Gen. Patton’s main principle of warfare was simple. He said, “I never pay for the same piece of real estate twice.” His objective was to move forward at all times, to gain ground against the enemy, to stay on the offensive. He understood a soldier on the defensive may delay defeat, but he will rarely win the day. Bold offensive action is the key to waging effective warfare.
So, to bring that over to the realm of the Spirit, what exactly is the ‘spiritual offensive’? It may be the Gospel of Grace offered to the lost and alone, or the willingness to speak the healing words another needs to hear. It may be the Truth that brings clarity into the midst of confusion, or the grace that binds up the wounds of the heart. But whatever, whenever, and however it comes, it is above all else the will to act and to act decisively. This is the thing which characterizes Disciples on the Offensive.
It is not enough to know the Word in theory, to know what needs to be done and be unwilling to do it. “But the one who looks at the perfect Law of Freedom and remains committed to it— thus proving that he is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of what it requires— will be blessed in what he does,” James 1:25 {ISV}. As Peterson puts it in The Message, “But whoever catches a glimpse of the revealed counsel of God— the Free Life!— even out of the corner of his eye, and sticks with it, is no distracted scatterbrain but a man or woman of action. That person will find delight and affirmation in the action.”
What this reveals is a reflection on the Word in our souls and a focus on love in our lives. The Romans used to say, Amor Est Vitae Essentia: ‘Love is the Essence of Life’— John 13:34-35. You see, the power of love protected by Truth is redemptive; the power of Truth surrounded by love is eternal. Love protected by Truth and Truth surrounded by Love. That’s what it means to take offensive action against the evil of the enemy, to defeat his lies and destroy his designs. John wrote in 1 John 3:8, “The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil” {NAS}; He was “seen” and believed in on this “Earth that He might put an end to the works of the evil one.” My prayer is that our hearts would anxiously await that Day as our lives labor toward its end. Amen.
Ric Webb, Shepherd
Heart's Journey Community
hjcommunity.org