We’ve had a thousand phone dates me and one of the girls I’ve gotten to mentor over the years…. I know her so well, love her so deep. There are other girls that live in my zipcode and we’ve shared life together in the trenches. Our little suburb might not look like much of war zone, but it is.

This ground we live on is where people choose where they will spend eternity. This is the ground where young girls decide whether or not to give up their virginity…. It’s the place where young men choose whether or not they will look at that girl, click on that link again, or go against the grain. It’s the ground upon which we decide whether the Word of God is really the lamp unto our feet…the light…or if it’s just helpful when we have the time or get to it. This is the place, this ridiculously rich little place, where we decide if we are going to spend all we are and all we have repeatedly on ourselves or if we are going to give up…lose even…our lives so someone else, maybe not even in our family, just might…maybe…come to know Jesus in truth!

Don’t be fooled by appearances. The places where all looks well are often the sickest…the dead of heart live here…and that makes HERE (or wherever you are) a war zone.

We think we can get along ok on our own resources, mostly by ourselves. The enemy, Satan, has carefully crafted these lies pumping them into culture so with all subtlety, with hopes that the unassuming and ignorant will absorb the lies into their life. Once a life is carefully crafted upon moral relativism, full of independent arrogance, and ironically steeped in the pursuit of people’s approval, the ship is set to wreck and it will. You don’t need to do anything but not be captive to Christ before you soon become a pawn for the enemy.

We can’t leave a generation of young people alone in the trenches…young women who don’t know how to use their Sword (the Word of God) yet. Young women who haven’t been taught to push against the grain of culture, to reject the mold of this world system. Have we forgotten who the ruler of this world, this age, this present darkness really is? Did we forget this is war…. Blood spills on the ground everyday everywhere…lives that aren’t spent on the Gospel will be lost forever. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might…. That truth tells me we are living in a war.

It’s not just unbelievers who are at risk. It’s believers too. It’s not that our salvation is at risk, our salvation is secured by the perfect blood of Christ Jesus. We fight now to live in all fullness in the Kingdom fulfilling with actions steeped in prayer the purpose of our Lord in this generation. The words of 2 Peter…

4 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. 5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. 10 Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. 11 For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Will we richly provide our entrance into the eternal kingdom, or be the ones saved yet so as by fire (1 Corinthians 3)? Oh friend I am not trying to lead you into a works based theology, never. We are the ones steeped in the pure grace of God, who depend on the finished work of Christ who SAT DOWN at the right hand of the Father…. We are the ones who get to repent as long as the sun rises and become that which God intended. We are the graced ones. But you show me your faith without works and I will show you my faith by what I do…remember Jesus’ younger brother James, the words he wrote?

This is a battleground and it MATTERS what you do.

If we don’t declare God’s wonders to the next generation who will?  If we don’t teach them God’s Word (and love it for ourselves) who will? If we aren’t the ones spending our lives on someone other than ourselves who will? And what kind of Gospel is it, if it changes nothing? If it doesn’t give our lives testimony day after day? The Gospel, the true one, wins! And the blood spilled in within it was perfect overcoming all your failings, overshadowing every way in which you will fall….and that blood was given with a high cost to purchase a Bride and if you believe in Jesus you are apart of that.

But never ever forget…these truths coincide. Faith works.  For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age…Yeah, those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever and ever…. I would that you and I would SHINE! This is war and somebody needs you to be a for real mentor.