November 21

Today’s U.S. Army is the best-equipped, most technologically advanced fighting force that has ever donned a nation’s uniform, and it is all volunteer. That was not the case a few decades ago. The Army operated under a ‘lottery’ system whereby a young man of a certain age had to register. If his number ‘came up,’ he had to enlist. No option.

Being part of God’s Army bears some similarities to each of these systems. We know the Bible tells us that the Lord has chosen us to be His. I Timothy 2:4 tells us that God desires all men to be saved. Jesus came into the world to give His life as a ransom for sinners—to buy us back from the slavery of sin—and every person ever born has the option to receive this wonderful salvation.

But simultaneously, our great and mighty, all powerful God has given to each of us a free will. That means we aren’t required to receive His salvation, to serve Him or join His Army that He sends out to share the redemption story with the lost. Yet, if we do sign on with His Army, He promises to equip us to the utmost. He does not send us to fight without thoroughly training and accoutering us.

In Ephesians 6:11, He tells us to expect the battle to be heated; to know it’s essential to, “Put on the whole armor of God so you can to stand against all the fiery darts of the enemy.” We aren’t flailing the air when we fight for Jesus, we’re waging warfare against the Lord’s mortal enemy, the one who’s come to undo the purposes of God. But, with the full combat equipment of God, we will prevail!