1 Samuel 13:19 (NKJV)
“Now there was no blacksmith to be found throughout all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, ‘Lest the Hebrews make swords or spears.’”

In the days of old, one of the most important craftsmen needed, were blacksmiths because they prepared the weapons needed for warfare. Woe betide any people who could not produce their own weapons. Even today, nations who do not have the capacity to produce or procure military hardware are at a great disadvantage in international politics.

To be vulnerable means you are alone and unable to equip yourself to fight back. To be vulnerable means you lack what you need to take a stand, and nobody is standing with you. To be vulnerable means Satan can attack you at will, and you can’t respond, even if you wanted to.

To escape this vulnerability, we need blacksmiths. We need to be able to sharpen our tools and equip ourselves for spiritual warfare. We need both inner and external capacities to rise up and fight back. We need the skills, the knowledge and the instruments to push back the gates of hell. Before the battle intensifies, this is the time to ensure we are equipped.

Any church that is not equipping her people for the battles of life is a failed church. Any family that isn’t preparing her family members for challenges ahead is a failed family. One of the biggest gifts you can give anyone is equipping them for the future. Sharpening, means survival.

If no-one is equipping you, equip yourself. Go look for your blacksmith. Attend seminars. Read books. Go for spiritual retreats. Get mentorship. As this dispensation draws to a close, the battles will become trickier and messier. Only spiritually trained warriors will survive. And Satan will do all in his power to ensure you are not prepared for what’s coming.

Don’t accept stagnation. Don’t be satisfied with where you are. Don’t stay in that church where all they do is jump and sing and dance. Make sure you are building your spiritual reserves and growing your knowledge base. Pursue personal development, and don’t limit it to the spiritual.

To paralyze Saul’s army, the Philistines ensured that there were no blacksmiths in the land. It’s outrageous to imagine that Saul had an army without weapons. Why did Saul do nothing about this? Did they not know that they would need to fight someday.

In the same way, many in the church today are like toothless bulldogs. They can bark but they cannot bite. And Satan loves this. Beloved, go find your blacksmith and keep your life sharpened and ready for the conflicts that’s coming to you.