How Army Discipline Applies to the Christian Life
What standing orders are and why they matter
In the British Army, standing orders are the baseline instructions that govern how a unit operates — routines, procedures and standards that are maintained regardless of changing circumstances. They remove the need to make decisions under pressure about things that can be decided in advance. The soldier who has his standing orders does not negotiate with himself about whether to clean his weapon before inspection. The decision was made when the order was given.
Why Christian men need standing orders
Most Christian men operate their spiritual lives on motivation and intention rather than standing orders. When they feel inspired, they pray with fervour. When they feel flat, they do not pray at all. When life is calm, they read scripture regularly. When life gets pressured, it is the first thing to go. This is not discipline — it is mood management. And mood management produces wildly inconsistent results.
The standing orders of a Soldier for Christ
Daily scripture — same time, every day
The Christian man’s equivalent of the daily briefing. At the same time every morning, before the operational demands of the day, the soldier receives his orders from his Commander. This is not optional on Tuesdays when he slept badly. It is a standing order.
Daily training — same time, every day
1 Corinthians 9:27 — I discipline my body and keep it under control. The body is trained at the same time every day. Not when motivation is high. Not when the diary is clear. Every day, at the time that has been decided in advance.
Fasting window — same every day
The 16:8 fasting structure is a daily standing order. No food before noon. Not most days. Every day. The decision is made once and then executed daily without negotiation.
No phone before morning orders
The man who receives the world’s input before God’s input has already compromised his morning orders. The phone waits until the daily briefing — scripture and prayer — is complete.
How to establish your standing orders
The Forged in Faith programme dedicates Day 9 to setting standing orders — writing the non-negotiable daily commitments that will govern the rest of the man’s life. Not aspirations. Orders. The day is not complete until every order on the list is executed.
→ CTA: Set your standing orders with the Forged in Faith programme — get it now