Physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.
—1 Timothy 4:8
THE LIGHT FIGHTER COURSE, 7th Infantry Division, Fort Ord, California, summer 1987. I was now a second lieutenant chaplain candidate reporting to the installation chaplain office at Fort Ord. The senior chaplain thought it would be a good idea to put me in the 7th Infantry Division’s advanced course so I could experience what soldiers went through in preparing for combat.
I attended the briefing that outlined what we were about to experience. They assigned me to one of the infantry companies. Then we went to the field with nothing more than what we could carry on our backs (hence, the term light fighter).
Their motto was Travel light, freeze at night. I asked the senior NCO, a first sergeant, which vehicle was going to take us to our destination. He laughed and said, “We’re taking a Mobile Personnel Carrier.” I must have looked confused. Then he said, “Chaplain, look straight down at your boots, because that’s what’s taking you to the field today.”
For two solid weeks I got to experience firsthand what was entailed in advanced infantry tactics, techniques and procedures—a team-carry of telephone poles; making Molotov cocktails and plastic explosives; night infiltration maneuvers; light infantry war-fighting skills; and much more. That training proved invaluable during future assignments in the war-torn countries of Iraq and Afghanistan.
Just to be clear, chaplains do not carry weapons in combat. At the time, however, I was a chaplain candidate, not a chaplain; I had not even graduated from seminary yet. (Things have changed significantly in the chaplain candidate program since then.)
I learned some unique lessons during that infantry training course. One of the most valuable lessons: In the military, as in life, you can accomplish little of real significance by yourself. I depended heavily on my team members to get through. That is the reason the Army assigns “battle buddies.” A battle buddy is the person you are paired with during your basic training experience, ensuring that you learn that you need each other in combat to make it through. As I heard a hundred times in the Army, “There is no ‘I’ in team!” It does take a team—probably one of the reasons the Lord instituted the Church.
Who is my battle buddy? Pastor Claudio (Coco) Perez, pastor of Horizon Christian Fellowship in West Sacramento, California. Besides my wife, he is perhaps the single greatest influence in my life. We have been best friends for more than fifty years. He led me to the Lord and picked me up from my house each week and took me to church, Bible studies, conferences and conventions. We have been through a lot together, and I consider him one of the great Spartan warriors in the Kingdom of God.
Get a battle buddy! In these end times, when we will see the rise of extreme stress, pressure and instability worldwide, we need all the support we can get.
Reasons for Spartan Training
Most people today recognize the term Spartan, but do you know what it means?
Sparta came to prominence around 650 BC as a city-state in ancient Greece. The focus and pride of Sparta was its army. The Spartan army was feared by all the surrounding nations because of the regimented training and discipline of its soldiers. Spartans normally fought to the death. It was considered treason if a Spartan surrendered.
Today the term Spartan is synonymous with hardship, discipline, severity and few comforts. The Spartan army is an example for warriors of God in the last days.
Jesus told His disciples, “In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33 NKJV). My friend retired U.S. Army Major General Robert Dees says of this passage: “Jesus said in this world we will have tribulation. It’s not ‘maybe’; it’s ‘will,’ so let’s get ready for it. We’re all warriors, we get wounded, and we have to bounce back and fight again.”1
That is a Spartan mindset!
The military has a saying: “Mission first. People always.” What is our mission? Jesus told His disciples just before He ascended into heaven:
“Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Matthew 28:19–20
My U.S. Army chaplain friend Colonel Peter Brzezinski explains that, as the end of the age draws near,
it’s even more important that we do what is on the Lord’s heart, which is to reach the lost with the Gospel and train the saints. Those two things are even more important today as we see the return of the Lord approaching, and as things degenerate in the world and evil gets more prominent, setting up the last battle. In the meantime, our task is the same: reach the lost and train the saints.2
These days we are experiencing events reminiscent of the book of Revelation, even if we scarcely realize what is happening. As Scripture unfolds, preparation must take priority over almost everything else—because the time is drawing closer.
Consider what happens in Revelation 8:7 (MEV) when the Lord begins striking the earth with His wrath:
The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mixed with blood, and they were thrown upon the earth. A third of the trees and all the green grass were burned up.
The world witnessed wildfires in Australia recently that killed a “staggeringly huge” one billion animals. Meanwhile, California experienced its deadliest and most destructive fire season in 2018, with nearly 240 square miles burned, more than 18,000 structures destroyed, and the near incineration of the city of Paradise in the Sierra Nevada foothills.3
There are many theories about why so many fires are raging on our planet—climate change, mismanagement of the forests, changes in the earth’s orbit and so on. But the severity of many of these fires has stunned the world.
Another similarity to Revelation—and another reason for Spartan training—comes from outer space:
The third angel sounded, and a great star from heaven, burning like a torch, fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of waters. The name of this star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the waters, because they were made bitter.
Revelation 8:10–11 (MEV)
Many scholars and students of prophecy believe the above passage indicates that the earth will be hit by an asteroid or meteor that will cause great death and destruction.
Currently the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is tracking a “near-Earth asteroid called 99942 Apophis,” 1,100 feet wide (the size of 3.6 football fields) due to approach earth on April 13, 2029.4 This asteroid, if it hits the earth, would have the destructive force of 1,200 megatons (compared to the fifteen kilotons of the Little Boy atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Japan, during World War II).5 Apophis, named by NASA, is the Egyptian god of chaos and destruction. In Egyptian mythology Apophis is depicted as a giant snake.
NASA now downplays the threat, saying the odds of Apophis hitting earth are slim. But some scientists and other leaders are not as confident that this space rock traveling at 25,000 miles per hour will not strike our planet. An asteroid hit could kill millions of people, depending on its location. And there are many other NEOs (near-earth objects) that could pummel our world with devastating results. NEOs are so serious that NASA has a special office dedicated to studying and preventing major impacts.
A third reason for Spartan training is the upcoming threat to the economy. The following verses describe the financial situation on earth amid the opening of the seal judgments:
When He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” I looked, and there was a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. Then I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a day’s wages, and three quarts of barley for a day’s wages, and do not harm the oil and the wine.”
Revelation 6:5–6 (MEV)
This is a reference to a coming shake-up of the world’s economic system.
In good times most people are not as concerned about jobs or paying bills or keeping up with the mortgage. But as we were finishing this book, the coronavirus pandemic brought the global economy to a near standstill as more than half the planet was under stay-at-home orders. The International Monetary Fund issued a warning that the world was facing the “worst recession since the Great Depression.”6 Klaus Schwab, founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum, called for a “‘Great Reset’ of capitalism” to address the crisis.7
Government debt is another financial threat, ballooning in nations around the globe. It is a major problem that few are talking about, but it could be a key factor in the next economic collapse. If you look back in history, you see that no country can sustain large-scale borrowing against its future and survive.
We need an end-times mentality as things rachet up. We call it the Spartan spirit.
The Spartan Spirit
The Spartan army is an example for warriors of God in the last days. As believers, we can follow the fighters of ancient Sparta as a model for training practices—which the Church calls “disciplines”—worthy of consideration for getting closer to God. We call these Spartan warrior training tools.
There were many practices the Spartans used that we would not consider today. But we can learn much from the spirit of Sparta—its rigorous advanced training. Brett and Kate McKay, in their article “The Spartan Way: The Mindset and Tactics of a Battle-Ready Warrior,” write:
The Spartans were an extremely reverent people. . . . Before embarking on a campaign, every morning while on it, and immediately preceding battle, oracles were consulted, sacrifices were made, and omens were examined. The sanction, or censure, of the gods was sought for every decision.8
What types of training did the Spartans undergo to maintain the famous Spartan military formation and achieve victory in battle? Principles of combat included the following:
Let’s explore the Spartan-like disciplines that warriors of God will need to survive and fulfill their destiny in the end times. The author of Hebrews states:
Leaving the elementary principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. This we will do if God permits.
Hebrews 6:1–3 MEV
In other words, we need to move beyond the elementary things of God and move into advanced training to become more effective in our lives and ministries.
Spartan Warrior Training Tools
Here are some training practices—what we call Spartan warrior training tools.
Solitude
Sometimes we need to move away from the noise of life and get alone and quiet before God so we can hear His “still small voice” (1 Kings 19:12 NKJV). Noise—whether electronic gadgets, friends, phones, family, work or other intrusive things—is one of the weapons used against us in this restless world.
Solitude is time away from the noise that better positions you for quiet reflection about your life, journey and way of being. Solitude is not loneliness; it is being alone to spend time with God and yourself. Many of us are fearful of being alone. Try it and experience the awesome power of God’s presence in a quiet place. Warriors need to get away from the battle.
We see this clearly in the story of Elijah after he defeated Baal on Mount Carmel and had 450 prophets of Baal killed. Queen Jezebel was furious and sought to destroy Elijah, who fled for his life. The story continues:
Then [God] said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.
1 Kings 19:11–13 NKJV
That is when Elijah experienced God—not in the powerful wind, strong earthquake or raging fire, but in that “still small voice,” the whisper of God in a quiet place.
King David, while fleeing from his son Absalom, who was trying to kill him, experienced God in the wilderness of Judah: “O God, thou art my God, I seek thee, my soul thirsts for thee; my flesh faints for thee, as in a dry and weary land where no water is” (Psalm 63:1 RSV).
Jesus told His disciples to follow Him into a restful place for solitude: “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest” (Mark 6:31). The Lord knew He had to take time away from the ministry to renew and refresh not only Himself but also His disciples, who were ministering with him to the huge crowds.
Many times in my own ministry around the world to soldiers, families and civilians, I have needed time away from work and the crowds. My wife and I schedule time in places that are special to us, places in the great outdoors that provide a haven for solitude and reflection. This gives us a chance to pray alone and with each other, read spiritual books, and discuss what we hear God saying. (More about this in the next chapter, “Rest and Recuperation.”)
Fasting
The simple definition of fasting: going without, in order to focus on your relationship to God, so you may glorify Him. Most often it is abstaining from food, but it could be abstaining for a time from media (television, movies, sports, gaming, social media) or other distractions.
A poignant passage in the Bible about fasting is found in Daniel 10:2–6:
At that time I, Daniel, mourned for three weeks. I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips; and I used no lotions at all until the three weeks were over. On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank of the great river, the Tigris, I looked up and there before me was a man dressed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. His body was like topaz, his face like lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multitude.
Daniel had dedicated himself to get ahold of God for a specific period in order to understand God’s purpose concerning his people. As Daniel did, he received an astounding vision of the angel Gabriel, who had been detained in battle for those three weeks with the prince of Persia. (We looked at that warfare in chapter 2.) Fasting had been the explosive power that created an opening for Daniel’s prayers. God pulled back the curtain for him to see how things really were. He learned of the forces of God, His angels and battling in the unseen world against the forces of evil.
Fasting creates a way for us, too, to move closer to God and hear His whisper in that still, small voice. We need to understand and carry out the intentions of our Commander. Fasting is a helpful discipline as we seek God for His clarifying orders. Many times the answers to our petitions do not come right away. Like Daniel, we may experience roadblocks and obstacles without our even knowing it.
I have fasted many times over the years, especially when I needed to make an important, life-changing decision such as a career change or new direction in ministry. Fasting helps us focus on what is important—our relationship to God.
One such time occurred when I came up for promotion from major to lieutenant colonel. I needed to know whether God wanted me to stay in the Army or move into pastoral ministry. The answer came clearly one day when the board of the church with which I was connected decided to go another direction. I had my answer and have never regretted taking responsibility for the spiritual well-being of Army installations around the world.
Sabbath Observance
At Camp Taji in Iraq, where I spent some time, there was a Forward Arming and Refueling Point (FARP). It was like a NASCAR pit crew, only for attack helicopters. FARP soldiers transfer hundreds of gallons of fuel and thousands of pounds of ammunition into aircraft to keep them in the fight and the enemy on their heels. An aircraft can land, be refueled and reloaded with ammunition, and get back into the air in a matter of minutes.
With war raging around us, it is important to understand the role of keeping the Sabbath. Church is our FARP—the filling station where we go to glorify God, bless His name corporately, get invigorated by His Word, pray, take Communion, enjoy fellowship with other believers, and go back out to touch a lost and dying world.
Many today take the church as a social club, a meeting place or a place of duty. It is not any of those things. Some view the Sabbath as a burden or a box to be checked on the holiness list. If going to church is burdensome and wearying to you, something is wrong—either your spiritual condition or the church you are attending. Take a hard look at both. If you ask God, He will give you discernment.
There is great misunderstanding about what the Sabbath is about. Why is Sabbath observance important for a spiritual warrior? And why is it so important to God as to be included as one of the Ten Commandments? Let’s look at Exodus 20:8–11 (MEV):
Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, or your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or your sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
Simply put, God instituted the Sabbath so we could spend one day resting from our labors to glorify and spend time with Him. Some people get caught up in whether we should observe the Sabbath on Saturdays or Sundays. The important thing is to set aside one day a week. (The early Christians used the first day of the week as their day to worship God.)
The Sabbath had its beginning in Genesis 2:2: “On the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done” (MEV).
Let’s get something straight: God does not need to rest. Remember, “he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep” (Psalm 121:4). The actual word in Genesis used for rest is Sabbath, meaning to cease from labor. God could have created the world in one moment by the word of His mouth. He took seven days to show His care for creation, for our sakes. He used a process to enjoy the works of His hands so we might glorify Him in all things.
One scientist discovered recently that there are not billions of galaxies in the known universe, as once thought, but around two trillion galaxies, and each galaxy contains between one hundred to two hundred billion stars.10 That is mind-bogglingly awesome! We get to glorify God each moment of every day, and especially on the Sabbath.
I like the word pause instead of rest. God paused from creating. Keeping the Sabbath is one of the Ten Commandments because God knew that His people would need to pause from or cease their regular work in order to focus on what is truly important—their relationship with Him.
Going aside to worship also brings God’s perspective:
All day long I have been afflicted, and every morning brings new punishments. If I had spoken out like that, I would have betrayed your children. When I tried to understand all this, it troubled me deeply till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny.
Psalm 73:14–17
The psalmist saw difficulty, distress and evil prospering until he entered the sanctuary and realized the “final destiny” of those who oppose God.
The Sabbath refreshes and renews our worldview, gives us strength for the fight, and renews our confidence in God. Take every chance you can to quiet yourself on the Lord’s Day and be with His people in order to face the battles in front of you.
Fellowship
We need each other for support, for building our faith, and for edification. Acts 2:42 sums it up this way: “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” This is the finest example in the Bible to explain what fellowship is about. Just as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit have been in relationship and communion for eternity, the example is set for the rest of us to follow. Fellowship is all about community and sharing.
Being around others of like faith is where we draw our strength, endurance and support. Sharing in Bible studies, prayerful conversation and spiritual mentoring is the art and practice of fellowship.
One tactic of our enemy is to isolate us, to draw us away from other believers and to cut off fellowship. Many Christians today say they don’t need to attend church or have fellowship with other believers. That is the individualism of Western thought. It is dangerous. As I said earlier, drill sergeants yell at the troops all the time, “There is no ‘I’ in team!” The military by nature is a team. No one goes into battle alone, and no one leaves a battle buddy alone on the field of combat.
There are many more disciplines and practices—including personal reflection, meditation, benevolence, service, simplicity and silence—to seek and practice. All are beneficial and good for the soul. And all help us to train and fight like Spartans.
SPARTAN PRINCIPLES
BELIEVER’S SPARTAN PRINCIPLES
STRATEGIC SPIRITUAL EXERCISES
Here are some practical takeaways for Spartan warrior training in the end times: