Soldiers Who Don't Know That They're in a War

Imagine for a moment that one morning you awoke from your slumber far away from your bed.  As you open your groggy, sleep-filled eyes you look around to find yourself in the middle of a dark and shaded wood.  Although this is a wholly unfamiliar location you find yourself cal with an unatural sense of peace.  You start to survey the area further, peering around tree limbs and gazing over downed boughs, when suddenly you feel a sharp pain in your shoulder.  You reach across your body to feel the warm wetness, which you know to be blood, on your sleeve and you can feel the protruding arrow that has caused the wound. 

You see a man running toward you screaming and you strain to hear him as the wood becomes bombarded by the strikes of cannon balls and more arrows, where they are coming from you cannot say but you are sure that they are targeting you.  The man running toward you and yelling finally gets within a distance so that you can hear him.  He screams, "Soldier, where is your helmet, your weapon, your armor?!  Don't you know that you're on the battlefield in the middle of a war?!"

How ridiculous would it be for a military officer to not equip and train his/her soldiers before shipping them off to war.  Or consider the preposterousness of sitting in the middle of a battlefield without even recognizing that you were at war.  But, for some reason, Christians continually find themselves in this lopsided predicament.

The reality is that Christians are at war and we are on a battlefield but Christians neglect this reality and lack the necessary training and equipping for success in this dire plight.  But we should take heed to the words of Paul, granted this is a long passion but read it in its entirety with an earnest posture of worship:

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.  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.  Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.  In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.  To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak." (Ephesians 6:10-20).