Bible Questions, Other, Perspectives

The Most Misunderstood Verse on Marriage—And What It Actually Means

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Ancient words that are offensive and oppressive to modern ears. Clear and concise, but often confusing. And it is what Christ compels Christian wives to do:

“Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord” (Colossians 3:18, KJV).

The holy Scripture highlights here that a healthy and holy home requires a humble wife who honors her husband’s headship. Ladies of the Lord ought to lean into their husband’s leadership when he is lovingly leading. No family can fully follow Christ without the wife faithfully following her husband when he is following Christ. A husband can only steer the ship of the family with his wife by his side, holding up his arms when they are weary. A godly and submissive wife is the “we” in the “as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Josh. 24:15).

Who is Being Spoken To?

The ears that should hear these words and the hearts that should believe and obey them are those of a married woman. Not ladies who are single, dating, or engaged. You are free from compliance with command if you are unmarried, and bound to obey it if you are. Furthermore, God is not talking to husbands or almost-husbands either. Married men, you cannot enforce submission from your wife, and boyfriends and fiancés haven’t even earned it yet.

What is Being Spoken?

But what does this mean? It doesn’t mean doing everything your husband says. It doesn’t mean, “All women go to the left, because the man is always right.” It doesn’t mean you are less-than your husband or a woman forced to live in a man’s world.

    Simply put, submitting to your husband means willingly and joyfully submitting to his leadership when he submits to the Lord—and you do it for the good of the family and the glory of God. And submission looks like this: supporting his decisions once they are made. Disagreeing with him without being disagreeable. Encouraging rather than undermining his leadership. Praying for him to be a godly husband and father than constantly criticizing him.

    Submission says, “How can I help?” Resistance says, “Why should I?”

    That said, the Lord does not expect you to submit to an absent, abusive, or adulterous husband. He does expect you to submit to a husband who adheres to the word of the Lord and the Lord of the word. It is for this reason that the apostle adds at the end, “as it is fit in the Lord.” Walk behind him when he follows the compass of God’s word, not when he is headed south. Follow your husband when he follows the Lord—follow the Lord when your husband doesn’t.

    And when a husband loves the Lord and loves his wife—proving it in a sacrificial and selfless way as the greatest servant of the household—a wife will have no problem submitting to his lead (Col. 3:19; Eph. 5:25). This is why believers, the Bride of Christ, so voluntarily submit to Jesus, the Groom. He has proven His love for us. He became the greatest Servant of all by humbling Himself to the point of death for sinners. Christ is a Savior you want to follow. Likewise, a husband who models Christ in his words and actions is a man you will want to lead you. 

    Now, what if your husband is an unbeliever? What should you do then? Thankfully, there is a wealth of wise counsel in the New Testament for this exact question. Paul in First Corinthians 7 teaches that divorce is never the solution, not even in a less-than-ideal marriage to an unbelieving spouse. Paul does say that if the unsaved husband demands a divorce, you are allowed to concede, but still, separation should always be a “no-go” and never the “go-to” (1 Cor. 7:10-11, 13, 15). And in 1 Peter 3, the apostle says that you should try your darndest to win them to Christ by your “conduct,” adorning yourself with internal qualities that point them to Jesus (1 Pet. 3:1-6).

    Lastly, I wish to say again: submission does not mean inferiority. First of all, both the husband and wife have one Lord: Jesus Christ. Second, the Scripture’s metaphor of marriage conveys that the husband and wife are equal. The Bible describes the marriage of a godly man and woman as being “equally yoked” (2 Cor. 6:14). This portrays two cattle with their heads in a yoke together, both moving in the same direction, and both at the same level—ground level. And thirdly, consider this: was Christ Jesus less than God His Father because He submitted to Him? Of course not. The Son of God is one with the Father. He is equal to the Father because He is as much God as He is. Yet, He willingly and joyfully submitted to His good will because that was His role and responsibility as a Son. 

    The role and responsibility of redeemed wives is submission to a saved and continually sanctified husband.

    Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, their much-prayed for son, Oliver, and their three dogs. Brandon and Dakota previously served as foster parents through Sunrise Children’s Services of Kentucky. Brandon is also a published author and his Bible Gleanings columns are featured in over sixteen publications throughout Kentucky, Illinois, Tennessee, and Indiana. He is also a devotional contributor for Kentucky Today, a news publication of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, and an editor at Reforming the Heart.

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    Wherever He Leads | Bible Gleanings | June 13-14, 2026

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    The boy was abruptly abducted. Convinced he would make a good slave, his kidnappers forced him to tend sheep in the extreme conditions of a remote land beyond the sea. Although not particularly religious, the excruciating ordeal compelled the young lad to pray. Finally, after five arduous years, he escaped from captivity by boarding a vessel that carried him home to the embrace of grateful parents who implored him never to leave again. But the runaway slave would eventually undertake the unthinkable: return to the land of his captors with the gospel of Christ—Saint Patrick of Ireland was his name.

    The Lord constrained him to return to his nightmare of a life when an Irishman appeared in his dreams, pleading, “We beg you to come and walk among us once more.” Go back to the land that stole his freedom? Relive the past he fought so hard to forget? Saint Patrick said yes. He traded his own safety for service to his Savior and convenience for compliance with Christ’s calling on his life.

    The results were miraculous. His evangelistic efforts contributed to the conversion of practically the entire population. An ancient painting of Patrick says it all. It depicts him driving out snakes—the “snakes” of idolatry and dark superstition, which he expelled by proclaiming the Man who crushed the head of the serpent (cf. Gen. 3:15). Even the Celtic slave trade that had once ensnared him diminished because of the transforming power of the message he preached.

    A willing believer saying “yes” to a difficult task plus a wonder-working God is a powerful combination. As a matter of fact, the Lord’s greatest works are rarely accomplished the easy way. Moses had to repeatedly stand before an intimidating Pharaoh before Israel was delivered. Gideon had to defeat the Midianites with a significantly decreased fighting force (Judges 7:1-3). The first church had to endure severe persecution in order to multiply (Acts 8:1-4). Even Christ had to suffer and die upon the cross before being raised on the third day (1 Cor. 15:1-4).

    God is most active in the hard places: the difficult conversation you don’t want to have, the uncomfortable sacrifice you don’t want to make, and the frightening step of faith you hesitate to take. This is why the Lord delights in servants who answer His sometimes-challenging calls and commands like Isaiah: “Here am I; send me” (Isa. 6:8). Indeed, the path of obedience might bring you face-to-face with your fears, but it will also lead directly to the breathtaking purposes of God. Therefore, the anthem on every believer’s lips ought to be that which is found in B. B. McKinney’s well-known hymn which says,

    “It may be through the shadows dim,

    or o’er the stormy sea,

    I take my cross and follow Him;

    wherever He leadeth me.

    Wherever He leads I’ll go,

    wherever He leads I’ll go,

    I’ll follow my Christ who loves me so,

    wherever He leads I’ll go.”

    Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, their much-prayed for son, Oliver, and their three dogs. Brandon and Dakota previously served as foster parents through Sunrise Children’s Services of Kentucky. Brandon is also a published author and his Bible Gleanings columns are featured in over sixteen publications throughout Kentucky, Illinois, Tennessee, and Indiana. He is also a devotional contributor for Kentucky Today, a news publication of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, and an editor at Reforming the Heart.

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    The Danger of Doing Nothing | Bible Gleanings | June 6-7, 2026

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    The number of victims it has claimed is incalculable. Few can resist its hypnotic appeal. It leaves its targets with a heavier heart and a lighter wallet. Worst of all, most of its captives never learn their lesson, succumbing again and again to its seductions despite swearing to never surrender. It has made a fool of me and has likely done the same to you: the checkout lane. 

    That’s where all the junk is—candy bars, chips, soda, and other enticing empty calories that need no advertisement. And distributors have conveniently and cleverly placed such delectable treats there because they know you are stuck with nothing to do but wait in line—and look. You grab what you need and go your way in the rest of the store, but movement stops at the checkout lane. Temptation lies within arm’s reach, and before long, a chocolate bar or some other I’ll-never-buy-this-again item slithers into your shopping cart. Idleness plus temptation equals another pointless purchase, and another disappointed victim.

    Doing nothing is dangerous, especially in the Christian life. Idleness presents believers with an opportunity to “check out” what sin has to offer. Inactivity leads to sin-activity. When movement stops, temptation starts. Just ask David—the Scripture says that he “tarried in Jerusalem,” dilly-dallying when he should have been at war until his eyes wandered toward a bathing Bathsheba, and the rest is shameful history (cf. 2 Sam. 11).

    This is why the Bible speaks so strongly about idleness and spiritual neglect. Solomon cautioned that doing nothing to maintain your house will result in its deterioration, and neglecting to care for your soul will lead to its decline (Eccl. 10:18). He similarly taught that an idle person’s life will be overrun with evil, just as a vineyard becomes overgrown due to negligence from a lazy gardener (Prov. 24:30-34). Paul also asserted that failing to be busy doing the Lord’s work results in being busy doing the devil’s work (2 Thess. 3:11). The Scripture even teaches that an “abundance of idleness” was one of the greatest iniquities of Sodom (Ezek. 16:49).

    But you can vanquish idleness the same way you overcome temptation in the checkout lane: be vigilant, look away, and keep on moving. Believers must watch themselves and watch out for the devil’s wiles (Gen. 4:7; Gal. 6:1; 1 Peter 5:8). Christians must also be “always abounding in the work of the Lord” (1 Cor. 15:58b), remaining occupied with serving Christ, praying often, reading Scripture, and participating in the local church. The great Puritan Isaac Ambrose wisely warned, “As a standing pool grows filthy of itself and full of toads and vermin, so the heart that is not engaged in something good and useful is a fit place for the devil to breed evil thoughts and filthy passions in.” Save yourself some money and be watchful in the checkout lane. And save yourself some regret by resisting the subtle danger of idleness.

    Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, their much-prayed for son, Oliver, and their three dogs. Brandon and Dakota previously served as foster parents through Sunrise Children’s Services of Kentucky. Brandon is also a published author and his Bible Gleanings columns are featured in over sixteen publications throughout Kentucky, Illinois, Tennessee, and Indiana. He is also a devotional contributor for Kentucky Today, a news publication of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, and an editor at Reforming the Heart.

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    Butterfly Believers | Bible Gleanings | May 30-31, 2026

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    Peck. Peck. Peck. The nettlesome noise awakened the woman from a sound sleep. A peckish sparrow perched outside her window trying to eat breakfast—a butterfly frantically fluttering against the inside of the glass. There was a misunderstanding—the butterfly believed it was history, and the hungry bird was frustrated because it couldn’t reach its meal due to the invisible barrier between them. The butterfly had no reason to have the butterflies—it was as safe as if it had been thousands of miles away. 

    Crippled with panic, yet completely protected. How frequently do we as believers suffer from paralyzing dread regarding our souls when we have no reason to? Lacking assurance, we often live as though our salvation hangs by a thread, as if heaven’s door is barely open and poised to slam shut in our faces. We fear losing our salvation, out-sinning the grace of God, disappointing our Savior one too many times, or being snatched away by the world or the devil. But according to the Scripture, there is something infinitely greater than a glass pane standing between us and falling away from the faith: the nail-scarred hands of Christ Jesus.

    Jesus graciously assured that there is no reason for His sheep to live in trepidation: “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand” (John 10:28). Believer, your salvation does not depend on your grip of Christ, but upon His grip of you—and He will never let you go (cf. Heb. 13:5). He likewise promised, “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. . . And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day” (John 6:37, 39). And your name is inscribed in the Book of Life with immortal ink—even graven in the palms of His hands (Rev. 3:5; Isa. 49:16), and it cannot be erased by your transgressions nor made more permanent by your obedience. 

    Is this not why Paul exclaimed, “I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:38-39, KJV)? God’s grace-kept, eternally-secure, and never-lost children have no reason to live like anxious butterflies. Rather, there are a thousand reasons to mount up with wings as eagles and soar in the joy of blessed assurance. For all who are in Christ, the Lord’s promise remains unchanged: “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness” (Isa. 41:10).

    Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, their much-prayed for son, Oliver, and their three dogs. Brandon and Dakota previously served as foster parents through Sunrise Children’s Services of Kentucky. Brandon is also a published author and his Bible Gleanings columns are featured in over sixteen publications throughout Kentucky, Illinois, Tennessee, and Indiana. He is also a devotional contributor for Kentucky Today, a news publication of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, and an editor at Reforming the Heart.

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    The Man Who Saved Me From Backsliding: John N. Plumley (Sept. 30, 1973 – May 26, 2026)

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    “Brandon, remember this: the Christian life is not like riding a bicycle.”

    A proverb engraved into the walls of my heart. Wise words that have served as guardrails for me on the narrow road that leads to everlasting life. A pocketful of truth I will carry with me forever. Something the Spirit has brought back to my mind whenever I was tempted to backslide or grow lukewarm—words I have used many times over to exhort others who were likewise tempted. But, though this sanctifying saying is saturated with biblical truth, it does not come directly from the Bible. It came from a man steeped in the Scripture: John Norman Plumley (Sept. 30, 1973 – May 26, 2026).

    When I heard these life-changing words, I was a babe in Christ—eager to grow, but vulnerable to indwelling sin, old habits, and the enticements of the world. And this godly man who walked plenty of miles with Jesus told me exactly what I needed to know, exactly when I needed to know it, and exactly how I needed to hear it. This was just a few months after I first visited his home to tell him how Christ saved my soul. When I first became a Christian, I wanted to tell everyone, and started with my hometown of Bandana, Kentucky. And I couldn’t wait to get to his house. 

    I knew him a while before I knew him as a brother-in-Christ, of course. In my “before Christ” days, I was a rebellious and rambunctious preteen running the roads of Bandana and raising cane on every street with his son, whom we all called “Little Johnny.” Even then, I greatly admired John. I thought the man knew everything about everything—especially cars, motorcycles, dirtbikes—heck, anything that had wheels and an engine. And talk about quick-witted—I remember often wondering, “How does he always have a joke at the ready?” 

    Evidently, he had gracious words for up-building always ready, too. I don’t know if he came up with it himself, or where he heard it—but I have never been able to unhear it. The meaning was simple enough for a newborn Christian like myself to understand. When you get off a bike for a while, you can jump back on like no time has passed at all. It all comes back to you naturally. But following Christ is radically different—and much more difficult. When you get behind in your Bible reading for a while, it’s hard to get back on the saddle. When you neglect daily prayer, it’s difficult for it to feel natural again. You’ve got to stick with it. It takes determined effort and discipline.

    How many times have I gone without reading my Bible and thought of these words? How many times have I grown lax in praying and seen his face in my mind?

    This is why in John’s final days, I told him that he did things that count for eternity. He impacted people in ways most never will. He sent treasures ahead of him to heaven. Most believers are familiar with the idiom, “Only one life, ‘twill soon be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last.” I do not know if John ever knew that phrase, but he certainly lived by it.

    John’s life is also a testimony that the Lord can use anyone at any time at any place to do anything. If you didn’t know, the last season of John’s life was spent for the kingdom of God. He became an evangelistic Gideon. He served faithfully as a deacon. He did incredible mission work. He finished his race on earth running.

    It is also not news that John received news no one wants to hear: an aggressive cancer diagnosis. I remember hearing about it and thinking it felt deeply unfair. John was a choice servant of the Lord, a loving father, a devoted husband, an exemplary churchman, and an inspiring Christian. A man like that being plagued with cancer just didn’t seem right, if I’m being honest. 

    But through it all, he held onto faith until his faith became sight recently. In all my years of pastoral ministry, I have seen the faith of many weaken when receiving such a tragic and life-altering verdict. I have seen several more abandon the faith when their cross was too heavy to bear. But not John. The heavier his cross, the tighter his hold on Christ.

    Now, his hands are in the nail-scarred hands. His head has been adorned with the countless crowns of glory he stored up on earth. There are untold numbers of people who have a Bible in their hands because of John. And who knows how many people read the Scripture, bow their heads to pray, preach Christ with fervor, and keep on keeping on because a man named John Plumley pointed them to Jesus with his words and life? I know at least one.

    John taught me that the Christian life is not like riding a bicycle. And because of the godly legacy he leaves behind, many of us will keep pedaling on the path of righteousness.

    Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, their much-prayed for son, Oliver, and their three dogs. Brandon and Dakota previously served as foster parents through Sunrise Children’s Services of Kentucky. Brandon is also a published author and his Bible Gleanings columns are featured in over sixteen publications throughout Kentucky, Illinois, Tennessee, and Indiana. He is also a devotional contributor for Kentucky Today, a news publication of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, and an editor at Reforming the Heart.

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    What Freedom Costs

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    You can see it when you drive past Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. You can hear it when the final notes of Taps linger in the air. You can feel it deep in your chest when everyone stands for the pledge of allegiance at a football game. And you enjoy it every day you wake up in the United States of America: the price of freedom.

    Our privileges and peace come with a price tag. Freedom isn’t free. It cost 6,800 American lives during the Revolutionary War, lives like Nathan Hale who courageously spied for the Continental Army, declaring with his dying breath, “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.” The price of liberty was paid again during World War II by heroic men like John Basilone, who single-handedly fought through 150 yards of Japanese lines to obtain more ammunition to continue fighting—and he returned to later fight at Iwo Jima although he could have gone home. Roy Benavidez paid the expense of liberty in Vietnam when he valiantly rescued a team of gunned-down soldiers with only a knife, earning him the nickname, “The Real Rambo.”

    Thousands of self-sacrificial men and women wrote a blank check to freedom with their lives. Some never came home, some came home never the same. All gave some, and some gave all. And whether or not they realized it, their sacrifice was an exceptional emulation of Jesus, the Son of God, who gave His all for all the world—laying down His life on Calvary’s cruel cross for at-war-with-God sinners like you and I. These heroes gave their all for love of country and their fellow man, and there is no greater love than this: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13, KJV).

    This is what Memorial Day is about. Not a long weekend. Not barbecues and camping by the lake. It’s a day to remember that the blessings we all relish were bought with blood by men and women whose names most of us will never know. And their heroism reminds us of the ultimate Hero who purchased salvation with His life’s blood (1 Peter 1:18-19).

    Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, their much-prayed for son, Oliver, and their three dogs. Brandon and Dakota previously served as foster parents through Sunrise Children’s Services of Kentucky. Brandon is also a published author and his Bible Gleanings columns are featured in over sixteen publications throughout Kentucky, Illinois, Tennessee, and Indiana. He is also a devotional contributor for Kentucky Today, a news publication of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, and an editor at Reforming the Heart.

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    Strange Christians | Bible Gleanings | May 23-24, 2026

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    Zebras aren’t exactly known for blending in, and Tennesseans couldn’t help but notice the runaway zebra trotting in their backyard in June of last year. When the Murfreesboro Police Department received calls about a zebra galloping along the interstate, officers thought someone was horsing around. But after several neighborhood sightings, a week-long chase ensued and, “Ed the Zebra was captured safely after being located in a pasture near a subdivision,” according to the Associated Press. The Volunteer State instantly recognized that while there is plenty of wildlife in Tennessee (and no shortage of folklore creatures), this black-and-white cousin of the horse was a foreigner in strange territory. Because he belonged to a land across the Atlantic, he stood out too much to blend in.

    Similarly, believers in Christ belong to land lying beyond this life and above the skies, “a land that is fairer than day,” called heaven. Because of this, Christians should stand out in the world too much to blend in—much more than a zebra in the backwoods of Tennessee. The Scripture teaches that there should be a black-and-white difference between those of this world and those who belong to the “kingdom not of this world” (John 18:36). Disciples of Christ should not camouflage themselves within the culture like chameleons or live under cover like secret agents, which is why Peter exhorted Christians, “Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul” (1 Peter 2:11). Sojourners are strangers passing through—exiles living away from their homeland—and both are true of Jesus-followers who are “citizens of heaven” (Phil. 3:21).

    The believer’s speech should sound like a foreign language to everyone else—upbuilding rather than destructive and seasoned with grace rather than spoiled with obscenity (Eph. 4:29; Col. 3:8). A Christian’s conduct should make other people think, “They must not be from around here.” Saints saved by grace ought to forgive in a world that desires revenge, pursue godliness in a society that applauds immorality, and live humbly in a culture inflated by pride (Eph. 4:32; Gen. 6:9; Col. 3:12). Paul the apostle said it best: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind” (Rom. 12:2a). The children of God are called to be “without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world” (Phil. 2:15). A zebra without stripes would be a bizarre sight—stranger still is a professing believer indistinguishable from the world. And the return on living distinctly as a Christian pilgrim is worth it, as John Wesley wrote in his little-known hymn, How Happy is the Pilgrim’s Lot:

    “Nothing on earth I call my own;

    A strang­er, to the world un­known,

    I all their goods des­pise; I tram­ple on their whole de­light,

    and seek a coun­try out of sight,

    a coun­try in the skies.”

    Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, their much-prayed for son, Oliver, and their three dogs. Brandon and Dakota previously served as foster parents through Sunrise Children’s Services of Kentucky. Brandon is also a published author and his Bible Gleanings columns are featured in over sixteen publications throughout Kentucky, Illinois, Tennessee, and Indiana. He is also a devotional contributor for Kentucky Today, a news publication of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, and an editor at Reforming the Heart.

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    Climbing Too High | Bible Gleanings | May 16-17, 2026

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    “No matter what, I must reach the top,” he swore to himself, as salty sweat stung his eyes. Although dozens of climbers had died trying, the man was determined to breathe the air of victory at the peak of the ocean-encircled seamount. Halfway to the summit, the ledges began to crumble beneath his feet and the rocks he grasped disintegrated in his hands—but he daringly scrambled upward. Abruptly, his foot slipped, causing him to fall forcefully until his survival backpack became ensnared on a protruding limb. The “Do Not Climb” sign he brushed off at ground level resurfaced in his mind, but he regained his footing, cut his backpack loose with a knife, and watched it plummet to a watery grave hundreds of feet below.

    At long last, he arrived at the top, where he exhaled in relief and became absorbed in the stunning sights of the golden horizon and the vast ocean. But after ten minutes of celebration, panic set in: he could not get down. His climbing and survival supplies were in his long-gone backpack. He would die if he jumped, and only the birds would hear him if he screamed for help. Days and nights elapsed as he paced the peak, failing to devise an escape plan—until he succumbed to dehydration and starvation.

    Sometimes, climbing too high is a bad idea—it may even kill you. Climbing too high in our hearts through pride is a bad idea, too. Pride manifests itself when we climb over the warnings in God’s word about sin—treating His commands like obstacles in our way rather than safeguards for our good. When we disobey His prohibitions, we pridefully believe that sin’s danger doesn’t apply to us and that we know better than God Himself. Pride also shows up when we think too highly of ourselves and climb over others in pursuit of selfish ambitions—pushing our way to the top to relish in applause and recognition (Rom. 12:3).

    But higher is not better. Those who soar as high as an eagle in pride will be brought down in shame (Jer. 49:16), and the greatly exalted will be gravely humbled (Luke 14:11). Did the builders of the Tower of Babel succeed in climbing above God? Did not Nebuchadnezzar crawl like a beast on the ground after exalting himself too highly? Was not Satan cast down from the heights of heaven for his boastful arrogance?

    The way up is not up—the way up is down. This is why Peter assured, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you” (1 Pet. 5:6). We must humbly obey God’s warnings about sin, trusting that He knows what is best for us. We must climb down from our pride-pedestals to become lowly servants of others—esteeming them higher than ourselves (Phil. 2:3-5). And when we walk low in humility, we need not fear a great fall (cf. Prov. 16:18).

    Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, their much-prayed for son, Oliver, and their three dogs. Brandon and Dakota previously served as foster parents through Sunrise Children’s Services of Kentucky. Brandon is also a published author and his Bible Gleanings columns are featured in over sixteen publications throughout Kentucky, Illinois, Tennessee, and Indiana. He is also a devotional contributor for Kentucky Today, a news publication of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, and an editor at Reforming the Heart.

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    The Christian’s War Room | Bible Gleanings | March 21-22, 2026

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    The fields of battle have frequently been filled with formidable fighters who fell for failure to familiarize themselves with the fiercest weapon of all: prayer. King Saul succumbed in his last battle with the Philistines because he “did not seek guidance from the LORD” in prayer (1 Chron. 10:14). King Amaziah was annihilated—although equipped with 400,000 mighty men and mercenaries—because he did not pray and trust the Lord (2 Chron. 25:5-25). Even the faithful king Josiah was fatally wounded in his last fight because he did not first pray for God’s counsel (2 Chron. 35:20-27). On the other hand, when the Israelites surrounded king David with prayer in Psalm 20, he emerged with a crown of victory on his head, as he later celebrated in Psalm 21.

    Failure to pray sets us up for failure, especially in the battles we fight as believers. If we do not fall on our knees in prayer, we will fall in defeat. All conflicts we meet head-on should be faced with our heads down in prayer. Prayer is the armory and arsenal where God equips His people with heaven’s weapons for spiritual combat on earth. Prayer is the believer’s war room.

    Prayer is where we don the spiritual armor of God which protects us against Satan. Our God-provided belt, breastplate, shoes, shield, helmet, and sword can only be utilized when we are “praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication” (Eph. 6:18a). Facing Satan’s schemes prayerlessly is like waving a white flag before the battle even starts. This is why the Puritan George Swinnock (1627—1673) once counseled, “Prayer is one of the great ordinances that batters down the strongholds of the devil; hence he sets his wiles at work to divert men from it. It is the soul’s armor and Satan’s terror.” There is nothing the devil despises more than a praying Christian, and not much he can do to thwart a believer on their knees.

    Prayer is also the key to being victorious over fleshly temptations. No wonder Jesus instructed us to pray in the Lord’s Prayer, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” (Matt. 6:13). Similarly, Christ taught that either temptation will overpower the believer, or the believer will overpower temptation through prayer. As He told His exhausted disciples, “Watch and pray lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matt. 26:41). 

    Neither should we expect victory in our tribulations without prayer. This is why James gave us the simple exhortation: “Is any among you afflicted? Let him pray” (James 5:13a). Prayer is how we give our burdens to the Lord and receive divine strength to endure trouble. Through prayer, we are given the grace necessary to press forward until the battle is over. Christian, do not enter the battlefield of life unguarded, unarmed, and unready—suit up every day in the war room of prayer.

    Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, their much-prayed for son, Oliver, and their three dogs. Brandon and Dakota previously served as foster parents through Sunrise Children’s Services of Kentucky. Brandon is also a published author and his Bible Gleanings columns are featured in over sixteen publications throughout Kentucky, Illinois, Tennessee, and Indiana. He is also a devotional contributor for Kentucky Today, a news publication of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, and an editor at Reforming the Heart.

    Bible Gleanings, devotions

    Rooted in Christ | Bible Gleanings | March 14-15, 2026

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    We smelled something sour, but stumbled upon something stunning. While backpacking with one of my brother-in-laws near the Cache River State Natural Area in southern Illinois, we were suddenly enveloped by a foul odor that stopped us in our tracks. But unlike most common-sense hikers, we followed our noses—all the way to the most enormous tree we had ever seen: the historic, state-champion cherrybark oak tree. An information placard beside it explained that the tree was more than three-hundred years old, stretching one-hundred feet skyward, and over eight feet in diameter. And once I breathed the clean air of Kentucky again, I surfed the internet for answers about its gargantuan growth—and its unwelcome smell. 

    The tree’s malodorous musk remains a mystery, but its massive growth is no secret: this giant oak grows deep before it grows tall. It grips the earth and gathers all the life-giving nutrients it needs through its roots. Despite countless tornadoes, ice storms, floods, and environmental changes, it has grown heavenward and held its ground all because it is anchored underground. Never underestimate the strength of deep roots!

    Deep roots in Christ are also the key to weathering every storm of life and growing heavenward in spiritual maturity. This is why the apostle Paul commanded believers to be “rooted and built up in Him” (Col. 2:7a). If you yearn to grow tall into an “oak tree” Christian and bear God-glorifying fruit in your life, you must be connected to Jesus—drawing spiritual sustenance from Him just as roots draw nourishment from the soil. As Isaiah the prophet said, “take root downward, and bear fruit upward” (Isa. 37:31b). Jesus used a similar image when He assured, “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5, KJV).

    Roots also prevent a tree from being uprooted during wind and storms, and vehement tribulations and violent temptations won’t be able to knock you down when you are rooted in Jesus. Tornadoes of life-trouble and hurricanes of temptation may tear off some bark and branches—they may leave their mark on you—but you will remain standing when you are rooted in Christ. As Jeremiah the prophet illustrated,

    “But blessed are those who trust in the LORD and have made the LORD their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit” (Jer. 17:7-8, NLT).

    The strength of your Christian life depends on what lies beneath the surface. Are you burying your roots in Christ through prayer, time spent in His word, worshipping with His people, and walking in obedience to Him?

    Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, their much-prayed for son, Oliver, and their three dogs. Brandon and Dakota previously served as foster parents through Sunrise Children’s Services of Kentucky. Brandon is also a published author and his Bible Gleanings columns are featured in over sixteen publications throughout Kentucky, Illinois, Tennessee, and Indiana. He is also a devotional contributor for Kentucky Today, a news publication of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, and an editor at Reforming the Heart.

    Resources from the Ministry of Pastor Brandon G. Bramlett