Why do so many Christians crumble under cultural pressure? Why do churches so often resemble spiritual daycare instead of boot camp? The Church cannot afford to raise spectators. We must raise soldiers. The devil prowls like a roaring lion (1 Peter 5:8). In the animal kingdom, a lion doesn’t roar merely to frighten its prey, but to isolate it from the herd. The enemy thrives on deception and distraction, eager to divide and destroy.
Discipleship isn’t about showing up to church and checking boxes. It’s about being shaped into people who can stand firm in battle. Warren W. Wiersbe said it plainly: “The Christian life is not a playground; it is a battleground, and we must be on our guard at all times.”[1]
In other words, discipleship is war.
The War We’re In
Paul reminded the Ephesians: “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” (Ephesians 6:10–11, NIV). Paul wrote these words while imprisoned in Rome, guarded daily by soldiers of the empire. He would have seen their helmets, shields, breastplates, and swords up close. For Rome’s elite, armor was not optional; no soldier entered battle without it. Using that imagery, Paul described the armor God provides for every believer.
“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 6:12-18, NIV)
And over it all, prayer makes the armor effective, because we do not fight in our own strength but in His.
“Be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”
C. S. Lewis warned us: “There is no neutral ground in the universe: every square inch, every split second, is claimed by God and counterclaimed by Satan.”[2] If you don’t recognize this reality, you’re already losing ground to the enemy.
Jesus as Our Model
At His baptism, Jesus heard the Father’s voice: “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17, NIV). And then, before He preached, healed, or carried the cross, He walked into the wilderness and confronted Satan. In the wilderness, Jesus didn’t rely on clever arguments or dazzling displays. He stood firm with Scripture on His lips and obedience in His heart. Martyn Lloyd-Jones emphasized that our ultimate confidence must never be in ourselves, but in the Lord.[3]
Discipleship Demands More Than Comfort
Too often today, discipleship is reduced to “being nice.” Safe. Respectable. Comfortable. But Jesus said, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23). When Jesus spoke of the cross, His listeners knew He was describing Rome’s most brutal execution. To “take up your cross” meant embracing suffering, shame, and even death for His sake.
A young woman once confessed to me, “I thought following Jesus would make life easier. Instead, it made the fight inside me more intense.” She was right. But in that dying to pride, to escape, and to old patterns, the Spirit began to rebuild her into something stronger.
“Too often today, discipleship is reduced to ‘being nice.'”
Wearing the Armor
Paul’s image of armor is not for admiration; it is for action. Each piece must be put on daily. That means choosing truth when lies press in, guarding your heart with righteousness in a world of compromise, bringing peace into conflict instead of shrinking back, raising faith when doubts attack, resting in salvation when despair whispers defeat, wielding Scripture in moments of temptation, and praying persistently as your lifeline to God.
Neil Anderson captured it well: “The battle for the mind is the battle for the Christian life. If Satan can control your thoughts, he can control your behavior. That’s why taking every thought captive to Christ is essential.”[4] John Piper echoed the urgency: “Life is war. That’s not all it is. But it is always that.”[5]
Training Grounds
Discipleship doesn’t happen by accident. It grows through training: grounding in identity, practicing prayer and fasting, walking in accountability, and learning obedience. Oswald Chambers explained it this way: “Discipleship means personal, passionate devotion to a Person. Our devotion is not to a cause or a principle or a program, but to the Lord Jesus Christ.”[6]
Community is essential. Charles Spurgeon urged: “Give yourself to the Church.…If I had never joined a Church till I had found one that was perfect, I should never have joined one at all.”[7] I once witnessed a believer who had never prayed aloud finally whisper a prayer in front of others. It was shaky. It was simple. But it was powerful, and that moment became her training ground.
“Discipleship grows through training: grounding in identity, practicing prayer and fasting, walking in accountability, and learning obedience.”
From the Early Church to Now
The first believers lived under constant pressure from both Jewish leaders and the Roman Empire. In Jerusalem, they faced arrests and threats from religious authorities (Acts 4–7). Later, under Roman rule, persecution intensified, sometimes costing them everything. And yet they prayed, rejoiced, and advanced. Stephen preached with courage and saw heaven open (Acts 7). Paul sang in prison and chains fell off (Acts 16). Ordinary disciples scattered under persecution and carried the gospel wherever they went (Acts 8).
I’ve walked with women who came to Christ still weighed down with addiction, shame, and despair. Some expected a quick fix. Others just wanted the pain to stop. But discipleship is not a bandage. It’s a battle. True clarity comes when disciples become warriors, not spectators.
Marks of a Battle-Ready Disciple
A battle-ready disciple:
- Responds to lies with truth.
- Walks in obedience, even when it is costly.
- Uses spiritual authority in prayer.
- Listens for God’s voice and acts on it.
- Lives with eternity in mind.
As David Platt observes, today’s church often settles for a version of Christianity that “revolves around catering to ourselves” when Jesus actually calls us to abandon ourselves.”[8] This is the essence of discipleship: not escape from the battle, but Spirit-empowered strength to endure and overcome.
“This is the essence of discipleship: not escape from the battle, but Spirit-empowered strength to endure and overcome.”
The Church does not need more consumers. It needs more soldiers. Jesus never promised ease, but He promised His presence. He never promised safety, but He promised victory.
Paul urged Timothy: “Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called” (1 Timothy 6:12, NIV).
It is time. Armor up. Stand firm. Advance the Kingdom.
[1] Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1989), 56.
[2] C. S. Lewis, “Christianity and Culture,” in Christian Reflections, ed. Walter Hooper (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans: 1967), 33.
[3] D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Spiritual Depression: Its Causes and Cure (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1965).
[4] Neil T. Anderson, Victory Over the Darkness: Realizing the Power of Your Identity in Christ (Ventura, CA: Regal Books, 1990), 75.
[5] John Piper, “Let the Nations Be Glad,” Desiring God, October 15, 2011 https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/let-the-nations-be-glad-session-3.
[6] Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, ed. James Reimann (Grand Rapids, MI: Discovery House, 1992), 306.
[7] Charles H. Spurgeon, Lectures to My Students (London: Passmore & Alabaster, 1875), accessed October 3, 2025, https://www.monergism.com/thethreshold/sdg/spurgeon/Lectures%20to%20My%20Students%20-%20Spurgeon.pdf, 21.
[8] David Platt, Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream (Colorado Springs, CO: Multnomah, 2010), 18.
