I joined the military while I was still in high school under a delayed enlistment program. As soon as I signed my name on the dotted line I became a soldier.

But even though my status had changed and I was bound by a contract, I knew nothing about the profession of being a soldier. I finished high school and still looked like the undisciplined teenager that I was.

After graduation, I was sent to my training base where I was immediately issued a uniform and combat gear. My address permanently changed and outwardly I was beginning to look differently because of the uniform and the gear.

But in my understanding I was still a teenager who had absolutely no idea how to properly wear the uniform or use all of the weaponry that now belonged to me.

Understand that officially, I was 100% a soldier. But if they had sent me to the front line of a battle during that time period, I wouldn’t have lasted 30 seconds.

I didn’t know how to use my rifle. I had no idea how to throw a hand grenade without blowing myself to bits. I couldn’t fire an antitank weapon because I had no idea how to even load it. The highly dangerous artillery pieces that I eventually learned to fire were more dangerous to ME at this point than they were to an enemy.

I had the full and complete status of being an American soldier, with an ID card to prove it, and a new location to live in. But in regards to my ability to engage in effective battle, the sergeants who were training me knew that I would be absolutely useless in a real battle at this point in my career.

In the very last section of the book of Ephesians, Paul begins to speak about the battle armor and uniform that are standard issue for every born-again Christian.

But just like my experience with military basic training, Paul understood that Christians who have been issued a new ID card and given a new location to live in are not immediately ready for front line battle.

There is necessary training in order to be able to properly wear the uniform and use the weaponry that they have been issued effectively and safely.

And THAT is why he begins this section of the book with the word, “FINALLY.” Having an understanding of the first five and a half chapters of the book of Ephesians is the equivalent of Christian basic training.

A born-again Christian has the full status of a Christian. But without the proper training, the armor that they have been issued will not help them in combat. They will not be able to “be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.”

It is not possible to properly put on the whole armor of God until the earlier content of this book is perfectly understood! And yet, new Christians are immediately directed to this battlefield section but find that their armor seems to be very ineffective for them.

They skipped basic training! And this is a disaster for what will happen on the battlefield when they get there.

But no Christian knows how to wear the armor and fight to win until they first understand their new identity and their new location for living. They cannot use their girdle (belt), their breastplate, their boots, their shield, their helmet, or their sword.

It is cruel and irresponsible to send them into battle when they are still the equivalent of a raw recruit.

Are you being defeated in battle by the devil and the world? You need to go back to basic training! And it’s all found in the first five and a half chapters of Ephesians!

Study the basic training manual so you can survive and win the battle! Every Christian is a soldier. But most of them have not trained for the battle.