EXPOSITION:
Equipping is a fundamental requirement for battle. It covers the totality of doctrine, principles, values, and physical resources necessary for combat against opposing forces. An equipped soldier is confident of success on the battlefield. This confidence stems from knowledge and faith in the resources they have been endowed with to confront the enemy effectively. Against this backdrop, the Church as an institution is a rallying point and equipping centre where people are made ready for service through purposive teaching and sharing of experience.
God has made provisions for the Church to fulfil the equipping mandate. He has endowed her with gifts to equip members with giftings of believers known as the ascension gifts. Our discussion today will help us identify and make optimal use of the resources at our disposal for the equipping mandate. To equip is to make a person adequate, ready, fit, or sufficient for a task. Thus, equipping the body of Christ is certainly linked with God’s intention of filling the universe with His
knowledge and rule. Therefore, preparing believers for the works of service implies helping them to mature in faith.
This then brings them to the point where they are fully aware of their responsibilities and are empowered to fulfil them. When the Church is equipped, we attain unity of faith, gain knowledge of the Son of God, and are no longer tossed about by any wind of doctrine. For this reason, all structures and activities of the Church teachings, liturgy, programmes, seminars, songs, etc. must feed into this overarching agenda of equipping the saints to be functional in their various spheres of influence.
The foregoing activities should not serve their own ends but be coordinated purposively in ensuring that every member is armed with the knowledge and will of God concerning their spheres of influence. Pastors, officers, ministry leaders, and other leaders who constitute the main resources for this combat must each play their unique roles to prepare God’s army (the members) for victory in all territories.