Counsel: Christianity’s Secret Weapon

No piece of World War II weaponry was developed under stricter concealment prior to its debut as the atomic bomb.

The Manhattan Project—the code name for the United States’ covert effort to develop the first nuclear weapon—was top secret business. “The overriding concern of General Leslie R. Groves in managing the Manhattan Project was secrecy,” the Atomic Heritage Foundation stated. “No one could travel from one site to another without the general’s permission. Knowledge was compartmentalized. Workers were told only what they needed to know and were forbidden to discuss their jobs with anyone other than designated supervisors.”

Yet there was a limit. Eventually, a group of eminent scientists needed access to more information. The foundation continued: “…this openness among the top echelon of scientists at Los Alamos was an exception and was contained ‘inside the fence.’ For everyone else, it was ‘Stick to your knitting!’”

General Groves realized this approach ultimately would not work. He and the scientists could not go it alone to invent the atom bomb. They needed to work together to tackle the problem.

In a sense, it was counsel—not the atomic bomb—that won World War II. Intelligent counsel is a military power’s truest secret weapon. Only under its umbrella could any level of weaponry be effective.

About 20 centuries prior, what is commonly known as The Art of War, a Chinese treatise often regarded as the most ancient on warfare, stated, “The general that hearkens to my counsel and acts upon it, will conquer…”

The treatise continued: “While heading the profit of my counsel, avail yourself also of any helpful circumstances over and beyond the ordinary rules.”

In other words, heed any counsel or change in circumstances that comes your way so that you can ensure victory.

Yet the idea that wise counsel is a key to winning war can be traced back even further. God Himself inspired King Solomon to write in Proverbs 24:6, “By wise counsel you shall make your war: and in multitude of counsellors there is safety.”

Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance defines “safety” as “deliverance,” “help” “salvation” and “victory.”

God says this type of counsel can help you be rescued, delivered, saved and victorious!

Note that the man used to record this verse experienced total peace during his 40-year reign. The very name Solomon means “peaceful.”

This privileged knowledge carries a profound instruction for Christians. Unlike those in the military, we do not engage in physical warfare. Yet the Bible makes plain that we wage a different—far more dangerous—form of war.

Spiritual war has existed since long before man ever walked on Earth. Every true Christian has been chosen to fight in it: “You therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ” (II Tim. 2:3).

We are to fight daily this most ancient of all wars, yet we do not use physical weapons: “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God…” (II Cor. 10:4).

When properly understood, sound spiritual counsel will become one of your mightiest spiritual weapons.

Beware of “Self-Counsel”

Recognize that Solomon specified “wise counsel” in Proverbs 24:6. Not all counsel qualifies as “wise.” We must be warned of a counterfeit that has circulated for millennia. Some of its most prominent features are embodied in the following verses.

• “There is a way which seems right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Prov. 14:12).
• Wisdom that “descends not from above”—not from God—“is earthly, sensual, devilish” (Jms. 3:15).
• Each person’s heart and mind are “deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked” (Jer. 17:9).
• We are to cast down “imaginations [Greek: computations or reasoning], and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God…” (II Cor. 10:5).

These scriptures all mention aspects of the ungodly weaponry known as self-counsel. They all point to human nature’s desire to reason its way out of—and justify—wrong actions.

It is unwise to rely on this weapon. Sooner or later, it backfires!

An example of self-counsel’s deadly boomerang effect is Genesis 3, where Eve “saw that the [forbidden] tree was good for food…pleasant to the eyes, and…desired to make one wise…and did eat…” (vs. 6).

Here the term translated “saw” can mean “advise self” (Strong’s). Like children playing with a firearm, Adam and Eve got themselves and many others deadly wounded.

Similarly, Matthew 16:7 tells of a time when the disciples “reasoned among themselves.” Christ’s reaction was: “O you of little faith…” (vs. 8).

If not close to God, we too can resort to this same mindset. Self-counsel is purely carnal and must never be confused with spiritual counsel. Make this distinction clear in your mind!

Spiritual Counsel

Solomon connected “wise counsel” with a “multitude of counsellors” in Proverbs 24:6. Both are needed to win spiritual victory. God equips His people with three types of counsel we can receive for various spiritual challenges: personal Bible study, Church materials, and the ministry.

The following verses set up the importance of using these tools for growth:

• Proverbs 15:28: “The heart of the righteous studies to answer…”
• II Timothy 2:15: “Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
• II Timothy 3:16-17: “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”

Righteousness. Approval. Perfection. These are all characteristics of a conquering Christian. Wise counsel can help us achieve them all.

Led by the Holy Spirit, we can discern how to strike the right combination of the three types of counsel to conquer spiritual problems.

Personal Bible Study

The function of Bible study among your “multitude of counselors” should be to study specific verses to gain the big-picture view of a topic related to your battle.

Hebrews 4:12 states that God’s Word “is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

A great way to achieve this can be using a topical Bible. For instance, a person struggling with anger could look up all the verses containing the words “anger,” “angry,” “wrath” and other related terms. This can also be done by typing search terms into digital Bible helps such as e-Sword, Blue Letter Bible, or Bible Hub.

Another version of this exercise is recalling as many related verses as you can from memory—the Bible “inside your head.”

You could take it a step further by looking into definitions of the Bible’s original languages—Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek—to get a better sense of what the English translation means.

When you seek counsel from the Bible, always keep in mind that it is a form of God talking to you. If God were visibly walking the Earth, would you not make time to go to Him to ask questions and listen to all He has to say? You can do exactly that through His inspired Word!

Sometimes Bible study is all you need to win battles—particularly smaller life issues that God’s Word can address directly and simply.

Other clashes may require more “firepower.”

Church Materials

The literature and videos God’s Church makes available can help you wage spiritual warfare in areas where it is necessary to learn how to apply the Bible’s principles in today’s world.

Church materials were designed to help fulfill the ministry’s commission to “feed the flock” (I Pet. 5:2). These resources should be a regular part of your spiritual diet. Equate having Church materials to having a minister sitting right there with you, at your leisure. What is nice is that you can go at your own pace, look up scriptures, and use reference materials.

As war generals work on tactics and strategies, Mr. Pack and other ministers and Church writers have spent countless hours of in-depth Bible study to create an armory you can access 24/7: books, booklets, World to Come videos, sermons, articles in the Pillar, Real Truth and Ambassador Youth magazines, a series of questions & answers, article reprints, and so much more. All of this is accessible on rcg.org.

Whatever spiritual issue you are battling, there is almost certainly a study item tailored for that on the Church’s website.

For example, if you are struggling with your budget, study Taking Charge of Your Finances. If you are dealing with poor health or would like to improve your diet, read The Truth About Healing and God’s Principles of Healthful Living. Lacking focus and zeal in your prayers? Study The Keys to Dynamic Prayer. The booklet What Is Real Faith? can reinvigorate your trust in God, His Word and His Church.

Reinforce what you read with related sermons and Pillar articles.

The Ministry

During the WWII battle of D-Day, “many of the first troops to arrive at Normandy, in northern France, were accidentally dropped off by their landing boats in too-deep water, where they sank under the weight of their guns and equipment,” stated a BBC article titled “D-Day veteran: ‘Men drowned as they jumped off the boats.’”

For many, it was not the spray of the Germans’ fearsome machine guns or shrapnel from exploding landmines. It was the soldiers’ weight from extra items that was fatal.

The same applies for Christians. Unnecessary “weight”—the burden of sin, distractions or personal problems—can deal a fatal blow before we ever make progress.

This is where the third type of counsel is most effective: seeking the ministry’s direct guidance. A minister of God seeks to lift a person up through sound scriptural counsel on how to repent—so that person can rise, turn his life around and overcome! Part of this counsel is aimed at helping the individual “lay aside every weight, and the sin which does so easily beset us” so that he may “run with patience the race that is set before us” (Heb. 12:1).

Contact your minister on matters you find are bogging down your Christian fight, particularly when you are finding the Church’s materials and Bible verses are not enough.

Ministers always look forward to hearing from brethren, even when they are experiencing difficult times. They are there to assist you in your spiritual road to victory in God’s Kingdom. Few things can disappoint a minister more than to find out a person did not reach out to him when counsel was needed.

Use Acts 8:31 as your default mindset toward the ministry: “How can I [understand], except some man should guide me?”

Ministers are the “helpers of your joy” (II Cor. 1:24). They understand that “to the counselors of peace is joy” (Prov. 12:20). They will suffer with you when you experience challenges and rejoice with you in victory! They have your best interests in mind and “must give account” to God for you (Heb. 13:17).

It is also important to remember that ministers are bound to keep their counseling sessions confidential. What you say will stay between the ministry, you and God!

Sadly, a tendency of the Laodicean age is to not seek or receive guidance from ministers. This is a ditch to steer clear of in the age where the people rule, judge and decide. In other words, Laodiceans resort to self-counsel. No wonder Christ’s instruction to the seventh Church era in Revelation 3:18 begins with “I counsel you…”

It is imperative to trust, respect and seek God’s counsel through His leadership (Eph. 4:11-12). Making the connection between the ministry and divine authority at work is crucial (Matt. 10:40). You can take comfort that God has bound Himself to work through these men—though imperfect—as vessels in His true Church (Heb. 8:6).

An opposite tendency is that some desire Catholic-style confession to relieve themselves of the burden of hidden sins and faults. Such individuals desire to frequently and openly declare their sins to a minister. Yet this practice does not help a person overcome sin, and is nothing short of blasphemy. (Read the answer to the question, “Is confession a biblical practice?”)

Both incorrect tendencies paint ministers as intimidating and unapproachable—the complete opposite of being a “helper of joy.” No one should ever feel this way about one of God’s true ministers. Rather, he should seek to “esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake” (I Thes. 5:13).

Your minister is there to ensure you succeed and grow! In order to do so, however, you must approach him properly.

Additional Notes

Your minister is there to help you through perplexing spiritual difficulties. If you are facing a challenging decision regarding your career, family relationships, or something personal, ask to speak with him.

This does not mean every counseling session must revolve around problems. Sound spiritual advice can come from anything noteworthy such as personal successes or larger life goals you may be pursuing. There also may be complex Bible or prophetic questions that you will want to ask in order to avoid confusion in your own study.

Another important item to note: Sometimes members seek counsel about interpersonal offenses in the hopes that the minister will automatically resolve the situation. This does not follow the Matthew 18:15-17 process that members are to follow:

(1) “…go and tell [your brother] his fault between you and him alone…”

(2) “But if he will not hear you, then take with you one or two more [brethren], that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.”

(3) “And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the Church [that means the minister]…”

Christians have much to gain from handling interpersonal issues by themselves. In each of these circumstances, a minister can help with or offer counsel on how to approach the situation. But brethren are themselves commanded to apply the methods outlined in Matthew 18.

Christ knows that offenses between people inevitably arise, and He provided ministerial involvement as a last resort of conflict resolution.

Use Your Secret Weapon

In the past, you may have seen spiritual counsel as something optional—an extra benefit available to you as a member of God’s Church if you ever felt the need to use it. That view should now have changed forever. Going forward, when you think of counseling, think of it as an ultimate spiritual weapon.

Let these verses further prove the incredible potential of this armament:

• “The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the thoughts of His heart to all generations” (Psa. 33:11).
• “You shall guide me with Your counsel, and afterward receive me to glory” (73:24).
• “There are many devices in a man’s heart; nevertheless the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand” (Prov. 19:21).
• “Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety” (11:14).
• “Every purpose is established by counsel: and with good advice make war” (20:18).

Finally, the apostle Paul said he had “not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God” (Acts 20:27). God is doing the exact same through His ministry. They are there to help whenever you need.

Do not miss this crucial point: You cannot win your spiritual war without counsel.

Soldier on! Satan the devil has his three weapons pointed at you: himself, you (especially through self-counsel) and society. But you have wise counsel at your disposal through three types: personal Bible study, Church materials and the ministry.

Never forget to use Christianity’s secret weapon of counsel. Even though you may end up losing a few battles (Prov. 24:16)—you will win the spiritual war.