Spiritual warfare has led to a
prolific printing of books about Satan’s opposition to
Christians as they seek to live and serve the Lord. Stanley Gale
has written to help believers develop a mindset about their call
to serve as fellow warriors extending the Kingdom of God.
Christians are urged to understand that we are not living in
peacetime, but in a great conflict between two kingdoms, that of
Satan and God.
There are three main sections to
the book. In the first entitled “Enlistment,” we are reminded
that we have a divine commission and that we are called to
active duty as long as we live on this earth. He describes the
hostile environment of this fallen world. Even though this is
Satan’s territory, Gale warns that it does not mean as some
sensationalist writers like to describe it that it is divided
into territorial regions under demonic landlords. We are not
called to identify such beings.
Gale develops the Kingdom
conflict by contrasting the Kingdom of God with Satan’s kingdom
and the victory that is won through Christ. The very nature of
the growth of the Kingdom comes through evangelism. Christians
cannot bear a peace mentality when it comes to proclaiming the
gospel of reconciliation and emancipation.
In the second main section
addressing the “Equipment” Gale gives a good description of the
spiritual weapons to be used in the battle of what he calls
“plundering Christ’s spoils.” The most powerful weapon he
describes is the Holy Spirit, and he follows that up with an
indepth study of the weapon of prayer followed by how to wield
the weapons of prayer and the Word of God.
The third main section is
“Engagement.” Here Gale does a very good job of encouraging and
challenging those who believe to take the gospel into the world
and make contact with those who are still captive to the kingdom
of Satan. He does it in a manner that will cause you to see
there are more opportunities than you might realize. He provides
a good chart for a believer to record how many relationships he
has in different locations. He calls it “life-sphere mapping.”
The chapter on Rules of Engagement is excellent in that it
stresses relationships and the importance of communication,
which includes listening. We shouldn’t just talk at people, but
talk to them especially in a manner as the Apostle Peter says,
with “respect and gentleness.” He again emphasizes the
importance of prayer in that we “talk to God for people, and we
talk to people for God.” A believer does this while being in
step with the Holy Spirit of God. The believer engages with
communication, and the Spirit, in his own time and way, engages
with conversion.
Gale writes in a warm and winsome
way that will touch your heart with a desire to re-enlist in the
great warfare between the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of
Satan. You do not have to do it with a sense of winning a
victory, but rather realizing the victory is already won by
Jesus Christ.
Dick Aeschliman Director of
Resources
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May 2006 Book
Review
