“Put on all the armor that God gives you, so that you will be able to stand up against the Devil’s evil tricks. For we are not fighting against human beings but against the wicked spiritual forces in the heavenly world, the rulers, authorities, and cosmic powers of this dark age.”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭6‬:‭11‬-‭12‬ ‭

“If a king goes out with ten thousand men to fight another king who comes against him with twenty thousand men, he will sit down first and decide if he is strong enough to face that other king. If he isn’t, he will send messengers to meet the other king to ask for terms of peace while he is still a long way off. In the same way,” concluded Jesus, “none of you can be my disciple unless you give up everything you have.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭14‬:‭31‬-‭33‬ ‭

“Asa prayed to the Lord his God, “O Lord, you can help a weak army as easily as a powerful one. Help us now, O Lord our God, because we are relying on you, and in your name we have come out to fight against this huge army. Lord, you are our God; no one can hope to defeat you.””
‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭14‬:‭11‬ ‭

———

Jesus never sugarcoated what it meant to follow Him. In Luke 14, He turns to the crowd and tells them plainly: “Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.” He compares discipleship to a man building a tower or a king going to war. Both are warned to stop and count the cost. That’s because following Jesus will cost you everything—your rights, your comforts, your plans, even your very life.

He’s not calling for half-hearted belief but total surrender. But here’s the grace in that hard truth: when we count the cost honestly, we also discover that God supplies what we lack.

Look at King Asa, in 2 Chronicles 14:11, he knew what it meant to face a battle he couldn’t win. Outnumbered and outmatched. He weighed the costs, his 580,000 men from Judah and Benjamin vs 1,000,000 Ethiopians and 300 chariots.

He cried out to God and said, “O Lord, you can help a weak army as easily as a powerful one. Help us now, O Lord our God, because we are relying on you, and in your name we have come out to fight against this huge army. Lord, you are our God; no one can hope to defeat you.”

That’s the posture of a true disciple, one who doesn’t deny the cost, but doesn’t rely on their own strength either. Asa didn’t pretend to be strong; he trusted in a strong God.

The same is true for us. In Romans 8:31, Paul reminds us, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” This isn’t a promise for our path to be easy, but of assurance. God doesn’t call us to carry the cross alone. He goes with us. He fights for us. And when we live as surrendered and dependent disciples, we’re free to boldly share the gospel with others.

Canada needs more than casual believers, it needs courageous disciples who have counted the cost, laid down their lives, and now go out in God’s name.

In the great commission Jesus says “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Go, then, to all peoples everywhere and make them my disciples: baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to obey everything I have commanded you. And I will be with you always, to the end of the age.””
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭28‬:‭18‬-‭20‬ ‭

When we count the costs of discipleship lets always remember these facts
“I will be with you always”
“I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth”
Remember this next time you have the opportunity, either at work, in your neighbourhood or wherever you may be able to share the good news.

“Do all this in prayer, asking for God’s help. Pray on every occasion, as the Spirit leads. For this reason keep alert and never give up; pray always for all God’s people.”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭6‬:‭18‬ ‭

– CJ