Robert McLaughlin Bible Ministries
Your own place, your personal sense of destiny, and your own country.
Wednesday, July 31, 2002
The ultimate goal of the kingdom of darkness is to do whatever it can to take you away from the PPOG and the teaching of Bible doctrine.
Your own place = your personal sense of destiny. Your own country = the PPOG.
The world is the enemy of the Christian insofar as the things of the world, the pleasures or the profits of the world, take the believer away from the plan of God.
1. 2Ti 2 - A soldier does not lead a normal life, and the ministry is not a normal life.
2. A soldier must give up his freedom to serve his country, and a believer is to give up his freedom to serve TLJC.
3. A soldier must also leave all of his worldly affairs behind as he goes forward to serve his country.
4. The first thing a soldier does is to go into training after he has enlisted in the military, and the first thing all believers need is spiritual training through the intake of doctrine.
5. A soldier is known by his discipline, his armor, and his weapons; so the Christian soldier must be disciplined, have his armor on, and know how to use his weapons, EPH 6:11-18.
The soldier is trained so much to do the same thing over and over again through repetition so if he gets into a stressful situation and cannot think immediately, he will automatically do what he has been trained to do under pressure.
If you make good decisions from a position of strength in normal times, you will be able to do so in time of pressure and disaster.
The difference between fear and courage is the ability to concentrate under pressure.
Those of you who take the course under normal circumstances have a chance to learn how to handle disaster.
In combat, a man has to be trained for the job and that takes time.
6. Soldiers are also clothed by the military they represent, so the Christian soldier is said to be clothed by TLJC.
GAL 3:27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
7. A soldier is told who to go to war with and understands who his enemies are, so the Christian soldier has his warfare appointed to him and his enemies are made known to him by the Scriptures.
8. A soldier is supplied logistically as he goes forward in training, discipline and warfare, so the Christian soldier is provided logistical grace for his spiritual walk and warfare.
1CO 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it.
It requires self-discipline and organization to execute the PPOG even if you have Bible doctrine as your number 1 priority.
Exercise is used as an analogy to godliness because “exercise” requires self-discipline.
“Godliness” or living the spiritual life is the result of consistency in the perception of doctrine.
Godliness or spiritual living tones up the spiritual life.
Self discipline = Dedication Commitment Instruction Discipline.
“Discipline” = to drive on or something performed or practiced in order to develop skill.
a. Self-discipline b. Assembling together c. Concentrating on the teaching d. Good manners e. Silence.
f. Not commenting g. Not disturbing h. Not moving around i. Objectivity j. Persistence in spite of distraction.
9. A soldier must be an expert and well-skilled in his field, so the Christian soldier ought to be well-skilled in all things necessary for his calling, LUK 14:31.
Robert R. McLaughlin All Rights Reserved 2002