The Maginot Line has become a symbol of our tendency to think in terms of past experience rather than current reality and future potential. Built by France after the First World War at enormous cost, this elaborate system of fortifications, bunkers, and artillery emplacements was designed to prevent a repeat of the static trench warfare of 1914–1918. It reflected the lessons of the previous conflict perfectly, yet it proved almost useless when Germany invaded in 1940. The Wehrmacht simply went around the line through the Ardennes Forest with tanks and aircraft, rendering the entire defensive strategy obsolete overnight.
We face a similar danger in our spiritual lives. It is easy to construct personal or corporate “Maginot Lines” out of past spiritual experiences, familiar routines, previous victories, or long-held knowledge. We can become so focused on defending what we already possess that we fail to perceive the new battles, the shifting cultural terrain, and the approaching culmination of history itself. As the Bible frequently reminds us, followers of Christ are fighting battles every day, and we are engaged in continual combat with the world around us, the devil against us, and the flesh within us. Our culture is increasingly anti-Christian. As we draw nearer to the final events in world history, it is paramount that we maintain a personal commitment to growth, advancement, progress, and success in our walk with Christ.
We are thankful for our memories, but we cannot settle down there. We are grateful for what we have already learned, but we cannot be satisfied with it. We need to continually learn more about God, His Word, and His work. We must adopt Paul’s attitude in Philippians 3:13-14 (ESV): “Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
The Urgency of Ongoing Growth
It is easy to stop growing, isn’t it? After all, we are biologically programmed to stop growing at some point. We reach four, five, or six feet, or, on rare occasions, seven feet in height; then we stop growing taller and begin growing wider if we are not careful. Physically, we reach a point of biological maturity. But that is not true of our mind or soul.
We must always guard against complacency. In his final letter, the Apostle Peter appealed to his readers to keep growing in faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. “Grow,” he said, “in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:5-7; 3:18). There is always something new to learn in God’s Word, for His Scripture is ever fresh. We cannot plumb the depths of its promises and precepts. And there is always room for progress in how we love others, how we spread cheerfulness, how we perfect personal holiness, and how we serve the Lord. Though outwardly perishing, we should be renewed day by day. Your marriage should improve, not deteriorate. Your relationship with your children, so far as it depends on you, should grow sweeter. That is why we must learn to pray, “Lord, as much as I know, teach me more! I do not want to merely survive. I want to thrive! I want to press onward toward the goal.”
God’s greatness is unsearchable. His qualities are boundless. His Word is bottomless.
A Closer Look at Philippians 3:12-14
To understand the force of Paul’s exhortation, we must examine the passage in the Greek text Paul actually wrote. The apostle was in prison, facing possible execution, when he penned these words. He had every human reason to look backward with either pride or regret. Instead, he models relentless forward movement.
Philippians 3:12 (ESV) begins: “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.” In Greek, Paul uses the verb διώκω (diōkō) in the present active indicative: “I am pursuing” or “I keep pressing on.” This is not a one-time decision but a continuous, strenuous action. The same verb was used in Greek athletic contests and in hunting; it conveys the image of a runner or pursuer who will not quit until the quarry is seized. Paul refuses any notion that he has already arrived at spiritual perfection.
He continues in verse 13: “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead.” The participle ἐπιλανθανόμενος (epilanthanomenos) does not mean a literal erasure of memory. It conveys the sense of deliberately setting aside, or no longer allowing, the past to dominate one’s focus or identity. Paul had an impressive religious résumé (Philippians 3:4-6), dramatic conversion experiences, and fruitful ministry. He also carried scars, shipwrecks, beatings, and the memory of persecuting the church. The command to “forget” means refusing to let either past successes inflate pride or past failures breed paralyzing shame. The past is acknowledged but not permitted to dictate present pursuit.
The contrasting participle ἐπεκτεινόμενος (epekteinomenos) is even more vivid. It pictures a runner stretching every muscle and sinew forward, leaning toward the finish line with total bodily extension. This is not relaxed progress; it is strenuous, whole-person exertion. Paul is describing the Christian life as an athletic contest that demands full concentration and maximum effort in the present moment.
Verse 14 intensifies the image: “I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” The noun σκοπόν (skopon) refers to the target or mark set up for aiming, the finish line or turning post in a race. The verb διώκω appears again, underscoring relentless pursuit. The βραβεῖον (brabeion) was the prize or victor’s award given by the umpire in the Greek games. Most remarkably, Paul identifies the prize itself as “the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” The calling from above is both the motivation and the reward. It is high because it originates in God’s heart, because it is worthy of God, and because it summons believers to the place where Christ sits at the right hand of the Father. Everything about this calling is “in Christ Jesus.” Legalistic religion attempts an upward call through human effort alone; Paul insists the entire race is run in union with the One who first laid hold of us.
Earlier in verse 12, Paul states that he presses on “that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.” The verb καταλάβω (katalabō) means to seize, grasp firmly, or make one’s own, often with the nuance of pulling something down and securing it. Christ had powerfully seized Paul on the Damascus road. Now Paul actively responds by laying hold of the full implications of that divine initiative: becoming a new man, being conformed to Christ’s image, serving as a witness, becoming an instrument in the conversion of others, embracing suffering for Christ’s sake, and attaining to the resurrection from the dead.
This is no works-based salvation. It is the vigorous cooperation of a transformed will with the grace that first transformed it. As the apostle elsewhere writes, we are to “work out [our] own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in [us], both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:12-13). The effort is real; the empowerment is entirely from God.
Taking Spiritual Inventory
Because self-deception is so easy, we do well to follow the psalmist’s example: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23-24). The Great Physician conducts regular examinations of our souls. Consider these diagnostic questions honestly:
Have I made an exciting discovery in the Bible recently? If months have passed without fresh insight, our engagement with Scripture may have become dutiful rather than delighted. The living Word (Hebrews 4:12) yields new treasures to those who mine it expectantly.
Have I worked on memorizing a verse of Scripture in the last month? Hiding God’s Word in the heart provides both defense against temptation and guidance for decisions (Psalm 119:11).
Have I gotten too busy to pray? Busyness is often a respectable disguise for spiritual drift. Prayerlessness starves the soul of communion with the One who alone can renew strength.
Has my church involvement waned? The writer of Hebrews warns us not to neglect meeting together, “and all the more as you see the Day drawing near” (Hebrews 10:25). In the last days, corporate worship, encouragement, and accountability become more vital, not less.
Am I serving the Lord as passionately as I once did? Zeal can cool into mere routine. Romans 12:11 urges us, “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.”
Has an unhealthy habit taken root? Small compromises rarely remain small. They grow into strongholds that hinder the race.
Have I gotten into a needless argument recently? The enemy loves to divert energy into fruitless disputes that grieve the Spirit and damage witness.
Am I irritable, or am I growing in the fruit of the Spirit? Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23) are the visible evidence that Christ is being formed in us. Irritability often signals that self is still on the throne.
Do I feel excited about telling others what Christ is doing in my life? A muted witness may indicate that our own experience of grace has grown stale.
These questions are not meant to produce condemnation but clarity. Where the Spirit convicts, He also provides grace for repentance and renewed pursuit.
The Necessity of Mentorship
Some people attempt the do-it-yourself route after taking inventory. Others recognize they need coaching. After an illness many years ago, I realized I needed a personal trainer to help me recover physical agility and conditioning. The same principle applies spiritually. In his devotional book I Lift Up My Soul, Charles Stanley suggested we adopt this prayer: “Dear Lord, don’t let my zeal for You grow dim. Don’t let complacency hamper my spiritual growth. Manifest Yourself to me today in a new and deeper dimension.”
Zephaniah 1:12 pronounces judgment on those “settled in complacency.” A. W. Tozer warned, “Complacency is a deadly foe of all spiritual growth. Acute desire must be present or there will be no manifestation of Christ to His people.” A wise mentor, pastor, or mature friend can help us maintain that holy desire. Ask questions such as: How do you stay close to God each day? What method of Bible study helps you most? How do you structure your prayer life? What are you reading? Do you know of a discipleship group? How do you handle temptation in this area? Your heart-attitude toward the answers will largely determine whether you thrive or merely survive.
Taking the Next Steps a Day at a Time
John Maxwell tells of a friend who, as a young man, challenged him to develop a plan for personal growth. That night, Maxwell and his wife decided to invest in an audio course on personal development. After every tape, he extracted one immediate application. He also committed to reading two books a month and scheduling a monthly appointment with someone who could help him grow. Those decisions, he later said, changed him forever. In Today Matters, he observed, “You will never change your life until you change something you do daily.”
Perhaps you have been following Christ for months, years, or decades. You have already learned much, yet God’s greatness remains unsearchable, His qualities boundless, His Word bottomless. His work in your life has only begun. He wants you to bear fruit, more fruit, and much fruit (John 15:2, 5, 8). You do not yet know it all. You never will. As much as you know, there is more to learn. How exciting is that!
So let us define a thriving faith by doing what God has told us: “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord” (Romans 12:11). Begin today with one concrete step, perhaps an extra ten minutes in the Word, a renewed commitment to corporate worship, a conversation with a potential mentor, or the confession of a hidden compromise. The race is won only in the present moment. The upward call of God in Christ Jesus is both the direction and the prize. Press on. The best lies ahead.
