Wise Counsel for War
“A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength. For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors there is safety.” (Proverbs 24:5-6)
As a police officer, you need good tactical knowledge to win on the street. You also need knowledge of laws and rules, and to abide by them, to win in the court room. The battle does not end when the cuffs go on. It ends with the verdict. If you can explain on the witness stand what you did and why, you will more likely get a conviction and put a predator away. But if your work is shoddy and a defense lawyer chews up your case and the offender walks, then the battle on the street has been a waste of time and energy.
As the saying goes, cops and robbers is not just a game. Lives are at stake. If a guilty offender walks and continues his criminal ways, decent people can be hurt and killed. Do police work like you mean it.
The Christian life is also not a religious debate. It is a battle for souls, and it’s for keeps. “For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy WAR:” (capitals added) Yet it is not about force. Any forced conversion is no conversion at all. Christians are to be “…speaking the truth in love,” (Ephesians 4:15), using God’s word to persuade people. We hate sin because it alienates people from God, hardens their hearts, and condemns them to hell. Yet we love sinners for whom Jesus died and strive to persuade them to come to Christ.
Ephesians 6:10-11 says, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” Ephesians 6:12 continues, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood,” That is, people are not the real enemy. “…but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” The true enemy is the devil who tempts, deceives, enslaves, and destroys.
The components of the Christian’s armor are found in Ephesians 6:14-18: “Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit,”
Of all these components, four of them directly involve God’s word: a) “loins girt about with truth:” you spend time often in Scripture; b) “preparation of the gospel of peace:” you know verses in advance that you can use to tell people about Jesus; c) “the shield of faith:” Romans 10:17 says, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” The more you take time to read God’s word, memorize it, meditate on it, and let it guide you, the more it influences you in your life and your service for the Lord.
Finally, d) “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Imagine a surgeon in an operating room. A patient lies before him, his life in the surgeon’s hands. The surgeon is skilled. He knows what, where, and how deep to cut. In a sense, the Holy Spirit uses Scripture like a surgeon uses a scalpel. Jesus said, “But when the Comforter is come,…even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:” (John 15:26) The Holy Spirit cuts to people’s hearts to make them see their need for Jesus.
Yet it is a Christian’s job to share Scripture and witness. We give the word, and the Holy Spirit uses it to touch hearts. That is why 1 Corinthians 3:9 says, “For we are labourers together with God:” It is also why the Lord said, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” (Mark 16:15) To see how to have forgiveness of your sins and eternal life by receiving Jesus as your personal Saviour, please go to www.clevelandbaptist.org, click “Helpful Links,” then “How Do I Go to Heaven?”
Brian Miller 1/1/2026