What are we seeing in the church today?
In the church today, there is a lack of faith and an emphasis on experience. Experience does not exercise faith. Believers must be doctrinally grounded by faith first, then work toward experience, not the other way around. The church has also lost its confrontational stand against the powers in high places.
Les explains that the Roman soldier's armor was designed only for forward movement, never retreat. He recalls that some liberals criticized the hymn 'Onward, Christian Soldiers' as too militant and confrontational, and suggests that maybe that is what happened to the church—it lost that spirit. He says we must be confrontational up to a point, not obnoxious, but able to stand against the powers in high places. Regarding the shield of faith, Les asks what we are seeing today: a lack of faith and an emphasis on experience. Experience does not exercise faith. We must be doctrinally grounded by faith, and then work toward experience, not the other way around.