Welcome to The War Series, Dressed To Kill which is our 2nd Golden Series on the website, and our first series of this year. In our last post, we touched on a few things as we began our journey in The War Series.
In our previous posts we have discussed the importance of what Spiritual Warfare is, why it’s so important, and also learned the Decision Making Process to sharpen our aim in Target Practice. It's also imperative that we begin, if not already, the process of preparing ourselves spiritually. With these important and vital fundamentals, we can now effectively begin some basic training details. You know the drill, LOL see what I did there, God comes first. Let’s condition ourselves to include him from the start and jump into this prayer.
Spiritual Warfare Prayer: Dear Father, Thank you for the grace that you have given us today. Father, we are in the fight of our lives and in need of your help and protection. Father come into our lives and breaks every stronghold of idolatry that we hold captive in our lives. As we journey through this spiritual battle. Help us to make wise decisions that will sharpen our aim against the enemy. Allow us to stay focused on you and be in alignment with your will over our lives. Let us continue to grow our discernment to know when the enemy will strike and to immediately defend our territory. We do all this in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Now, Let’s Get Into It!!
Basic Training Phases
Basic Training is broken up into 3 phases called the Red, White, and Blue phases. Each phase is broken down into a series of weeks within each phase. According to the U.S Army official website, basic training aka Boot Camp lasts about 10 weeks long. That’s 10 weeks to get former civilians to become armed and ready soldiers, but before they can start their training they must go through the Reception Battalion stage. Let’s talk about each phase so we can get an idea of what these recruits will endure.
Week 0: Reception Battalion
I first want us to get familiar with the process that military recruits have to undergo before their real training begins. Week 0, also called the Reception Battalion, is a critical and vital stage that covers the necessary groundwork for each trainee.
It is here that the recruits will go through several days of processing paperwork, attending orientations, receiving their I.D, medical exams, and receiving vaccinations. Here is also a list of other things new recruits will be doing in Week 0:
Getting personal affairs in order!
Meeting the hair standard requirement/Men: buzz cut; Women: Cut short or Pinned up!
Learning the fundamentals of what it means to be a soldier
How to address leadership, and yourself
Reciting the Warrior Ethos and Soldiers Creed
Wellness Test - First-aid
Last chance to discard any prohibited possessions before getting fined!
Encourages recruits to leave any type of civilian attitudes or behaviors behind!
Vision Test!
Enduring a Fitness Test and Pass!
Issued Their Uniforms (will also learn how to wear it properly)!
Issued Equipment (duffle bag and mouthguard)!
Intense Drills!
Learning Basic Marches and Formations!
Keeping Their Barracks Up to Par!
Spiritual Intel:
Throughout this series, I will explain the worldly side of things as well as the spiritual revelations that I have. I feel that everything we do has some relation to the spiritual realm, hence this War Series. I want to ask you this question, what does it look like to be in the battalion stage spiritually? (answer in the comment section below)
Some of the things that the recruits are subject to do, are to drop old habits and pick up new ones to further push them into purpose. Some things that they have to do in the Red Phase is physically taxing so that they can build their core and endurance.
How strong is your spiritual endurance?
Week 1-3: Red Phase
The Reception Battalion is the continuation of the Red Phase which is where the work truly begins. In the Red Phase, recruiters will know the meaning of Discipline, Values, and Teamwork. All three words are the building blocks of this phase.
The essence of Week 1-3: Red Phase is to establish the starting point or the baseline in which all former recruits have done in the past. Each recruit starts at the same level, this is where initial preparation for training is performed. This is also where each trainee learns the true meaning of teamwork and togetherness.
Week 1-3 sets the tone and tempo of each trainee's introduction of their time there. They go through intense daily discipline routines. Drill instructors/sergeants make it their business to turn recruits into a unified platoon to enforce discipline and teamwork.
They are forced to endure hours of physical and mental challenges like middle-of-the-night wake-up calls, having little to no sleep, timed 2-mile runs and push-ups, and more. The result of all of these challenges is to build up endurance and their core strength.
Spiritual Intel:
Endurance is just one key element in this battle. If we don’t have the strength to endure pain, heartache, setbacks, and hurt, then we won't make it very far. This journey that we are on will come with all of those things and more. So spiritually, we have to build up a tolerance to endure these types of afflictions. Jesus endured afflictions too, and paid the ultimate price for us, so what makes you think you won’t endure hardships. So I ask again, How strong is your spiritual endurance?
What would it look like if we, the Body of Christ, were in the vital stages of spiritual training? What would that actually look like?
If you go back to Week 1: The Decision Making Process, I touched on preparing ourselves spiritually by sharpening our aim. Sharpening our aim looked like getting rid of our old ways to prepare ourselves for the new way of living. To spiritually be in the Battalion, we have to undergo transformation. Just like the recruits, we too, as the Body of Christ, have to undergo spiritual cleansing. I mentioned in the Decision-Making Process post that we can start the process by doing the following.
>Establishing a New Mindset
>Seeking God For Everything
>Seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit
>Asking God for Spiritual Vision
>Praying Fiercely
>Studying a reading The Word
>Letting the Bible transform you
>Sharing your experiences with others
>Get ready for the attack
If we didn’t have any self-discipline then, we for sure need it now in this stage. Preparing yourself spiritually is not a small task. It takes courage and, you guessed it, self-discipline. The 9 points that I just listed are not easy tasks to achieve in just a couple of weeks and then you're done. Sorry, it doesn’t happen like that, not by a long shot. We must strive every day to master them, and put them on daily.
But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women.
On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness;
1 Timothy 4:7
For God has not given us a spirit of timidity,
but of power and love and discipline.
1 Timothy 1:7
At this point in this spiritual battle, we have to discard any prohibited behaviors, habits, and old ways of thinking in order to move forward in preparing to face the enemy. This point is so critical because it's setting up the solid foundation in which you are standing on. Having a solid foundation is the prerequisite for solid equipment later on. We cannot open new doors with old habits. We can not start on a new journey without dropping some baggage or weight off first.
I still, to this day, struggle deeply with all of these tasks. Some days are better than others, but please never forget to try. Try your best and God will do the rest. Even if you can't give but only 50%, I guarantee God will take up the rest. The bible says in 1 Corinthians 10:31, “whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God”. So as long as we are doing our best every day and doing what we can do to please God then essentially God will be pleased.
Spiritually, we have to practice and continue to sharpen our aim. It’s critical that you know how to do all of these things and more, and do them simultaneously sometimes. Try tackling one, and then when you get that one down, try adding another. Asking the Lord to help you is always key when fighting spiritually. Ask God to help you with your consistency, and self-discipline.
Before we get back to the post, here are more examples of being a Spiritual Recruit in Week 1-3: Red Phase.
1. Starting a spiritual routine!
a. Morning Prayer
b. Morning Devotional
c. Mid-day gratitude moment
d. Carving out time to speak with the Father
e. Evening Devotional
f. Evening Prayers
2. Building your faith and confidence in Christ!
3. Dropping old last-minute worldly habits before you get fined!
4. Ask God to issue you your equipment so that you can properly wear it correctly!
5. Surround yourself with like-minded people that will help you on your journey!
6. Ask God for Spiritual Drill Sergeants that will help you achieve the calling that God has for you!
I mentioned earlier that trainees are given their uniforms, equipment, and everything they need in order to succeed. The bible does the same thing for its believers. Apostle Paul tells us in Ephesians that we have some equipment to put on as well.
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
Ephesians 6:10-18
No worries I know it's a lot to take in, it was for me when I first read it, but we will break these equipment pieces down momentarily.
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When you really break down the requirements and the mental toughness it takes for recruits to endure this type of basic training for the U.S Military; it really puts a lot of things in perspective when it comes to God preparing his creations for battle against a war that we can not see.
Think about it, the military trains former civilians to become highly trained professional soldiers to fight a “worldly battle” that they can physically see. Training them in all areas so that they can be proficient in combat with their target enemy.
But God sent Jesus Christ down to recruit potential believers to turn from their old ways, to become highly equipped teachers of the Gospel, and to fight a “spiritual war” that cannot be seen. God, who sends protection and trains us to withstand the “prince of the air” and his schemes and devices. To train us in all ways guided by the Holy Spirit in the reading of the Holy Bible.
Week 0-3: Red Phase is nothing to play around with. It's the stomping grounds of your faith. If we don’t have consistency at this point then we will be vulnerable in other areas.
Golden Words of Wisdom:
Always take your walk with God seriously. It doesn’t matter if you’re starting in the battalion stage or you’re in Week 1-3: Red Phase and have been there for 5 months or 30 years. If you keep going, I promise you, you will never be in the same place that you once started. Keep Moving, Keep Learning, Keep Breathing.
Questions To Consider: Ask yourself these questions and try to answer them to the best of your ability.
1. As a Spiritual Recruiter of the Lord, what does your Battalion look like?
2. Am I learning the fundamentals of my foundation?
3. Am I truly ready to start my spiritual training?
4. How is your self-discipline, self-control, and consistency?
And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.
Matthew 21:22
Stay tuned for the next blog post!!!
WEEK 2:[THE WAR SERIES, DRESSED TO KILL]: Issued Uniform [Part 1]