And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, “Areyou for us or for our adversaries?” So He said, “No, but as Commander of the army of the LORDI have now come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped...

  - Joshua 5.13, 14

So here we must fight and struggle with our vices, that we may be crowned elsewhere. For this is a time of war; no one should expect rest in warfare, for the reason that in warfare none sleeps, and none joins his rank at rest.

  - Columbanus, Sermon X, Irish, 7th century[1]

In this life we are engaged in a great struggle, as Columbanus noted, a spiritual warfare, in which our enemy seeks to rob us of the righteousness, peace, and joy in the Spirit which are ours in the Kingdom of God.

We are engaged in this warfare continuously.

Well, we should be, at any rate.

I wonder sometimes whether we struggle against our vices as earnestly as we should. It’s just so much easier to stay mad, or to indulge some spiteful thought, to fix our hopes on material possessions, or just go around brooding, moping, and anxious.

But to rest in this struggle is to follow the suggestions of the enemy of our souls, not the directive of the Commander of the LORD’s army.

We need to remember that the Commander of the army of the LORD, Who has gone before us into glory, is unfolding His rule of righteousness, peace, and joy in us only to the extent that we take up arms with Him against our common foe.

So we’re always in the thick of battle – against the world, the flesh, the devil, and the sin that lingers within us – whether or not we’re engaging the fight. Which means that, if we’re not fighting, we’re losing ground, or being taken captive.

We must be ever on our guard and always positioned before our King in an attitude of worship, receptive to His Word and eager to give Him thanks and praise. How do we fight?

By equipping ourselves daily through the Word and prayer.

By recognizing and resisting temptation.

By laying aside the old person and being clothed with the righteousness of Jesus.

By initiating conversation with a friend, so we can point him or her to the Lord.

By daily confessing our sins, repenting, and being filled with the Spirit anew.

And by nurturing that attitude toward God and our lives which Paul describes as prayer without ceasing.

The war goes on. The fight draws nigh. Are we struggling on the side of our great Commander, or are we simply laying down in the field and allowing the enemy to step over us and trample us under foot?

This is a time for warfare, and no one should misread it as a time for resting on laurels. To arms, brethren – for righteousness’ sake, and for the glory of King Jesus!

Psalm 146.1-4, 10 (Hallelujah! What a Savior!: “Man of Sorrows”)
Praise the Lord, my soul give praise!
While I live His Name I’ll raise!
And exalt Him all my days –
    God forever reigns in Zion!

Trust we not in prince or man;
No salvation’s in their hand;
Death shall take them, breath and plans –
    God forever reigns in Zion!

Help me in the battle today, O Lord; let me gain some ground in my sanctification.

Apologetics Action Group
In October we will be launching a year-long effort to improve our skills of communicating and defending the Gospel in this age in flight from God. Dr. Marshall Adams and I invite you to join us in this Apologetics Action Group. We’re looking for 10-15 men who are determined to advance the Gospel’s agenda by learning how to proclaim the Kingdom to the people in their Personal Mission Fields. If you’re interested, write to me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., and I’ll send you more details.

As we come to the end of summer, we are working feverishly to prepare for several new efforts beginning this fall. Your support at this time will be greatly appreciated. Pray for us, and send a gift to support this work of ministry to you and others. You can click here to donate online through credit card or PayPal, or send your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Dr., Essex Junction, VT 05452.

Psalms to Pray for Today and Tuesday
Today
Morning: Psalm 119.65-72; Psalm 128
Evening: Psalm 52

Tuesday
Morning: Psalm 119.73-80; Psalm 129
Evening: Psalm 53

T. M. Moore, Principal
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All Psalms for singing from The Ailbe Psalter. Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.