"B" Vitamins...

I sometimes describe our BBCN pastors as "dangerous". I don't mean to imply that they should be avoided. Rather, I mean that they are true soldiers on the battlefield:

They are battle-trained- they are excellent students of Scripture, and they are wearing the full armor of God.
They are tactical- they are adept in fighting the enemy of our souls through spiritual warfare: prayer, discernment, and proclamation.
They are strategic- they aren't waiting for something to happen. Instead, they are making things happen in the kingdom of God.
They are compliant- they are quick to obey when a directive is given by our Commander-in-Chief, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Pastor Benji, in one section of his sermon, gave some detailed tactical information regarding what we must be aware of as we engage in battle against the forces of evil seen and unseen.

-When we are planning, our enemy is also planning. Pastor Benji gave the example from Job, where Satan stands to accuse Job in the face of Job receiving God's commendation.

-We must resist the temptation for exhibition in an environment that requires production. Here, Pastor Benji shared the analogy of a person who trains and lifts weights to show off their physique, but who does not engage in any form of vocation (beyond fitness competitions) that requires such a level of strength. In other words, and pardon my yelling, THERE'S A LOT OF POSING AND GRUNTING GOING ON IN THE BODY OF CHRIST. BUT WHERE ARE THE WORKERS?

-We must always be conscious of who the enemy is. No, it's not the lady who got to church before you and sat in your favorite seat. And it's not the person who yelled at you at the office. Your enemy is Satan, the accuser of the children of God. Pastor Benji used the analogy of the war on drugs: the war is way beyond that guy on the corner selling dope. The real war involves persons of affluence, those who orchestrate an elaborate international supply system. In our war against sin, let's expend our energies in prayer against the top-level adversaries: principalities, powers, rulers, and other spiritual forces of evil (see Ephesians 6:12).

Lord, please help us to be true soldiers on the battlefield. Make us dangerous to the dominion of darkness! We want to be part of Your strategy for victory: yes, the world for Jesus. Thank You for enlisting us. In Jesus's name, Amen.