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On Being Christian - Prepare for Battle from the Moment You Wake
Falling is easy, you need only fall - no effort at all. To give in to the natural gravitational pull of this world will always be much easier than the battle against it. From the very moment you wake, you feel the pull of the dirt calling its body back to it. And with it, shall it continue to draw on you, wear you down and never let go until the time you do go (either up or down). And so we may wake weary or, for those lucky few, you may wake renewed ready to start another beautiful day in the care of God. Another day to give praise to God. To thank Him for watching over you this past night. And so my dear brothers and sisters, not a moment of your day should pass before you begin your day with a prayer of thanks to God and to entreat Him to be with you this day, all day, to walk in the shadow of His care through the burning heat of this existence. If, outside your door, there was raging snow storm with temperatures well below zero. Would you think for one single second of walking out your front door naked? Then why would you start a single moment without His protection. "His desire to save you is greater than that of your enemy to destroy you." Thus every morning begin in God's name. Start your struggle against the enemies with God as your guide.

Saint Theophilus the Imprisoned said, "The earlier you start to save, the sooner you start to gain. The sooner you start the struggle, the sooner it will not be." How true are these words. The struggle you suffer quickly becomes a habit and thus is no longer a struggle. For from the very moment you wake, you prepare yourself with prayer and entreatment of God and then prepare for the attacks of the world, then they become as habit forming for you as breathing. Do you consciously think about breathing? Of course not. It is something you do with thought. Soon my fellow warriors will it be second nature for you to resist the wiles and temptations of the devil. Not that you should praise yourself for this progress, but thank God that he has helped you to over come this one of many, many mountains yet to come.

And too, should you start your day in prayer, for the day can start with just a little sin. Like, let me lay in bed for a little longer. Let me lounge and take comfort before the struggle begins. How true are these words. For there is NO struggle in lounging in bed. Laziness is always easier than the struggle. There is no such thing as a little sin. The complete corrosion of a sword begins with a single speck of rust. Left untouched, this little speck of rust can grow wide and deep and soon the sword was completely worthless.

"I would say this, be prudent. It is better for you to undertake now the temporary labors, struggles and hardships of this spiritual warfare so as to overcome your foes, then to receive a crown and be united with God both here and forever - in the kingdom heaven."

Based on the writings of Saint Nicodemus in Unseen Warfare.