One of the core principles of the Navy SEALs is “Train like you fight and fight like you train.” This is precisely what Proverbs teaches: Disciplined training (musar) is the required path to build the wisdom and skill (hokma) necessary for winning the battles of life.
We will continue to study what Proverbs teaches about the process of musar, but today we will take a break from Proverbs and consider four spiritual disciplines from the New Testament to which every Christian should be fully committed.
1) Abide in Christ (John 15.4-5). This is where the Christian life begins, and this is where the faithful Christian must always remain: Intimately connected to the Lord Jesus. “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”
Jesus is the source of our salvation, and he is the source of our strength for daily life and work. It is Jesus who gives us victory over sin. Paul said it this way: “We have this treasure in earthen vessels to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.”
2) Be trained by grace (Titus 2.11-12). Having acknowledged that Jesus is the source of our salvation and our strength, we must then take action to learn and grow strong. Musar applies to the Christian life. The NT calls is being “trained by grace.”
Abiding in Jesus requires faith that is additive, not passive. We are saved by grace, but scripture makes it clear we are also trained by grace. Here is what the Titus passage says: “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age…”.
We must engage in the disciplined process of learning skills and building strength for living the Christian life in a broken world. Isn’t it fascinating that this is a process of grace? We do not train and build skill in order to be saved; rather, we train and build skill because we are saved. Training/musar doesn’t cause salvation; training/musar flows from salvation.
3) Train yourself in godliness (1 Timothy 4.7). This action statement follows from the previous. If you want to live a godly life; if you want to be a strong and effective follower of Christ; then you must train yourself to think and act in a godly way. I have said it repeatedly in these devotionals: the strength and skills necessary for living a godly life are not automatically given to use when we are saved. We must trust God and do the work to build strength and skill.
God makes his grace and power available to us as we do this work. This is not self-help. This is not purely human effort. This is hard word and personal discipline that is energized by abiding in Christ and trusting in his grace. This is not about earning something from God; this is giving Spirit-empowered effort for God.
4) Discipline yourself like a spiritual athlete (1 Corinthians 9.24-27). Just in case there is any lingering doubt or confusion about the necessity for musar in spiritual growth, Paul makes it clear in this passage. “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.”
Self-discipline is essential to spiritual growth. Indeed, self-discipline is one of the fruit of the Spirit. Again, this is not about earning God’s favor; it is about Spirit-empowered effort. If you have trusted in Christ, you already have his favor. The question now is, what are you going to do with it? As a recipient of his favor and grace, how will you respond?
“Keep hold of instruction (musar); do not let go; guard her, for she is your life.” (Proverbs 4.13)
Living the Christian life in the midst of a fallen world is a battle. Are you prepared? Train like you fight, and fight like you train.
