I have heard well meaning ministers say, “Christians don’t retreat!” I understand the implications and motives of what they are saying,  “We never back away from the good fight” and “We are always taking new territory against the enemy”, but I have some concerns. Is the saying “Christians don’t retreat!” biblically or practically sound? I believe that without explanation the comment can communicate the wrong message.

Any soldier who is constantly on the front lines of battle without a break will undoubtedly begin to lose the war. No human can go non-stop. Soldiers must have an opportunity to regroup, rest, eat, and adjust their battle plan. Times of training and re-equipping are essential. And so it is with Christians in our Great Commission.

In our culture, in ministry, yes and even in TC, we are pressed to go, go, go, do, accomplish, ‘get er done.” We are, by some people, made to feel guilty if we are not working 7 days a week. With that kind of mentality we will “grow weary in well doing” and the end result will be burnout and dropout.

We must retreat into the presence of God. You with Him alone; refreshed, thirst quenched, fed, and strengthened.

“….but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
   they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
   they shall walk and not faint.” – Isaiah 40:31

Prioritize: Determine that if it was important for Jesus to “retreat” how much more important it must be for me.

“And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone,” – Matthew 14:23

“And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray.” – Mark 6:46

“And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.” – Mark 1:35

“But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” – Luke 5:16

Position: Understand that true battle against the enemy starts on our knees.

I think that it is interesting that Ephesians 6 tells us that we need to put on the whole armor of God and the very next thing Paul says to do, in the very same sentence, is to pray! Put on the armor and pray. (Ephesians 6:10-20)

This is where we will truly defeat the enemy. This is where we will hear from God with His battle plan. This is where we will gain vision and hope. This is where we will be strengthened and refreshed.

Prepare: Remove the distractions.

In our noisy world we can easily be distracted. I think that was one of the things that Jesus was considering when he told us to go into our closet to pray; shut everything out.

Plan: Schedule daily appointments with God, just you and Him and schedule extended times to connect to God on an ongoing basis.

Isn’t there something about a Sabbath in the scripture? I am not a legalist when it comes to the Sabbath, but I do believe we need regular times of “Sabbath” in our lives.

Put your time with God on your calendar just like any other appointment. When other things try to  pull  us away, when needed, we can say with all truthfulness, “Oh, I’m sorry,  I have a meeting scheduled at that time.” What meeting is more important than hanging out with God?

Think about it

• Do you have your own place to get alone with God?
• Do you schedule regular and extended times with God?
• Write out your plan now and include an accountability partner to help you succeed.