Ask Dr. Youssef: “How can I be an effective soldier for Christ?”

“How can I prepare myself to be an effective soldier for Christ?”

ANSWER:

I am convinced that the decline of respect for the Bible in Western culture is a symptom of the spiritual war of deception that Satan is waging against the Scriptures. Satan hates God’s Word because it reminds him that he is doomed. We must cling to the Word as if our lives and souls depend on it—because they do.

The Holy Spirit inspired the writers of the Bible; He is its author. That’s why Paul called the Bible “the sword of the Spirit” (Ephesians 6:17). And that’s why believers who wield that sword and live under its authority will be used mightily by God. The more surrendered we are to His Spirit, the more richly the Word of God dwells in us and speaks through us.

God does not call us to hide from, outsmart, or cleverly debate the enemy. He calls us to plead the blood of Jesus and to fend off Satan’s attacks with the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. He calls us to take our stand, trusting in His Word and submitting to the authority of His Word. Do this—and you will put the enemy to flight.

Whose voice are you listening to? The voice of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God? Or the voice of the enemy who wants to destroy you, your family, and your church? You must choose obedience to one—or the other. And the choice you make will echo through eternity, for good or ill.