Earlier in this article we asserted that war requires advance, and a vigorous prosecution of that aim. If we may add another observation, it is the need for an intelligent strategy in warfare. In the battle for souls we need to apply our minds to how we may reach our community, thinking about children, young people and adults.​

Unsound church-growth authors have suggested many novel plans, most of which are unbiblical and misguided. Popular ideas today include the abandonment of challenging preaching, the stifling of any mention of sin, the constant use of drama as the premier mode of communication, and the emphasising of worldly entertainment-style music. As we have noted, we are amazed to see these methods favourably considered by some reformed churches that turn in panic to superficiality.​

In our reformed circles, however, we often have no strategy or battle-plan at all. In fact, some seem to have the idea that if we hold to the doctrines of grace, it is unsavoury to have campaign objectives of any kind. Some say that the only strategy for soulwinning is to promote holy living among believers, and a very beautiful phrase has come into vogue, namely – ‘We believe in the evangelism of holy living.’ Of course we do, but the way the phrase is often used really means, ‘We believe in doing nothing.’​

Certainly, the gracious lives of Christian people will attract others, but this is only a part of the battle for souls. Nevertheless, some churches have closed their Sunday Schools and given up the arduous business of running weeknight activities for young people. They have also abandoned the visiting of the community, and similar outreach activities, making the evangelism of holy living an excuse for being at ease in Zion.​

Some kind of outline plan or policy is vital for every church, and it is clearly implied by the warfare analogy. Can we imagine a nation being at war without any plan or objectives? There are no end of matters that demand a great deal of thinking. If our location is poor for Sunday School work, perhaps we need to hire a school where the children live. We may be thankful to God we have a good building for the church, but if it is no good for the children, we will need to begin a branch. This is warfare thinking, but it is seldom seen today. There were numerous branches of churches and Sunday Schools years ago. Roland Hill at the old Surrey Chapel (a whole generation before Spurgeon) had thirteen branch Sunday Schools because he did not think much of the location and social image of the chapel for that purpose.​

This is what the battle for souls is about. Fighting a war involves an entire army with its divisions, brigades and battalions, down to the companies and the platoons, and all have to be deployed in a co-ordinated way. This is like the labours in old-time authentic Calvinistic congregations. Does our church think in terms of reaching all levels of society, and using all the abilities of the membership in that task?​

Another rather obvious observation about the warfare analogy of the New Testament is the enormous amount of sacrificial activity implied. War demands utmost commitment even in unreasonable conditions. If the command comes that a mission must be undertaken at midnight, the troops may not decline on the grounds that it is time to sleep. The military analogy points to inconvenience, difficulty and hardship. Is this the ethos in our churches, and the kind of situation we happily accept as individuals? A pastor was telling me that a plea for pianists for a weeknight children’s meeting fell on deaf ears, despite the presence of many able pianists in that church. One after the other they declined because they had something else to do, or because their comfortable routine would be disturbed.. . to be continued​