Missing Weapons

We need more Christians who are “weapons” fit for the Master’s use.

The news media continually remind us in their reports that no weapons of mass destruction have been found in Iraq. The final outcome of this situation remains to be seen. Meanwhile, another weapons search is taking place in the body of Christ that you probably have heard nothing about. Yet it’s so important, it cannot remain unreported.

First, a little background.

“Now there was no blacksmith to be found throughout all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, ‘Lest the Hebrews make swords or spears.’ … So it came about, on the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people who were with Saul and Jonathan. But they were found with Saul and Jonathan his son” (1 Sam. 13:19-22, NKJV).

Can you imagine this actually occurring? It seems unthinkable that during an era of unrest, when nations warred regularly for their survival, no weapons were found in Israel “on the day of battle” except in the hands of its two leaders.

The reason for this “strategic arms limitation” upon Israel was that its enemy, the Philistines, had simply said, “You can’t have any weapons.”

What a great strategy for rendering your enemy militarily impotent! All the Philistines did was say no–no blacksmiths, no weapons production, no serious threat. And Israel complied! Incredible, huh?

What does this have to do with a weapons search under way in the body of Christ?

Plenty.

A while ago I conducted an informal survey of the curricula at several charismatic-Pentecostal Bible colleges in America. I wanted to know how our future Christian workers and leaders were being prepared to spread the gospel across this increasingly heathen nation.

The results shocked me. The survey showed little is being done to groom our ministry leaders to evangelize the communities they will be sent to. The importance of evangelism has diminished in favor of newer priorities.

My question is, has our enemy, the devil, banned spiritual blacksmiths in the body of Christ so we’ll have no weapons of warfare against him and so no souls can be won from him?

If so, then: Help! … Call 9-1-1! … SOS! Calling all Holy Ghost blacksmiths!

A blacksmith, if you don’t know, is a skilled worker who forges tools or weapons out of metal with the use of heat and pressure. It seems many of today’s Christian leaders are more prone to being spiritual interior-designers who produce “wallflowers”–people who adorn church sanctuaries by merely occupying a seat and cultivating a more palatable personality.

What we need instead are spiritual blacksmiths–leaders who have more holy fire and passion burning in them than pop psychology and motivational mumbo jumbo. We need teachers and pastors who can impart what believers need to become weapons that God can use to destroy the works of the devil and recapture the souls of men.

As a follower of Jesus Christ, you need to decide what type of Christian you want to be–the wallflower or the weapon.

The wallflower. They never attend midweek, Sunday-evening or special services. They’d gladly miss a church meeting for social and family outings.

They may place a high priority on so-called spirituality but put a low priority on personal action. They are spectators, not participants, and could be termed “high maintenance” and “low to no impact” at influencing others for Christ.

The weapon. They have decided to become instruments, even weapons, fit for the Master’s use. They identify with the purposes in Jesus’ life and see them as good enough for their own lives. These purposes include seeking and saving the lost (see Luke 19:10) and destroying the works of the devil (see 1 John 3:8).

Currently, we don’t know how many spiritual weapons of mass destruction will be found in the body of Christ. So in the meantime, let’s be part of the people who seem to emerge in each generation–men and women forged by God’s fire at work in our bones and branded by our enemy as armed and dangerous!