Calvary University’s Advancement Department has seven commitments that they hold to, and I would like to share them with you over the next seven weeks. The first commitment I want to talk about today is:
- Be Spiritually Prepared for the Battle.
Eph. 6:13 says, “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.” What evil day? Eph. 5:15-16, “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” Being wise means one whose action is governed by piety and integrity—be wise in a practical sense.
Why is it important to be spiritually prepared? I Peter 5:8 says, “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” The first two directives, be sober and be vigilant, are future-active commands. We are to be self-controlled and watchful. For me, being self-controlled means spending time with God, by reading and prayer. It means bringing ourselves under control of the Holy Spirit so that we are watchful and prepared. If we are not spiritually prepared, Satan can push us off course and we ruin our testimony for God. We start accepting the world’s measuring stick for what our standards should be and take others off course with us. A successful athlete will tell you they are prepared for the game because if they are not, they will probably lose.
If I’m not prepared for the spiritual battle, Satan will deter me from meeting with supporters, encouraging them, and talking to them about financially partnering with Calvary University as we educate, equip, and engage students to live and serve in the church and the world according to a biblical worldview. We need to be spiritually prepared so we will be victorious for God and not lose to Satan.
These are some thoughts that challenged me and I wished to share them with you. A very blessed day to you all! And may you be vigilant in your spiritual walk for the days ahead.
Merv Wagner (Executive Director of Advancement)