My second son join the Army National Guard, after the events of September 11, 2001. He wanted to serve his country. He was deployed to Iraq in October 2004. His brigade spent a month in Kuwait acclimating to the desert and the heat. He said that all the soldiers were talking about how well they would do in battle. They spoke like that because they had never tasted the sting of battle. Veteran soldiers know the taste of battle. It is never the same for anyone. Some are successful and some aren’t. Each person deals with it differently. Waging a war demands commitment. Each person must be wholehearted in the battle. It is because lives depend on it. Spiritual battles aren’t different from physical ones. People’s lives are at stake. Though we don’t fight against flesh and blood, it has eternal consequences. The Roman soldier trained for 5 years before entering battle. The American soldier trains for 1 year before entering battle. The Christian soldier goes into battle every time they learn a new scripture. We don’t fight in our own strength, we go in God’s power. The first time I went into battle, all I said was God do something and God did. As we have prepared all along the way, everything falls into place as we believe and trust God.    

Luke 14:31 “Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? 32 Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace.”

2 Corinthians 10:3 “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;”

I Timothy 1:18 “This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare; 19 Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck:”

Ephesians 6:12 “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

Crain Blanchard.

Joseph1637@juno.com

Joseph1637.com

God had blessed Abraham and his nephew Lot. Their flocks were getting big and competing for the grassland. Abraham told Lot they had to part company, and he could choose any place to go first. Lot choose the valley of Sodom and Gomora. Those two cities were evil and wicked. Jesus and two angels came to visit Abraham to tell him that God was going to destroy them. Abraham began to intercede for them. He asked if God would find 50 righteous people would He spare the cities. God said He would. Then he asked if God would find 10 righteous people would He spare the cities. God said He would. What Abraham was doing was standing in the gap for them. Those people in Sodom and Gomora couldn’t ask God for mercy, but Abraham could. The problem was that there weren’t 10 righteous people in Sodom or Gomora. The cities were destroyed. But God honored Abraham’s prayer. There are times when God can’t find someone to stand in the gap and people are destroyed. We are the watchman on the wall. You will find yourself asking God to stop something. If you are persistent, God may change His mind. Because we have a relationship with God, we have confidence to approach the throne. And if we have faith and staying power, God will move on our behalf.  

1 Corinthians 14:8 “For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?”

Ezekiel 3:17-21 “Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.

18 When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand…”

Ezekiel 22:29-31 “…30 And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none…”

Crain Blanchard.

Joseph1637@juno.com

Joseph1637.com

The bible says that we are to sanctify God in our hearts and have an answer to everyone that ask about the hope we have in our hearts. On this earth it is our job to do the will of God. What is the will of God? Jesus said to preach the gospel, heal the sick, deliver the bound, and to show that the kingdom of God has come. He also said start in Jerusalem and then go to the world. It seems that defending the faith is going out and doing the will of the Father. This means outside of the church building. I saw the power of God in people before I came to God. They showed me that He was real and alive in this world. Where are you going? And what are you going to do? I have seen so many twists and turns in human behavior. People seems to go with the flow. Defending the Faith isn’t a small thing. Everything you believe will come into question. You have to believe for the right reasons, or you could lose everything. It is never about you and it is always about God. Your power to defend the faith comes from God. Trusting and relying on God is the only option there is. I’m talking as a soldier of Christ. I have served on the front lines of battle for many years. I know what it requires. It requires total commitment to God.  

2 Timothy 2:1-5 “… 3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier…”

Ephesians 6:12 “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

Crain Blanchard.

Joseph1637@juno.com

Joseph1637.com

Life is difficult to start with. When you walk with Jesus, your life seems to get harder. But that really isn’t the case. Its not that your life is difficult. It is that your life now has opposition. God called us to go out into the world and preach the gospel. We look and see the opposition and declare that we can’t do it. And we get discouraged. When God called us to believe in HIs son Jesus, He knew our strengths and weaknesses. So God provided a way for us, even though it may seem difficult. The faith part is stepping out to do what God has called us to do. Then when we do step out, we don’t see the opposition as a threat. The threat becomes just an annoyance. And we wonder why we were stopped by that annoyance. How can this be? It is very simple, God goes before us and makes the way smooth. The scripture says if God be for you, who can be against you. Which means that no one can stop God for any reason. People have tried to stop God and literally He has destroyed them. As a child of God, He has given us gifts that will with the using make us stronger every day. It is up to us to use our gifts, like they were intended to be used for the kingdom of God. That is the faith part of our lives. Our lives and our eyesight change into the eyes and hands of God. We can see clearly about what is important in our lives and in the lives of others. So I say use your faith and change your eyesight. God is waiting for us to use of faith and walk all the way home to heaven.

Crain Blanchard.

Joseph1637@juno.com

Joseph1637.com

Paul always talk about things that the people of the day could understand. The Romans ruled the known world in Paul’s day. A Roman soldier was trained for 5 years before he was assigned to any battle. The soldier had armor given him to protect him in the battle. Paul wrote about being soldiers in Christ army. He talked about putting on the armor of God, your loins gird with the truth, the breastplate of righteousness, feet shod with the preparation of the gospel, the shield of faith, helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit. The sword of the spirit is the Word of God. I have become very adept with the sword of the spirit. I can use it at will. I have learn the word and have memorized much of it. I have been trained in warfare. I have fought in many battles. I have won most of them. When I started God asked me if I would die for him. I didn’t want to die, but I wanted what God wanted. I made my decision and became a warrior. That was 40 years ago. I had to learn to use the armor of God. It took training. Sometimes I didn’t want to train, but God said now is the time and today is the day of salvation. I’ll tell you the biggest battle I was in. I was in a small church and God separated me from it. God wanted to get to the pastor. God sent the morning of the battle a minister to the pastor’s house. God wanted this pastor to repent of his sins.  I went to my parent’s house. No one was home. As I stood in the kitchen a cold feeling came upon me. I felt strange and began to pray. I felt the blood drain from my face and arms. They turned an ashen grey. I was praying intensely as I shook my arms to get the blood back into them.  I was afraid and prayed by myself for 3 hours. Then I went to a friend’ house because I was afraid. Praying all the time. As I enter her home, she became afraid. She called pastors and preachers who didn’t understand. I was standing against death itself. He was coming for the pastor to take him. After 7 hours of pray, the pastor repented and death left me. God wanted me to stand not knowing what was going on. Even though I was afraid, I wasn’t going to let some stupid devil destroy people in my life. God knew I would stand. Put on the armor of God, stand up and be counted.

Ephesians 6:10-18 “…… 11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places…..”

Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

Crain Blanchard.

Joseph1637@juno.com

Joseph1637.com