It’s Sunday, 7 p.m., and we are awaiting the pilot who is going to take over the cabin I have been using. Tomorrow we will be sailing on a two week training exercise along the coast, from Kragerø and further west. We should arrive in Arendal by next Sunday.

God has strengthened me here on board. I have never found David’s psalms to be so meaningful to me as they are now. Satan’s dominion here on board is powerful, and I can truly say that he has his throne here. I feel greater pressure on board this vessel than I have ever felt before, and the other petty officers feel it too. This ruthless, aggressive, power-hungry spirit covers everything like a suffocating blanket. At times I feel an extreme urge to break the bands of the yoke and fight the battle out in the open, for everyone to see.

If there was righteousness in the battle, this might be worth it, but these haughty rulers cover themselves in unrighteousness and wrap themselves up in a cloak of lies whenever they think it’s necessary. We are expected to worship and admire such people. The devil offered to share his power and his lordship in this world with Jesus, if only Jesus would worship him. The rulers of this world do the same. They offer us good positions if only we will worship and admire them. No! May God give me power to always resist them fiercely and to always fight the fight of faith.

God has chosen what is lowly and despised in this world to put to shame the things that are esteemed. So let us never admire foolish illusions of grandeur, and never be unequally yoked with such people, but rather rebuke them. People talk about power, but how can a person receive power when the greatness of this world has been able to captivate them and render them powerless? Our task, in the power of Christ, is to disarm it and render it powerless. The vast majority of Christians also worship the greatness and elegance of this world and admire its charm and beauty. A plain, ordinary man, no matter how God-fearing, is regarded as nothing unless he is saturated with worldly greatness.

May God give me grace to always resist such people, whether they come in Christ’s name or not.

God has been working at home for years, but worship of this world’s greatness hinders Him from accomplishing His work.

What use is it being regarded as distinguished and great here in this world since the world and its lust are passing away? Christ has not asked us to participate in a competition of finery and fashion, and neither has he intended to create a host of people who excel in dressing according to the latest fashion trends.

It is about time to make a huge burnt offering to honor the Lord of Hosts. In other words, burn up all the idols, so the one true God can become Lord. What is the god of this world? Isn’t it vanity and pride? And it is this very god that has blinded the minds of the unbelieving. Those who admire this god become blind.

We are sailing west now. The truth is that I do not feel like I owe them anything when they have such a dishonorable and deceitful attitude toward Christ that they can enjoy and draw nourishment from the glory of this world. God has given me a mind that detests that kind of thing.

God will give me grace and save me from this kind of religion.

It is better to walk alone with God than to live in joy and contentment with friends and relatives in this kind of ungodly faithlessness. If you want to be pure, then separate yourself from every single one of them, because having fellowship with them is nothing less than defilement.

For me, to live is Christ and to separate myself, by the grace God has given me, from everyone and everything that defiles.

You mentioned that Anthony isn’t very happy, and I am actually thankful for that. If he was happy, I would question God’s Word; but this confirms the truth. No one who sits on the fence can be truly happy. It takes courage and faith to cut off and break through all the hindrances. No cowardly person will make it past these hindrances that bar the way to God’s kingdom. Only God’s wisdom could make use of such barricades to keep all impurity far away. Truly such ones will not break free until they have paid the very last penny. We speak about counting all things as loss, and the theory regarding this point is fine; however, there is a real lack when it comes to putting it into practice. And then people go around wondering what has happened to their power. It vanishes as they worship and admire the greatness of this world, the very thing that Christ fought His fiercest battle against.

I will close for now. I am sure I will face many tribulations, but God be praised, He is for me a very present help in times of great tribulation. He will free me from the power of the proud and arrogant and from the dominion of tyrants. My soul is comforted in Him. In my times of trouble, He will be with me and will be near me in times of fear. We have an exceedingly great battle ahead of us. We would be overpowered and have to surrender if God’s grace was not at work.

Hearty greetings from you brother,

Greet Anthony and his wife.