The Christian life is a life lived in both victory and warfare. While waiting for the second coming of Christ the church is called upon to fight a good fight and do battle God's way. The believer is equipped with both what Christ has done and continues to do in them. We live in a unique time between the victories of the cross and complete victory still to come. Continuing our theme requires a shift of focus, the focus must now become, "How is the Christian soldier presently equipped for life's battles?" The short answer is the Christian has been equipped with a new life and battle plan:
"All Christians are beneficiaries of Christ's death and resurrection and have been transformed from a domain of darkness, and transferred to the kingdom of His beloved son (Col. 1:13). Also the believer is presently equipped with a relationship that provides an arsenal of weapons to engage in daily warfare. The Christian has not been left ill-equipped. They have a battle plan for life."
This new battle plan is built on a sure foundation of truth, faith, union in Christ, and the Holy Spirit (Rom. 6:2-8). Christians are given a battle plan and arsenal, but an arsenal is only good if one knows when and how to use it. For the believer, living between these divine events is a time of both sanctification and being sanctified in Christ. Scripture reveal four perspectives concerning human life. First, who are we outside of Christ? Secondly, who are we in Christ? Thirdly, who are we becoming in Christ? Finally, who will we ultimately become in Christ? Sanctification addresses the second and third of the above questions. Christ is the source of all sanctification past, present, or future (1 Cor. 1:30).
Moral renewal proceeds from a real union in Christ. The believer has been divinely equipped with responsibilities and the power to advance his or her sanctification by daily dying to themselves and living in the power of Christ (Rom 6:1-18). The believer experiences a real spiritual death, burial and resurrection. With fear and trembling, the genuine believer must keep on cultivating the gift of salvation that God has given to them. Believers must continually seek to apply the salvation they received to every area of life and to make it evident in every activity. True salvation leads to the lifelong process of sanctification which equips and imparts the believer with the knowledge of how to please God.
The progressive works of sanctification also frees one more and more from sin (Rom. 8:13); a life being sanctified involves spiritual access to the power to daily be strengthened, transformed and renewed into the image of Christ (Col. 3:9-10). Living a life in the Spirit means, daily, doing battle with the fleshly nature and the world's system in the sanctifying power of God. Living in this tension between the cross and the final resurrection means, presently, living a life where sin daily loses its hold on the Christian's life by the divine power to put sins to death. Sanctification always follows justification. The believer is not only saved, he or she is continuing to be saved while "daily" becoming more equipped for life and service unto God.
This chapter biblically shows many ways the believer is equipped for life. The believer has been given a new knowledge, new power to defeat their enemies, the new pursuit of Godliness, a new armor to protect them while in battle, a certain hope of victory and rewards, and new marching orders that provide knowledge of things to avoid while in battle. God is the craftsman of a new people created for His good works (Eph. 2:10; 2 Tim. 2:21). As we will see, we have been given a new BATTLE PLAN FOR LIFE. We have not been left ill-equipped for the battles we face. Following this plan equips the believer for life's challenges. Believers have been given all they need for both life and Godliness (2 Pet. 1:3).
