Ready or Not!

The Call to Spiritual Readiness

In a world that grows increasingly hostile to faith, the question we must ask ourselves is simple yet profound: Are we ready? Ready to stand firm in our convictions? Ready to fight the good fight of faith when surrounded by unbelief? Ready to remain steadfast when confronted by people determined to believe what they want, regardless of truth?

The Apostle Paul exhorted Timothy with these words: "Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses" (1 Timothy 6:12, KJV). This call to spiritual warfare is as relevant today as it was two millennia ago.

An Age of Distraction & Deception

We live in an age of unprecedented distraction and deception. The world offers everything imaginable to satisfy the temporal desires of humanity—wealth, pleasure, status, entertainment—yet it fails to address the most crucial need of all: eternal life. Our society has become expert at providing solutions for the present whilst ignoring the certainty of judgement to come.

The writer of Hebrews warns us: "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgement" (Hebrews 9:27, KJV). This is an appointment that cannot be cancelled, postponed, or ignored.

The Spiritual Battle We Face

The battle we face is not merely against ideas or philosophies, but against spiritual forces that seek to blind humanity to eternal truth. Paul reminds us: "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" (Ephesians 6:12, KJV).

The enemy of our souls is content to let people pursue temporary happiness whilst losing sight of eternal destiny. He whispers that this life is all there is, that pleasure now is worth more than glory later, that personal truth trumps divine revelation.

Building on the Rock

In such an environment, believers must be ready—ready with the armour of God, ready with the sword of the Spirit, ready with unwavering faith. But readiness requires preparation. We cannot expect to stand firm in the day of testing if we have not built our foundation on the rock of God's Word.

Jesus said: "Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock" (Matthew 7:24-25, KJV). The storms of unbelief will come; the question is whether our faith is built on shifting sand or solid rock.

The World's Empty Promises

The world's philosophy is seductive because it appeals to our fallen nature. It promises fulfilment without sacrifice, happiness without holiness, and life without surrender.

Yet Scripture reveals the emptiness of such promises: "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Matthew 16:26, KJV). The temporary pleasures of sin cannot compare to the eternal weight of glory that awaits those who persevere in faith.

Know Your Enemy

Our readiness to fight the good fight of faith must be rooted in several essential truths.

First, we must know our enemy. Satan is described as "a roaring lion, [who] walketh about, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Peter 5:8, KJV). He is cunning, relentless, and utterly committed to our destruction.

Yet we need not fear, for "greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world" (1 John 4:4, KJV). The Holy Spirit dwelling within believers is infinitely more powerful than any force of darkness.

Be Equipped with Truth

Second, we must be equipped with truth. Jesus prayed to the Father: "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth" (John 17:17, KJV). In a world where everyone claims their own truth, we must cling to the objective, unchanging truth of Scripture.

When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, He responded to Satan with the Word of God, declaring, "It is written" (Matthew 4:4, 7, 10, KJV). Our readiness depends upon our knowledge of and submission to Scripture.

Focus on Eternal Realities

Third, we must maintain our focus on eternal realities. Paul wrote: "While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal" (2 Corinthians 4:18, KJV).

The world fixates on the visible, the immediate, the tangible. But faith calls us to set our affections on things above, to invest in eternal treasure, to live with eternity's values in view.

The Urgency of Our Mission

The urgency of our mission cannot be overstated. Every person we encounter is heading towards one of two eternal destinations. Jesus Himself declared: "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it" (Matthew 7:13-14, KJV).

We live amongst people who are perishing, unaware or unconcerned about the judgement to come. How can we remain silent?

Courage in the Face of Opposition

Yet readiness also requires courage. Standing for truth in a world of lies will bring opposition. Jesus warned: "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you" (John 15:18, KJV).

We must be prepared to endure hardship, to face rejection, to be misunderstood and maligned. Paul encouraged Timothy: "Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ" (2 Timothy 2:3, KJV). Soldiers don't expect comfort; they expect battle.

Fighting for Souls, Not Arguments

The good fight of faith is not about winning arguments but about winning souls. It's not about proving ourselves right but about pointing others to the Righteous One. Our weapons are not worldly but mighty through God. We fight with love, prayer, truth, and the power of the Gospel.

Paul declared: "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth" (Romans 1:16, KJV). The Gospel alone has power to transform hearts and grant eternal life.

Are We Ready?

So, are we ready? Ready to live counter-culturally? Ready to speak truth lovingly but boldly? Ready to invest in eternity rather than merely accumulating temporal wealth? Ready to fight when faith is ridiculed and righteousness is mocked?

The time for preparation is now. The day of judgement approaches. Let us heed Paul's final charge to Timothy: "I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine" (2 Timothy 4:1-2, KJV).

The world offers everything except what matters most. Let us be ready to offer the one thing that endures: eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16, KJV).

Ready or not, judgement is coming. The question is: will we be found faithful?

Key Takeaways:

• Be spiritually ready: Prepare yourself to stand firm in faith amidst a world that increasingly rejects truth and embraces deception.
• Recognise the spiritual battle: We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces seeking to blind humanity to eternal realities.
• Build on the rock of God's Word: Establish your foundation on Scripture so you can withstand the storms of unbelief and opposition.
• Know your enemy but trust in God's greater power: Satan seeks to devour, but greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.
• Be equipped with Scripture: Like Jesus in the wilderness, respond to temptation and deception with "It is written"—the unchanging truth of God's Word.
• Focus on eternal realities: Look not at temporary, visible things but at eternal, invisible realities that truly matter.
• Understand the urgency: Every person faces one of two eternal destinations—the broad way to destruction or the narrow way to life.
• Expect opposition: Standing for truth will bring hatred and rejection, just as it did for Christ. Endure hardness as a good soldier.
• Fight for souls, not arguments: Our mission is winning people to Christ through love, prayer, truth, and the power of the Gospel.
• Preach the Word faithfully: Be instant in season and out of season—reproving, rebuking, and exhorting with all longsuffering and doctrine.
• Remember what truly matters: The world offers everything except eternal life. Only faith in Jesus Christ grants everlasting life.
• Live with judgement in view: Ready or not, judgement is coming. Will we be found faithful when Christ returns?