Maybe you are a lot like me. At times, it’s hard to forget your “spiritual loser” past. Maybe you get discouraged over still being such a work in progress as a Christ Follower. Or maybe you carry some guilt over not doing enough in the battle for souls. Worse yet, maybe you’re feeling too secure with the personal salvation ticket—personally you’re protected for eternity and simply want to check out from this crazy world. These times and people can be so crazy-making. It’s easy to start believing there is so little to stop this world’s quick march toward hell.
Today, I am offering you a clear and different way—free from your past and this “why bother” attitude plaguing too many of us. You and I have the opportunity to become the hero of our own story by letting Jesus transform the rest of our lives and those around you. Just like trusting Jesus as Savior, it is possible to make an instant decision, today, that changes the course we’re pursuing. Regardless of your past or frustration with the present, go all out for Jesus. Today, decide to get spiritually fit and join the spiritual battlefield.
Start the holiday season and new year right by downloading my gift to you. It will tell you why you are so desperately needed, and how to stop shooting yourself in the foot in so many ways spiritually. Make the decision right now to develop daily habits of Scripture absorption and become spiritually fit.
Having just celebrated Veterans Day, there is an example I think we can learn from what happened on an earthly battlefield. Not that long ago, someone’s instant decision made a tremendous difference in many people’s lives. Would you be the hero in this true battlefield story?
Would you make the instant decision to step out of the safety of the armored vehicle that was the only thing keeping you safe from a hail of gunfire? With so many lives at stake, would you have the courage to step out and leave your place of comfort and rescue one of your injured comrades on the ground outside? Army Staff Sgt. Ty Carter did just that during an intense battle in Afghanistan. For his bravery and devotion, he earned the Medal of Honor.
This young soldier ran through a hail of rocket propelled grenades and machine-gun fire to get to his wounded buddy and tend to his devastating leg wounds. Carter then picked up his fellow soldier and carried him back through the heavy gunfire into the Humvee… Carter didn't stay inside long, though. He got back out of the vehicle to search for something that would help rescue the rest of his squad. He managed to recover the squad's radio, which allowed them to coordinate their evacuation with other soldiers at the outpost. Those soldiers provided cover fire as Carter and another soldier ran from the Humvee while carrying his buddy on a stretcher. They made it through about 100 meters of withering enemy fire to get to the aid station.
While they'd made it out of a tough situation, the battle wasn’t over, so Carter returned to the fight. By this point, much of the outpost had caught fire, and flames were bearing down on the aid station where they'd just delivered his wounded friend. Several other soldiers lay wounded inside, too. So Carter left the safety of cover one more time. He grabbed a chainsaw that he'd found and cut down a burning tree, saving the aid station from being engulfed by flames.
What if in the middle of that battle, Sgt. Ty Carter decided to turn back and remain in his armored comfort zone?
While not as obvious as an earthly battlefield, sitting around doing nothing in our spiritual battlefield is in fact allowing Satan to win. Somehow we have to get that firmly in mind. As Christ Followers, we need to reclaim the passion and fight expressed in that song “No Turning Back.” Look it up, but focus on the chorus with me here: “I have decided to follow Jesus; no turning back, no turning back.”
I know. I know. Every day, it feels like the challenges around us grow heavier. We see truth twisted, values upended, and a culture that often seems to be running away from God. It’s not just “out there,” either—it’s a battle in our own hearts and minds.
And if I am not totally focused, I simply feel like staying in the safety of the Christian bubble and my home, and do nothing to fight the good fight.
Then something makes me stop dead in my tracks and wonder: Is Satan winning the battle for our souls?
Winning the War for Our Souls
This isn’t just a philosophical question—it’s one of eternal significance. That’s why I wrote Winning the War for Our Souls: https://bttb.org/Winning_the_War_for_Our_Souls.
In this book, I pull back the curtain on the spiritual struggles we all face—against the devil’s lies, the pull of worldly values, and our own human weaknesses. But more importantly, I share hope.
There are ways to fight back and stand firm in your faith, rooted in God’s unshakable truth.
Here’s what you’ll discover:
How to recognize and resist the subtle lies that can take hold of your life.
A simple daily framework to grow spiritually and experience lasting freedom.
The surprising power of Scripture—not just to read it, but to let it transform your life.
This isn’t just another book—it’s a guide to victory in the battle that matters most. The stakes couldn’t be higher, but the promise of victory through Christ is unshakable.
And really at the end of the day, none of us is the hero of our story—Jesus is. You or I just have to show up. Take action now on whatever the daily spiritual battle brings your way. “I have decided to follow Jesus; no turning back, no turning back.”
Send your comments to me here.
-Arnie
