(Ep23) Aspects of Non-linear Defense, Part 1

In Episode 23, we introduce more about the concept of nonlinear defense — a spiritually mature shift from self-protection to actively guarding, guiding, and strengthening others in a complex spiritual environment. The episode focuses on the first three aspects of nonlinear defense: maintaining a Christ-centered focus, protecting others as a shepherd, and providing clear direction by discerning and communicating the enemy's tactics to other believers around you.  We are the ones who know the way, show the way, and go the way.

Transcript

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Hello and welcome back. Get comfortable and settle in with us as we continue our journey in joining the fight with episode 23, our second episode talking about nonlinear 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 Joining the Fight to strengthen discipleship, deepen our understanding of God's Word, and help everyone around us live with purpose as we stand firm in 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 last time we talked about the idea of becoming a hard target, this concept of nonlinear defense, moving from just defending ourselves to active resistance with real maturity and discernment. Today we're going to take the next step as we look at the different aspects that make nonlinear defense special. But before we do that, I need to take a minute and describe what nonlinear defense is. Because I often forget that I'm speaking in military terms, and those terms don't always translate well to the average person. So in modern military terms, a nonlinear defense means operating without a traditional continuous front. Forces work in a dispersed, adaptive way across multiple areas, often blending military and non-military tools to handle complex, fluid threats instead of fighting along a straight, predictable line. It's not repelling an attack from a castle. It's not like the trenches of World War I. Nonlinear defense is the defense you do when there's no longer a front line, when there's no longer a clear enemy before you. It's Vietnam. It's the modern aspects of Iraq and Afghanistan after we defeated the known enemy. Once we shifted to insurgency attacks, that is nonlinear defense. The ability to defend yourself when the environment is fluid and uncertain. And so we're taking this same idea and applying it spiritually. Nonlinear defense is a mature believer shift from only protecting themselves to actively guarding, guiding, and strengthening the people around them in a complex spiritual environment through difficult spiritual battles. Instead of a rigid, self-focused approach, it equips leaders and growing Christians to stay centered on Christ while at the same time protecting the whole church through these six different aspects that make nonlinear defense unique, and those are focus, protection, direction, coordination, support, and resilience. Now the first three are what we're going to focus on today. And in short, all of these aspects are about becoming the kind of person who doesn't just survive the fight, but helps the body of Christ grow, stand strong, and get out of that self-preservation mode. This isn't about titles or positions. Any believer amongst a body can be one of these people who executes nonlinear defense properly. It's the final level of our defense, and it makes the whole aspect of our defense that much stronger. Paul says this in 1 Timothy 3, 1 through 7, not just for overseers, but as a picture of what spiritual maturity looks like when it talks about taking responsibility for others. We're going to walk through these six aspects, three of them today. And so in part one, we're not just learning about this information, we're learning how to lead and protect others better. So let's lean in and let's start right away with the first aspect, our focus. Focus is also about having a Christ-centered vision. Mature believers keep a steady, Christ-centered focus, even when life gets loud and support feels thin. This is the foundation that lets us endure and keep the whole church moving forward instead of getting pulled off mission by every distraction that comes our way. Listen while I read these first two verses. First, 1 Corinthians 4 18. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary and what is unseen is eternal. And also Hebrews 12 2. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. So when it comes to nonlinear defense, we must have Christ-centered focus. We fix our eyes on what is unseen and eternal, on Jesus Himself, the author and perfecter of our faith. This isn't a passive activity. This is an act of resistance to every distraction the enemy throws at us. When our vision stays anchored in Christ, we stop getting jerked around by every headline, every offense, every fear that tries to hijack our attention. Philippians 3 13 14 says this, brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it, but one thing I do, forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead, I press on towards the goal to win the prize for what God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. A focused vision on Christ thwarts the enemy's attempt to divert our attention. It strengthens the whole church's pursuit of Christ's mission instead of letting us drift into reaction mode. We focus on the gospel, making disciples and spreading Christ's message, not on what is happening in the here and now. When we stay locked on Jesus, we stop living like victims of whatever is happening around us, and we start living like people on a mission. Picture it with me for a second. Imagine a soldier in the middle of an absolute chaos on the battlefield. Rounds are cracking over their heads, smoke everywhere, people are yelling, and the ground is shaking, but that soldier refuses to take his eyes off the objective. Everything is exploding around him, but he stays locked on what is actually matters. He doesn't get pulled away into every firefight that isn't his. That's exactly what happens when we keep our eyes on Jesus. The chaos doesn't disappear, but it stops owning us, and we accomplish our objective faster. And the faster we accomplish our objective, the mocking of the rounds, the smoke, the yelling, the ground shaking, the faster all of that stops. The faster we get to the finish line. Here's something physical we can do together this week. Identify one distraction that regularly pulls your eyes off Jesus. Maybe it's scrolling on your phone first thing in the morning. Maybe it's a certain news source. Maybe it's replaying conversations that you had yesterday in your head. Whatever it is, choose one simple daily habit this week that helps fix your eyes on Him again. It could be putting one verse on your phone's lock screen and reading it before you open that phone to scroll. It could be a 60-second prayer prompt when you feel your mind starting to spiral. Whatever fits your life, just pick one and do it consistently. Small, steady focus beats dramatic moments every time. When our focus is locked on Christ, something beautiful starts to happen. We stop living only for our own safety. We start looking at the way Christ behaved and how he treated others, and we start looking out for the people around us. So let's talk about that next. That second aspect of nonlinear defense, protecting others, being a shepherd for the flock. Nonlinear defense moves us from just get through the day, survive, get your defenses up, to how do I guard the people of God? How do I guard the people God has entrusted to me or brought before my path? Mature believers and leaders take real responsibility for the reputation, the resources, and the people in their sphere of influence. Listen to Proverbs 27, 23. Be sure you know the condition of your flocks. Give careful attention to your herds. We are called to know the condition of the flock and give careful attention to those entrusted in our care. This isn't optional for mature believers. It's part of our growing up. You can't shepherd people you don't actually know. You can't protect what you're not paying attention to. Now listen to Jesus in John ten, eleven through fourteen. He says, I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and it scatters. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. But I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep, and my sheep know me. Jesus sets the example. He is the good shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep. He paid the ultimate price on the cross for us, to redeem us, to save us, and gave us a mission to go out and save others. Christ says, Pick up your cross and follow me. So we are invited to lead the same way Christ does, guarding against infiltration, encouraging unity, strengthening the overall defenses of the people around us. A hired hand runs when trouble shows up, a mercenary who's not dedicated to the cause, and a part of that unit gives up for his own self-interest, but a shepherd moves towards the trouble because the sheep belong to him, because he knows the sheep. We are called to be good shepherds and emulate Christ's behavior. Picture it like this a good shepherd doesn't just stand at the edge of the flock and hope for the best. He knows the sheep by name, he watches for danger. When a predator shows up, he doesn't calculate his own safety first. He moves towards the trouble. That's the heart we're growing into as we mature in Christ. We stop asking, how do I stay comfortable? How do I maintain my position? How do I increase my influence? And instead, we start asking, who has God put in my care and how do I guard them well? Here is a practical step we can take this week when it comes to building this type of protection mentality. Pick one person or a small group in your sphere of influence, your family, your small groups at church, a team you volunteer with at church, maybe even a younger believer that you are shepherding as a discipling. This week, intentionally know their condition, connect with them, check in with them, pray specifically for them by name every day. Look for one simple way to guard or encourage them. It might be a text, a conversation, or just showing up in their life. The point is we start paying attention on purpose. Protecting others requires clarity about what we're actually up against. So let's talk about direction and priorities. Our next point is as a leader, we have the right priorities. We are going the right direction. We are aware of what the enemy is going to try to do because we have that maturity and that experience. We're seasoned veterans. Leaders and mature believers bring clarity by discerning the enemy's tactics and keeping Christ at the center of every priority. We don't just react, we give clear, loving direction that helps the whole church stay steadfast because we see trouble coming and we know what that trouble leads to, so we give our advice and our instruction before the trouble even hits. We've already studied the enemy's goals and tactics in earlier episodes, so listen to 2 Corinthians 2 11, in order that Satan might not outwit us, for we are not unaware of his schemes. When we talked about his schemes early on in this episode, a leader, a spiritually mature person, knows those schemes and can see them coming on the battlefield. We put that knowledge to work so we don't get outwitted, that he doesn't outsmart us. And so we can help others see what's happening too. We can have them step back and see the full picture. Awareness is part of our responsibility as we grow. When we become more aware, we should commit that awareness to protecting the body. Now listen to 1 Peter 5, 8 and 9. I know I read this passage a lot, but it's very important in the aspects of defense. It says, be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. Staying alert, like this passage talks about, and resisting together keeps the church strong. But we as leaders can help galvanize the body to stay steady instead of panicking or drifting when pressure hits. And so you are the one encouraging others to be alert and to be sober-minded. You are the one reminding them that if they resist and stand firm, he will flee. You are the one pointing out to other believers that we are all going through the same struggles. And Acts 20, 28 gives us this charge. It says, Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the Church of God, which he bought with his own blood, communicating the enemy's tactics in other people's lives with wisdom and love, with courage and compassion, is essential for growth and protection. We speak truth that equips, not truth that wounds unnecessarily. There is a difference between warning someone and just unloading on them. Mature leaders know the difference. Picture it with me one more time as we talk about how to apply this this week. A good commander doesn't just bark orders from a safe distance. He reads the battlefield. He sees what the enemy is doing. He gives clear direction so the whole unit moves together with purpose and doesn't get picked apart. That's the kind of clarity we're learning to bring as we mature. Not control, not fear, but steady Christ-centered direction that helps people stand firm. And here's our last practical step for this week. Choose one area where you sense the enemy at work and someone you lead or care about. It might be discouragement, it might be compromise, they might be divisive or being divided. Pray for discernment this week in their life. Then look at one gentle, timely way to bring clarity or scripture into their situation. Not a lecture, just a word in season that helps them see what's happening and turn back to Jesus, that gives them perspective, that helps them grow. And let's put all of this together. With focus, we endure, centered on Christ. With protecting, we shepherd the people around us. And with direction, we bring clarity against the enemy's schemes. These three aspects together turn us into the kind of mature believer who doesn't just survive, we help the whole church stand strong. That's what nonlinear defense looks like in real spiritual combat. Let's pray together as we close out. Father, thank you for not leaving us to figure this out on our own. Thank you for calling us to grow together, to grow up, not just for our own sake, but so we can help guard and guide the people you've put in our lives. Give us eyes to see what really matters. Give us hearts that protect instead of just protecting ourselves. Give us wisdom to lead with clarity and love. Keep us focused on Jesus when everything around us is loud. Help us know the condition of the people you've entrusted to us and put in our path, and give us the courage to speak truth that equips instead of wounds. We depend on you, Jesus, our good shepherd, our focus, our direction. Lead us well, and it's in your powerful name, Jesus, amen. Now before we go, here's a quick reflection challenge for this week. First, when it comes to focus, what one distraction will you intentionally remove or limit this week so you can fix your eyes more firmly on Christ? Second, when it comes to protecting, who in your flock needs your careful attention and protection this week? Name them out loud right now and take one concrete step towards engaging with them. And finally, third, direction. Where do you need to grow in discerning and gently communicate the enemy's tactics to someone you influence? Now in part two, we'll cover coordination, support, and resilience, how we actually work together as a team in nonlinear defense. And on the topic of this final defense, this isn't just for the pastors of churches. This isn't for the super spiritual. This is for every one of us as we grow in Christ. The more you grow in Christ, the more leadership positions you will take just based off of influence and experience. We're called to be hard targets who also make the church around us harder to hit. We're not doing this alone. We have each other and we have Jesus leading the way. So keep pressing forward, keep staying focused, and let's keep joining the fight together. See you next time. God bless.