But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith.

Devotion based on Jude 1:20

“Pop” Greene had a big problem. The Civil War battle of Gettysburg was getting underway. His commanding officer had just ordered him to defend a key hill that the enemy troops would soon attack. The problem was that Pop did not know if he had enough men to do the job. As a result, Pop Greene made a key decision. He decided to do what his commanding officer thought was not worth the time or effort and decided to build breastworks.

He ordered his men to chop down trees. From these trees, they built solid, protective barriers behind which to stand. The men kept at it, doing all they could to transform their hill into a fortress. Then, the enemy troops attacked. By comparison, Pop’s men were small in number. But so strong were the breastworks that Pop Greene’s modest unit was able to hold the hill. If they hadn’t, the Battle of Gettysburg—and the history of the United States—may have turned out very differently.

Enemy troops are gathered to attack you and me as well. Satan and his demons are coordinating with the temptations of this fallen world and our old sinful selves. Their next attack is not a question of “if.” It’s simply a question of “when.”

However, between now and the next attack, you and I have something extraordinary at our disposal. We have the living, enduring Word of God. We have the good news of what Jesus Christ has done to make us his own—to live a perfect life in our place, to suffer and die at Calvary’s cross for our sins.

With all this at hand, spiritual breastworks are built—breastworks of faith, truth, and solid certainty in the promises of our Savior. When you and I roll up our sleeves and grow in the Word of our Lord, his Holy Spirit builds us up. He constructs a spiritual fortress behind which you and I stand. Then, when the enemies attack, they will not prevail.

Prayer: