WISDOM FOR VICTORIOUS WARFARE

“For by WISE COUNSEL you will WAGE your own WAR, and in a multitude of counselors there is safety” – Proverbs 24:6

God’s Word assures us of the availability of Unique WISDOM for VICTORIOUS WARFARE: “For by WISE COUNSEL you will WAGE your own WAR, and in a multitude of counselors there is safety” (Pro.24:6). War is a serious matter, whether on actual physical fields of conflict or the battles fought in our minds. The truth about WISDOM for WAR and counsel for safety applies to all wars: “Plans are established by counsel; by WISE counsel wage WAR” (Pro.20:18). In the military, campaigns are planned with great care for victory to be attained! Leaders who avoid strategic planning often reap the disastrous result of their foolishness. Wisdom demands that we plan and consult counsellors with understanding from varied perspectives.  

Waging war is not a common affair that the average man on the street spends time thinking about. The reality however is that Life is a Battle, from cradle to grey hair. For Believers especially, Life is Warfare. It is warfare to walk in holiness and live for God's purposes. We have a real enemy who wages war against our souls and desires to hold us captive spiritually, morally, and physically. Daily as we walk in this world, we must fight for godliness. The world system is under the power of the evil one, and is hostile to godliness and truth. We must not be ignorant of the devil's devices in this warfare (2Cor.2:11). These include: deception, discouragement, distraction, depression, deprivation, distress, disruption, and fear of death.

First, as concerning spiritual warfare, a wise person seeks God's counsel on how to fight the daily battles of godliness and holiness. We need to hear from God daily through spiritual disciplines like quiet time for prayer and Bible reading. These are not mere religious routines; we do them to survive and thrive in the warfare that we face against the world, the flesh, and the devil. Those who listen to God are blessed; those who turn a deaf ear to His Word suffer for it in the end.

Second, there is Victory in having godly counsellors. The "lone ranger" Christianity that many embrace due to modernity’s emphasis on individuality, often robs us of the unity that comes from life’s shared struggles. Moreover, there is safety in “accountability.” Being accountable is more than just calling one another and asking questions about how one is doing in an area of struggle. It also infers mutual encouragement and shared counsel to ensure victory: “Two are better than one…Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken” (Ecc.4: 9-12). For consistent victory in our walk with God, we need each other in Christ and abundance of counsellors in life. 

As devoted followers of Christ, our most important battles are spiritual: constant testing of the strength and conviction of our faith. Here, we face not only external forces but the thoughts and passions within that pull us to stray from the path of righteousness. Thankfully we can look to God’s Wisdom as Weapon and Armour for strength and defence: “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled” (2Cor.10:3-6).

The Mind is the battlefield; hence through God’s Word and Spirit and godly counsel, we must daily prepare or gird up our “minds for action” (1Pet.1:13). We must take up God’s armour, be ready to stand – and having done all – remain standing (Eph.6: 10-18). When we lay hold on His creative, constructive Wisdom, we’ll have no cause to “faint in the day of adversity” (v.10). As it is written: “But thanks be to God, who gives us the VICTORY through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1Cor.15:57).