that they had a moral obligation to use their authority as citizens and as leaders to move their nation toward righteousness.

These godly founders understood a critical, essential fact. In a democracy or a republic, we the people are the rulers. In America, through our votes and our influence upon our elected leaders and fellow citizens, we are the ones who rule this nation. We are the kings! And if we do not use every bit of influence and authority that we have to move our nation toward righteousness, then we are like the evil kings of old.

Look at the curses that God inflicted upon wicked kings in the Old Testament as punishment for their evil stewardship. That same judgment is upon each of us and our nation if we do not strive to move our nation toward righteousness. As God warns us: “‘I am your enemy!’ says the LORD Almighty. ‘I will burn up your chariots. Your soldiers will be killed in war, and I will take away everything that you took from others. The demands of your envoys will no longer be heard’” (Nahum 2:13 GNT).

Now, as we learned in On Spiritual Combat, our salvation is never in doubt if we have accepted Jesus as our Savior. But God will judge us each, individually, for the Christian stewardship of our nation. This judgment will not change the fact of our salvation, but it can affect our relationship to God and to others.

The governance side of American citizenship is a profound responsibility. It is inherent within our nation’s form of government. If you do not want to accept that solemn sacred responsibility, then your only option is to renounce your American citizenship and flee to a nation where such an obligation is not intrinsic to citizenship.

America’s Founding Fathers understood the inherent sinfulness of men and women, but they did not surrender to it. Instead, they established the philosophical foundation for the US Constitution with its many checks and balances and sought to add to God’s kingdom on earth, as best they could, always praying, always working.

Spiritual warfare means fighting at every level. From the personal, to the congregational, to the national: at every level we bring the battle straight into the teeth of evil and the very gates of hell. Jesus has promised us victory in this fight. As he said, “Upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18 KJV).

Spiritual warfare, in the power of God through our Lord Jesus Christ, says “Never surrender!” Never surrender one soul nor one city nor one nation to evil. Never say it cannot be done when Jesus tells us that “with God all things are possible” (19:26).

On the Shoulders of Spiritual Giants

In On Spiritual Combat, we introduced the concept of Christian midrash. In the Jewish faith, midrash is basically a set of commentary that surrounds God’s Word, established and sustained across the generations to give us a deeper understanding of Scripture.

In this current book, On Spiritual Warfare, we will take you through some of the most powerful and important Christian midrash that has ever blessed our world: Luther and Erasmus. The insight we pass on here is truly midrash of the highest order—ancient wisdom virtually lost to our times. And we will introduce the timeless, triumphant spiritual warfare concept of “saved by grace, serving by faith.”

In my book On Combat, I included the 22 Rules (or Orders) from The Enchiridion Militis Christiani (meaning The Handbook of the Christian Knight) written in 1501 and published in 1503. The 22 Rules/Orders were brilliantly summarized by Sgt. Chris Pascoe of the Michigan State Police.

The Enchiridion (or Handbook) was written by the Dutch theologian Desiderius Erasmus (1466–1536), one of the leading theologians of his time. Five centuries after Erasmus passed from this world, his 22 Rules proved to be popular with all those amazing sheepdogs, under the authority of the Great Shepherd, who read On Combat. In fact, a search on the internet will reveal several websites that have emulated our summary of the 22 Rules in On Combat to help spread the message of sheepdog service. God bless this sharing of truth and ethos.

The 22 Rules/Orders, as summarized by Sgt. Chris Pascoe, were used again in the Sheepdogs: Meet Our Nation’s Warriors children’s book that I wrote with Stephanie Rogish to inspire and influence the lives of many young sheepdogs. The Handbook of the Christian Knight was also very popular in its day. In fact, historians say the Enchiridion was second only to the Bible in that era. Many scholars believe it to be the first published book specifically dedicated to spiritual warfare.

The book was originally in Latin, and the Latin word translated as “handbook” literally means “dagger.” Author Diarmaid MacCulloch, in his book Christianity: The First Three Thousand Years, wrote that the dagger, in this sense, is the “spiritual equivalent of the modern Swiss Army knife.” To which we say, amen!

This Book’s Mission

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet,

and a light unto my path. (Psalm 119:105 KJV)

The American author Nelson DeMille said, “We’re all pilgrims on the same journey—but some pilgrims have better road maps.” We hope and pray that the lessons, hymns, and prayers in this book will be a roadmap for you—ye pilgrim peacekeepers, our fellow sheepdogs—for a life of victorious spiritual warfare. Especially to the young pilgrim peacekeepers, we hope this book passes along lessons that we old timers, and our wise forefathers, took many years to figure out.

Historians say that Erasmus’ Handbook of the Christian Knight influenced many, including the Augustinian monk Martin Luther (1483–1546), who became the founder and father of the Lutheran branch of Protestantism.

In Chris Pascoe’s studies, he has collected 22 warnings from the writings of Martin Luther to accompany Erasmus’ work. Thus, our book is organized into “22 Warnings” (inspired by Luther to help you recognize evil), combined with the “22 Rules/Orders” of Erasmus (to help you remain victorious and virtuous as you confront evil). You can consider Luther’s “22 Warnings” as your guide to confession and repentance and consider Erasmus’ “22 Orders” as your guide to service and sanctification.

Luther warns us of sin and the devil’s schemes and asks us to recite the Sinner’s Prayer daily. Only by confessing our sins and giving ourselves entirely to Jesus Christ can we be saved by God’s forgiving grace.

Erasmus orders us, as servants of the Lord, to complete the missions that God assigns us. God’s forgiveness is completed by service.

What is your mission? Overall, your mission is the same as ours: Follow God’s commandments and rescue your brothers and sisters through triumphant spiritual warfare. Your specific calling and ours may differ, but our mission as God’s followers is one that we all share.

WARNORDs: Sacred Warning Orders

We have combined Luther’s “Warnings” and Erasmus’ “Orders” and used the modern military concept of a “Warning Order” or “WARNORD.” We believe that this “coincidence” allowing us to combine the five-hundred-year-old works and terminology of these two individuals into a modern military term is not a coincidence at all.

In On Spiritual Combat, we organized the book into “30 Missions.” Many readers said that they felt compelled to complete those scriptural missions in a way that no chapter in any book had ever inspired them to do. Our hope is that the uniqueness of putting together Erasmus’ and Luther’s counsel into WARNORDs will inspire you as well.

A WARNORD is a warning of a pending mission, combined with essential information to prep for the mission. A WARNORD will usually be followed by a full, five-paragraph Operations Order (OPORD), but ideally all currently available information will be in the WARNORD. So there should be enough information in the WARNORD to accomplish the mission if a full OPORD is not present.

Luther inspires the warning: Repent of your sins and be saved! This is the strategic level of spiritual warfare.

Erasmus inspires the order: Serve the Lord and be sanctified! This is the tactical level of spiritual warfare—victory through virtue! We are talking about applied theology.

On these two precepts, all Christians can agree. The strategic (repentance) precedes the tactical (service). And if you refuse to repent and serve God, then you are serving Satan. There is no in-between. Thus, the mission of this book is literally a WARNORD. And if you find this book to be powerful and helpful, it is because the Holy Spirit had a hand in it. All honor and glory to God!

Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us,

but unto thy name give glory,

for thy mercy, and for thy truth’s sake.

(Psalm 115:1 KJV)

Lone Survivor

This manual is fashioned after the prayer books that soldiers have carried in countless wars to guide their petitions, thoughts, and actions. In fact, you can think of On Spiritual Combat and now On Spiritual Warfare as a kind of spiritual Ranger Handbook (which is not just for Rangers since it is used as a standard reference for many warriors worldwide). In the Ranger Handbook, you will find the US Army “Ranger Creed,” which concludes with a solemn vow to “fight on to the Ranger objective and complete the mission, though I be the lone survivor.” Likewise, a good WARNORD should be enough to fulfill that solemn, sacred responsibility.

Even the cover of this book is designed to follow this theme. Black and gold are the Army Ranger colors and my personal favorites. Crossed gold arrows are the US Army spec ops branch symbol; crossed gold rifles: infantry branch; crossed sabers: cavalry; cannons: artillery. And crossed “crusader swords” are now the spiritual warfare symbol!

Thus, brother and sister spiritual warriors, fellow sheepdogs under the authority of the Great Shepherd, embrace these 22 WARNORDs, established by our noble forebearers five hundred years ago. And with the help of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, go forth to accomplish your noble and sacred mission: to defeat evil and save immortal souls in epic, supernatural, spiritual warfare.

Now, time for our Ephesians Chapter 6 spiritual warfare checklist:

✓Buckle on your belt of truth? Check!

✓Lace up your boots of the gospel of peace? Check!

✓Tighten the straps on your breastplate of righteousness and your helmet of salvation? Check!

✓Take your sword in hand? (Your Father’s +4, Lightening Casting, Vorpal Sword of the Spirit that we studied in On Spiritual Combat.) Check!

✓Do a quick “commo check” on the awesome radio of prayer? Check!

“Charlie Mike!” Continue the mission! Always seeking higher ground! Though you be the lone survivor. We must follow the model of the apostle Paul, who said, “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14).

INTRODUCTION: Next Level Battle Prep

What are the parts of a WARNORD?

What is the purpose of a WARNORD?

How can a sheepdog apply a WARNORD?

1I received a US government trademark for this phrase.

FIRST WARNING

THE WICKED HAVE NO FAITH

The greatest wickedness is denying the Most High God.

(Luther)

WARNORD #1

FIRST ORDER

INCREASE YOUR FAITH BY ACCEPTING GOD’S GRACE

Even if the entire world appears mad.

(Erasmus)

FIRST WARNING

THE WICKED HAVE NO FAITH

The greatest wickedness is denying the Most High God.

(Luther)

Pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil people,

for not everyone has faith.

—2 Thessalonians 3:2

Once to ev’ry man and nation

Comes the moment to decide,

In the strife of truth and falsehood,

For the good or evil side.

Some great cause, some great decision,

Off ’ring each the bloom or blight,

And the choice goes by forever

’Twixt that darkness and that light.

Then to side with truth is noble,

When we share her wretched crust,

Ere her cause bring fame and profit,

And ’tis prosperous to be just;

Then it is the brave man chooses,

While the coward stands aside.

Till the multitude make virtue,

Of the faith they had denied.

By the light of burning martyrs,

Christ, Thy bleeding feet we track,

Toiling up new Calvaries ever

With the cross that turns not back.

—“Once to Every Man and Nation,” James R. Lowell (1819–1891)

Why is there so much wickedness? Child molesters, rapists, fraudsters, murderers, terrorists. The news is full of crime reports and tragic events around the globe. As Erasmus said, “The world does appear mad.” And Luther said, “The fool hath said in his heart, God is nothing.”

Unfortunately, we are in a war between the faithful and the faithless. This is a war that started in the spiritual realm and spread to the natural world and humanity. It is much bigger than believing or not believing in God because the Bible says that even demons believe in him (James 2:19).

Beware the Faithless

A faithless person may not believe in God, or he or she may faintly believe that God exists but, like the devil and his demons, does not worship God or seek to please him. Because the faithless do not serve God, they will serve their own evil nature and the temptations of the devil.

The Bible prophesied that some people would turn their backs on God (Proverbs 14:34). The apostle Paul describes faithless people: “They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil…they have…no love, no mercy” (Romans 1:29–31).

Thus, the faithless pose a great danger to others, including to the faithful. This is one reason that the Bible urges us to “pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil people, for not everyone has faith” (2 Thessalonians 3:2).

The Conflict between Infinites and Finites

The faithful believe in God and the connectedness of all living things. They see our current life as preparation for the eternal life to come. The faithful can be thought of as infinites. Infinites can be symbolized by the Celtic Knot. This knot consists of a loop with no start or finish (like the symbol for infinity only more complex). It represents connectedness and eternity. So those of us who believe that Jesus is God’s Son and trust in him are infinites. We have his life, which is eternal life. As Jesus said, “For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day” (John 6:40 ESV).

The goal of infinites is to maintain the unity of the knot, seeking always the good of the whole and eternal salvation. As “The Hymn of Joy” says, “Father love is reigning o’er us, Brother love binds man to man.” This is what infinites affirm. This is how they see their life in this world. And the together life of infinites is summed up by Paul: “So we, being many, are one body in Christ” (Romans 12:5 KJV).

In contrast, the faithless doubt the existence of God and see no reason to worry about life after death. The faithless see our current life as a competition, not as a brotherhood, and they live as if survival favors the most ruthless. The faithless can be thought of as finites.

We can symbolize finites using the Midgard Serpent from Norse mythology. It is sometimes depicted as two serpents consuming each other from their tail ends, eventually destroying each other. Finites seek their own desires at the expense of others. The Bible says that finites will “reap the whirlwind” of their own destruction (Hosea 8:7). And none of us can hide from God: “Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the LORD. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the LORD” (Jeremiah 23:24 ESV).

We can see that the infinites are quite different than the finites. The infinites work to save humanity from the devil and prepare for eternity with our Lord. But the finites are selfish and create only chaos that leads to destruction; they unwittingly serve the devil and his desire to corrupt our salvation. If it were not for the peacekeeping efforts of the infinites, the finites would destroy the world. The infinites serve God and do his work. “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God” (Matthew 5:9 KJV).

These finites, the wicked faithless that Luther warned us about, are like a scourge. They prey not only on the helpless but have also learned to attack and undermine the peacekeepers. But the Bible assures us: “The wicked are punished in place of the godly, and traitors in place of the honest” (Proverbs 21:18 NLT).

The psychological disparity between faithful versus faithless people was demonstrated in a study conducted by Michael Prinzing, a PhD candidate at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Prinzing found that people who are more religious tend to see their lives as being “more meaningful” compared to people who are less religious. Religious people scored higher on scales of Social Mattering: “My life matters to other people”; and Cosmic Mattering: “My life matters in the grand scheme of the universe.” Prinzing said that religious subjects often said things like, “If God didn’t exist, there would be no significance to anything we do.” Indicating that faithfulness is a motive for infinite thinking as well as for doing good things in life and for other people because it has a positive effect on the universe.

Now here is the terrifying part: there is no in-between. You are either a finite (faithless) or an infinite (faithful). Andrew Bowell, of the Westfield (Indiana) Police Department, states the situation accurately and bluntly: “We are slaves either of Christ (whose yoke is easy), or to the devil…serving our sinful nature and desires. Hence, if you are not of God…you are, in essence, a ticking time bomb…destined to fail, or worse, destined for destruction.”

But God is merciful and wants to save every sinner. Reverend Jeff Wolf, a retired police sergeant and revivalist, says we should consider the story of Abraham pleading with God to spare Sodom and how God responded by saying, “If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake” (Genesis 18:26). Abraham continued to plead with God until God said in verse 32, “For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it.” This is proof that God will spare a nation for the sake of just a few righteous people. This is yet another reason to “hang in there” in spiritual combat, “though the whole world be mad” and even “though I be the lone survivor.”

Today, we desperately need more people of faith to become protectors of righteousness and teachers of the way or else the faithless will be lost like Sodom. “Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death” (James 5:20 KJV). We need to be like Isaiah, who, when he “heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?,’” responded, “Here am I. Send me!” (Isaiah 6:8). This is the Master’s call to his sheepdogs and the answer we should have ready in our hearts.

This Is “The Way”

Early Jewish Christians referred to themselves as “The Way” (), probably because “the way” is how Jesus referred to himself: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). During his trial, the apostle Paul said, “I admit that I worship the God of our ancestors as a follower of the Way” (Acts 24:14). The apostle Peter refers to Christianity as “the way of truth” (2 Peter 2:2). And the writer of Hebrews says that the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross is the “new and living way” for us to enter the Most Holy Place (Hebrews 10:19–20).

The Bible speaks of the Way numerous times, and it truly is an ethos worth living for, dying for, and teaching to all so that they may be saved. Here are just a few passages:

•“And they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment” (Genesis 18:19 KJV).

•“Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way” (Exodus 23:20 KJV).

•“They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them” (32:8 KJV).

•“Cursed be he that maketh the blind to wander out of the way” (Deuteronomy 27:18 KJV).

•“Good and upright is the LORD: therefore will he teach sinners in the way” (Psalm 25:8 KJV).

•“Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD” (119:1 KJV).

•“I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches” (v. 14 KJV).

•“Teach me, O LORD, the way of thy statutes; and I shall keep it unto the end” (v. 33 KJV).

•“See if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (139:24 KJV).

•“The way of the LORD is strength to the upright: but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity” (Proverbs 10:29 KJV).

•“Thus saith the LORD, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the LORD thy God…which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go” (Isaiah 48:17 KJV).

•“Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death” (Jeremiah 21:8 KJV).

•“Narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matthew 7:14 KJV).

As you read through this book, remember this about the WARNORDs:

○The WARNING is the “Wrong Way.”

○The ORDER is “God’s Way.”

Keep the Way and You Shall Win the Battle

In distant lands or on the home front, evil has no boundaries. We see the works of evil in this world daily. Many of you have already encountered evil in your own journey while others have yet to face it. As a sheepdog, first responder, active military (or veteran), or simply one who follows the warrior or protector path, it is inevitable that you must stare into the face of evil.

Evil. What else can you call it when helplessly bound victims have their heads cut off, when people are burned to death in cages, and when airliners full of men, women, and children are slammed into buildings to murder thousands of other terrified civilians. This is the hideous face of monstrous evil, and you must understand that you are a living shield of flesh and blood, standing between evil and the precious innocent lives at home. This is true physically, and you must believe that it is true spiritually.

It was in our book Prayers and Promises for First Responders, under the subject of “Evil” that I was able to first speak on the concept of faith. If you believe in a force of evil in this world—and who can deny it—then you are doomed in your battle if you do not believe in a superior force for good and apply that force for good in your daily life. If you lack in faith, you will be intimidated by evil. You will be like Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain prior to the start of World War II, who kept appeasing Hitler’s demands, giving in to evil because he was afraid to stand up to it. Finally, Winston Churchill stepped in and said, “We will never surrender” to this evil! This is what strong faith looks like.

Faith is one of the “Pillars of Resiliency” in military training across the globe. And around the world, we are seeking resiliency for our military and first responders. But for your faith to fully empower you and make you resilient, it must be strong. A strong faith is one that is rational and sound. It is based in logic. It is a faith that you can see triumphant in the world every day. And as we have said before, only the God of mainstream Christianity meets the standard that any reasonable person would expect of an omnipotent God.

Evil: The Opposite of Love

The opposite of love is not hate but evil. Indeed, the presence of evil is solid proof of God and his holy forces of good. Consider what happens when the sun is eclipsed by the moon. We cannot bear to look directly at the sun, but the darkness of the eclipse proves the presence of light. So, too, does the darkness of evil prove the presence of good. Evil is the absence of love just as darkness is the absence of light. And God is love! All love emanates from him. He loves you with a love that is “to infinity and beyond” any earthly love that we can comprehend.

As you follow the sheepdog path and place your mind and body in peril daily, you must understand that no one does this just for the money. At the moment of truth, love is what motivates us: love for your nation, love for your way of life, love for your comrades, love for your family, and love for your God.

And love is what motivates God. Satan strives to manipulate, coerce, and compel humans into his stronghold. Satan would turn us into his puppets. But this is not how divine love works. We are not God’s puppets. God has given us free will. God is more like a lover wooing us, persuading us, seeking to change our minds and hearts but without intimidating us or coercing us. Divine love wants us to come freely, not by coercion.

We say, “I wish I had solid proof! Just show yourself to me, God!” But that would not be faith. What kind of loving parent would raise a beloved child with overwhelming fear, constant coercion, and relentless threats? That is not the action of a loving parent, and it most certainly would not inspire love from a child.

We have heard it said that if you truly love something, set it free. If it comes back, it is yours. The author of that quote is unknown, but it captures the essence of God’s love. God loves us so much that he gave us true freedom. He doesn’t use a draft to force us into his army. The faith-based army of spiritual warriors God is raising up today is an all-volunteer force.

There is a mighty, awe-inspiring force for good in this universe. He loves you. He wants you not just to survive but to thrive! And he will give you all that you need to triumph in this battle. But you must accept God’s grace. He will not inflict it or force it on you. That would not be love.

Many people see hate as a bad thing. But the God of love also hates: he hates evil deeds, such as theft (Isaiah 61:8), hypocritical worship (1:13–15), idolatry (Deuteronomy 16:22), lying, murder, arrogance, and deception (Proverbs 6:16–19). And the same God tells us that there are things in this world that we should hate. Amos 5:15 affirms this in six of the most powerful words in the Bible: “Hate evil, love good; maintain justice.” Boom. Spiritual warfare in six words.

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines hate as “intense hostility and aversion usually deriving from fear, anger, or sense of injury.” We need not fear evil, for we are strengthened by God’s love, and we are told that “perfect love drives out fear” (1 John 4:18). But we should