On a recent trip to Jefferson City, we saw a common weekend sight for those traveling the highways. Several khaki colored vehicles in a column were cruising down the pavement, headlights ablaze. In this country we have become accustomed to this sight and realize it is a convoy of National Guard troops out on maneuvers. Sometimes we refer to these men as "weekend warriors". One weekend a month they are required to report for duty. Having fulfilled that duty they return to civilian status the rest of the month.

I wonder sometimes if that terminology, "weekend warrior" could be applied to us as members of that Spiritual Guard. We recognize that God has prescribed certain responsibilities to the Christian that can only be accomplished on the first day of the week. Eating the Lord's Supper (Acts 20:7) and contributing as we have prospered (1 Cor. 16:1, 2) are by revelation reserved for Sunday. We must be careful, however, that we not become "Sunday only" Christians.

We are at war. That war is not limited to any particular day of the week. "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness 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" (Ephesians 6:12, 13). We can never remove our armor if we are going to be able to withstand the wiles of the devil (Eph. 6:10, 11). We cannot go home Sunday evening tired of our labor in the kingdom and discard our armor until next Sunday.

As we go into the battlefield on Monday, or any day of the week, we will need the TRUTH girding our waist. We will need our breastplate of RIGHTEOUSNESS to protect our vital organs. Likewise we will need the shield of FAITH, the helmet of our SALVATION and the SWORD, the word of God. And we will need to communicate with our commander through PRAYER.

As a faithful child of God, our enlistment never comes to an end, and our battle is never finished in this life. The war will not cease until that day when the last enemy is destroyed by our commander and chief, Jesus Christ. Paul encourages us as soldiers to endure hardship, and not to become entangled with the affairs of this life (2 Tim. 2:3, 4). We cannot please the Lord by being “weekend warriors” but only when we are on active duty.