Wilderness training is something of a rage today. People want to be able to be able to face difficulty and have the training to meet it head-long and still survive and maybe even thrive.

There is a more desolate spiritual wilderness, a spiritual warfare going on unseen by human eyes today. Its effects on the human heart, mind and body are immeasurably greater than those of war, famine, or plague. There is a time for everyone to die and then comes judgement. The Word of God makes it clear that the true battle for the life and eternal destiny of human beings is not a physical one.

The Apostle Paul clarifies that we do not battle against “flesh and blood” but against principalities and powers, rulers of spiritual wickedness in high places. Satan and all the demons he commands have been committed to the destruction of, the distortion of, the decay of and the deceiving of humanity from the very beginning.

The “lie” that is carried in the DNA of every human being is, “You have no need of God, nor knowledge of His ways to live a fulfilled life of purpose and meaning. You can do it on your own.”

That was the “Kool-Aid” that Adam and Eve drank in Eden’s Garden.

Any serious student of history will tell you that embracing that lie and trying to make sense of human living through that “lens” has proved disastrous. Being creatures, we have a Creator, and it is not innate in the creature to know its purpose and “raison d’etre” apart from knowing that out of a relation to the Creator.

We are living in a world that is broken, distorted, chaotic and merciless at its core. The “world system” devised by and reinforced by subtle and purposeful demonic forces has made planet Earth a desolate spiritual wilderness. “Spirituality” and being a “spiritual person” are the buzz-words of a culture that has been led to believe that anything “spiritual” must be of benefit and worthy of pursuit. Being “spiritual” guarantees nothing. It cannot be equated with “living in the Truth’ for, you must remember, the devil and his demons are seducing spirit beings and there is no goodness or truth in them. The plethora of religious systems that abound in our world today are poisoned wells from which you drink at your peril.

Any philosophy, religious or spiritual system that does not uniquely, singularly point you to the Person of Jesus Christ and what He has already accomplished to restore humanity to God through His death and resurrection is a deception and a cheat. There is Life, forgiveness, goodness, life-transformation, and the salvaging of humanity in no other.

Making your way through any wilderness you need a functioning compass, a seasoned and experienced guide, provisions of food that will not spoil and water that is clean. You must keep your wits about you and be aware of your surroundings to avoid poisonous critters and plants. You must be armed well enough to fend off anything savage that has the capacity to maim or kill.

It is not surprising that the Word of God is often referred to as “the bread of life” and that the Holy Spirit is referred to as an eternal artesian spring of Living Water springing up in the life of a follower of Jesus Christ. Speaking of being a follower, the only reliable guide through the spiritual wilderness we are trekking through is the Lord, Himself. He leads us by the Holy Spirit’s indwelling Presence as our Good Shepherd, caring for us and leading us in ways that will make for Life. Feeding on the Word of God and being in ongoing conversation with the Lord is essential to navigating our way through this present wilderness.

Someone once asked an old preacher, “What’s more important, reading the Bible or prayer?” The preacher replied, “What is more important, breathing in or breathing out?” Intimacy with God, the Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer of our lives through time studying His Word, is essential.  Committing His Word to memory in the same way as a wilderness trekker commits maps to memory is crucial as is prayer, speaking to and listening to God.

This wilderness journey is never meant to be a “solo” venture. We are meant to make this trek through life with fellow followers of Jesus. Each one has perspectives unique to how God has “wired” them. Each contributes into the lives of the other pilgrims for their strengthening. God’s Word describes fellow believers as the Body of Christ, a living organism organized by God and empowered by the Holy Spirit to be able to make the journey and rescue as many lost wanderers as we can on the way.

We are equipped for this wilderness pilgrimage, this spiritual war, by Jesus Christ living His Life within us by the Holy Spirit. Jesus is, Himself, the “Armor of God” that we have been clothed in; an armor we never take off but need to be reminded daily that we have been clothed in it by God.

Jesus is the Truth that girds us. He is our righteousness (breastplate), our salvation (helmet). He is the “Gospel” the Good News, Himself, making us able to stand firm, to run and not become weary, to walk and not faint. His faith if our shield as He lives out His faithfulness and obedience in us. He is the Living Word, that Sword of the Spirit. He has equipped us for this wilderness journey.

As we continue to become more “battle-hardened”, more wilderness-trained in following Jesus as we traverse this life, we can be of help along the way to those still walking deceived in spiritual darkness. Stay in God’s Word. Stay in His Presence in prayer. Trust Him with every detail of the journey. Rely on Him and His faithfulness. Where He leads, there is always a Destination and, ultimately, a new heaven and a new earth promised for those who believe Him.