Jim's Place

Final Principle of War - PURSUIT

I'd like to say that I've enjoyed writing this series of blogs on how the age-old principles of war apply to spiritual warfare. Again, I'd like to thank my friend and author, Rick Bereit, for his insights into this subject (i.e., I stole most of his thoughts).

The principle of PURSUIT encourages follow-up of each breakthrough. The commander who achieves a victory will continue to press the enemy and exploit the gains he has made. Failure to pursue the fight to the end can result in fighting the same foe again, perhaps on less favorable terms the next time. Pursuit means finishing what was begun as quickly as possible.

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:12-14).

Pursuit has several applications in spiritual warfare. First, it means we follow-up and disciple new believers. We wouldn’t fight to win a battle and then fail to pursue it to the end. Yet, we often do precisely that with new Christians—we pray for their salvation, share the Gospel, even lead them to Christ, but fail to maximize this victory with follow-up.

Pursuit in spiritual warfare also applies to continuing on, day by day, in victory. We are never to let down our guard. We never “retire” and rest on our laurels. From the day we become Christians to the day we enter eternity, we must pursue His purpose with our whole lives.

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up (Galatians 6:9).

posted by Jim @ 8:43 AM