(Ep20) Linear Defense: Shoulder to Shoulder

Episode 20 explores the four key elements of linear defense in spiritual warfare: interlocking disciplines, unified action, prepared positions, and high-volume fire.  We will draw some parallels between Roman military formations and the Christian community standing firm together as examples. Using scripture and practical application, this defense calls us to lock shields side by side, living out their faith collectively so that no gap remains for the enemy to exploit.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome back and settle in with us as we look at the specific elements of linear defense and how they build off the basic characteristics of spiritual defense. I'm Kyle Clark from Standing Word Ministries, a Christ-centered ministry dedicated to equipping believers with solid biblical truth and practical training. We create scripture-based curriculum and resources like our workbook during the fight to strengthen discipleship, to follow Jesus, to deepen our understanding of God's Word, and to help everyone around us live with purpose as we stand firm in the truth and carry the message of Christ forward. If you want to explore more teachings or grab this workbook, head over to standingword.com. So today we look at those specific characteristics that make linear defense unique and make it successful against a frontal assault. An enemy arrayed against us dedicated to charging at us and overwhelming us. Now when I think of linear defense in a realistic setting, I picture the Roman army at the opening of the movie Gladiator. They're all arrayed to an incoming Germanic horde, their shields are locked tight, they're standing shoulder to shoulder, ready as one, they've got trebuches and larger equipment set up behind them, and they've got all these overlapping fields of defense. So linear defense builds right on top of our individual armor and our communal boundaries. It's us as believers interlocking our faith through real, lived out unity, so there are no gaps for the enemy to slip through. These aren't abstract ideas. They're the way we stand firm when pressure hits head on. This head-on type of attack is what we look at. We're in this side by side when we fight in a linear defense. And today we're going to see exactly how we lock shields and hold a line and what those four elements that are specific to linear defense look like in our Christian community. So let's look at the overlapping strength that actually forms the shield wall. So as we begin, the first characteristic of a shield wall beyond the basic defensive characteristics is interlocking disciplines. An overlapping Christian community, Christian lifestyle. Linear defense involves interlocking and overlapping fields of fire. These are lifestyles of discipline such as service, prayer, and study that strengthen the whole line when we live them faithfully together. Colossians 3 16 says, Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom. Many churches have a solid what we believe statement on a wall in their building or on a website. But the real defense of this in a linear sense comes when the leadership of that church teaches those truths and every single one of the believers within that church lives them out every single day. Our personal disciplines, prayer, study, service, worship, are no longer solo activities. When we practice them faithfully, together, they are like overlapping fields of fire, covering the gaps and strengthening the person standing right beside us. Picture it like this just like Roman soldiers whose overlapping shields create a solid wall that no arrow could pierce, our interlocking disciplines create a living wall of faith that the enemy cannot break through. I'm reminded of something that a pastor said to me a long time ago. He asked that if the church I belonged to vanished tomorrow, would the community around us notice that we were gone? Were we having an impact in the community around us? Was our Christian lifestyle being lived out? And I would tell you that one of the first steps of having a successful linear defense is that we actually have that Christian lifestyle, that we have the discipline of living as Christ. And when all of us do it together, those disciplines overlap and interlock. And in a practical sense, here's one way you can work on doing that in your own life. Pick one discipline, prayer, study, service, or worship, and intentionally practice it with another believer. Feed off of them. Teach them. If you are doing something in a way that strengthens your faith, show it to somebody else. If somebody else is doing it in a way that would strengthen yours, ask them to show you text of verse that is in line with what you guys are doing together. Pray together over the phone or at church together, and also find an excuse to serve side by side with one another, along with the discipline that you've picked. Next, keep Colossians 3.16 somewhere visible as a daily reminder that our everyday faithfulness is part of that wall that we build together. And with those disciplines interlocking, we must now look at how our shields come together in real unity, how our shield wall is a part of our Christian identity, how unity itself is a part of our Christian identity. Just as Roman soldiers locked their shields together, we must stand united. We must desire to be united to ensure that no gaps appear in our defenses. First Corinthians 1 10 talks about this. Paul says, I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say, and that there will be no division among you. A unified front is collective strength in Christ's love. To be unified in our beliefs, to be unified against a specific attack of the enemy, we must first desire and strive for unity amongst ourselves. We lock shields edge to edge so the enemy can find no opening. This is a desire for unity with those around us. When we get it into our heads that we want something, all of our actions and motivations become aligned with that desire. Division is the enemy's favorite tactic. We frustrate it by choosing one heart, one mind, the same love that binds us together. We frustrate it when at the core of our being, we desire to be unified in the body and we strive for it and we work at it and we devote our time and energy to it. Picture it like this in the heat of battle, the shields come together with a solid clank, one unbreakable wall, one force. That's exactly us when our lives and our love lock into place and desire to have unity. Desire to remove those gaps, desire to identify those weak spots and fix them. Just one unified shield wall of Christian identity standing firm together. And one of the ways that we can practice this this week, identify one relationship where tension or distance has crept in, and take a concrete step towards unity with that person or within that relationship. Whether it's a conversation, whether it's letting go of hurt, forgiveness, or sharing a prayer with them, asking for resolution. Philippians 2, 1 through 2 that says, To make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of mind. Keep that in front of you this week and let it build within you a desire to be unified with the body around you. And now, with our shields locked tight in this idea, let's look to make sure that everyone is actually in the right spot on the line. One of the other things that makes linear defense successful is knowing our prepared positions, knowing our supporting roles, and ensuring that people are in those positions once the battle begins. Linear defense requires well prepared, supportive roles within the church. More than just a few should lead and teach. Every believer is called to contribute. This builds upon that idea of being a part of a community and having a role. Now these roles must be clearly defined. These roles must be established. If we are to resist the enemy when he is coming at us with a specific idea, we must be prepared. Just as first Peter 4, 10 and 11 says, each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others as faithful stewards of God's grace. We must know what those gifts are, and we must be prepared to use them and assigned in positions to use them. When structured roles and clear teachings are established, the church can stand firm in times of confusion, when worldly ideas creep in. When the church gets hit over the head with a certain philosophy that challenges the unity in Christ. These structured roles and this clear teaching help us to resist it. Leadership equips, members serve, everyone steps into their spot, so the whole line holds. We're not scrambling when fight intensifies. We already know our position and we're trained to hold it for the people beside us. Just like a Roman formation didn't have every soldier trying to be a centurion, every soldier trying to launch the catapult. Each man held his exact position so the whole line could move and stand as one unbreakable wall. That's the strength we're after when we take our prepared positions together. And here's how we can grow in this together throughout the week. Prayerfully identify your unique gift or role in the body this week. Whether it be as an encourager, a prayer warrior, a servant, a teacher, whatever it is, take one practical step to step up in that role and encourage one other person to stay strong in theirs. Write their name down and pray for them by name all this week. Now with those three characteristics identified, it's now time to bring the fire together and push back. The way we give it back to the enemy in a linear defense is by a high volume fire. Our fourth characteristic is targeted actions with intention. Just like in Gladiator, when the barbarian horde began charging forward, they launched ballistica, trebuches, all of the Roman soldiers through the pilums. They all directed their focus towards the enemy's frontal assault to slow that enemy's advance, to break up their advance before they actually got to the defenses. And so our fourth characteristic is a high volume fire. Direct fire that comes in the form of serving others and sharing the gospel. Indirect fire that are acts of praying and lifting others up, but two different forms, direct and indirect. A healthy church practices both forms of fire often and in coordination with one another. Here is one of the verses that will help us identify this type of behavior. Second Corinthians 3, 16 through 17. All scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. We don't fire scattered opinions. We aim God's living word and unified prayer exactly where the lie or the attack is trying to land. We dish out a high volume rate of fire because we are firing from a prepared position when the enemy comes at us with a certain idea or a specific attack to undermine our community, to shatter our defenses. And together our fire is precise, is powerful, and relentless, halting the enemy's advances and opening the way for the kingdom, setting us up to launch a counteroffensive. Picture it like this a disciplined line doesn't spray bullets everywhere. Just like in old Civil War battles with firing lines, it unleashes a coordinated, high volume fire that stops the assault cold and pushes the kingdom forward. That's us when we stand shoulder to shoulder in a linear defense. And let's put this into practice together. Join or start one collective effort with others around you, a prayer chain, a service project, or a group that speaks truth and praise over specific needs. Pick one verse together with others and fire it in prayer or encouragement at least three times this week. Aim it at a specific person or group that needs that prayer or encouragement. And so those are our four elements that build on top of the basic defense when it comes to linear defense. And those are interlocking disciplines, a unified action, prepared positions, and high volume fire returning to the enemy. Now let's close in prayer as we wrap up. Father, thank you for calling us to stand shoulder to shoulder. Teach us to interlock our disciplines so our everyday lives become overlapping protection. Help us lock shields in real unity so no gap remains for the enemy. Set each of us firmly in our prepared positions and unleash our collective fire, direct and indirect, so your word and our prayers together push back darkness and advance your kingdom. Make us one wall, one voice, one force under Jesus our commander. And it's in Jesus' strong name that we pray, Amen. So as we wrap up and we close, here's our simple daily rhythm moving forward. Interlock your disciplines, lock shields in unity, take your prepared positions and bring the fire together. We don't have to improvise when the pressure hits. We're already formed, already trained, already together in Christ. And next episode, we're going to talk about the challenges that we face and the challenges that we can present as obstacles to the enemy when we take that ground and prepare for that assault. So let's reflect on all of these different characteristics. When it comes to interlocking discipline, which discipline will you practice with another believer this week? Look back to Colossians three sixteen. When it comes to unified actions, where will you take a concrete step towards unity this week? Think back to first Corinthians one ten, Philippians two, one through two. When it comes to prepared positions, what is your supporting role right now? And who will you encourage to hold theirs? And when it comes to your high volume fire, what collective prayer or serving step will you take with others this week? Second Timothy three, sixteen through seventeen. We're not standing or fighting alone in this. We're standing shoulder to shoulder. So let's keep locking those shields and walking right beside one another all the way through this fight. See you next time on joining the fight. God bless.