Not An Island

Proverbs 27:17 “Iron sharpens iron; so one man sharpens another.”

After joining the Army, I quickly learned the meaning of the term “battle buddy”. A “battle buddy” is someone who is always with you. Wherever you go and whatever you do, your “battle buddy” is right beside you. If you need to go and relieve yourself, then your “battle buddy” goes with you. When digging a foxhole, you dig for two. Two men share one foxhole, so that one “buddy” is always watching the other “buddy’s” back. As a soldier I am accountable for the safety and well being of my “battle buddy”, as he is also accountable for mine. If he becomes wounded, I am there to give “first aid”. If he can’t walk on his own, I am there to carry him. If he becomes fearful, I am there to encourage him. Battle buddies keep each other accountable, awake, alert, and alive in the heat of battle.

It’s hard to believe, but a lot of Christians have a negative viewpoint of the word accountability. Why is that? In the secular world, the word accountability seems to have a positive connotation. Everyone should agree that to be a person who is accountable is to be a person who is responsible. In fact, accountability and responsibility are synonymous. So why is it that most Christians misunderstand and even cringe when hearing the term “accountability partner”? It is because most Christians think that accountability is synonymous with criticism and in no way relate it to responsibility. They think that an accountability partner is going to probe into their life with legalistic zeal, pointing fingers and spreading gossip. This is not the Biblical M.O. of an accountability partner. An accountability partner watches my back in Spiritual warfare. An accountability partner renders “first aid”, when I am wounded. An accountability partner picks me up, when my walk turns into a crawl. An accountability partner adjusts my line of sight, when my vision is clouded with emotion and circumstance. An accountability partner is a trusted friend who earnestly cares for my best interests and offers wise, Christ centered, Bible based counseling, encouragement, and advice.

Proverbs 27:17 “Iron sharpens iron; so one man sharpens another.”
Just as a dull blade is useless for cutting and in need of sharpening, so we too become dull and useless within our Spiritual walk when we refuse to be honed. This verse says one man sharpens another or in other words, “accountability partners keep one another mentally sharp, focused, and alert in Spiritual warfare.” Do not forget that the war is fought in your mind and accountability partners help to keep one sharp for battle.
1 Sam 13:20-21 “So all Israel went down to the Philistines to have their plowshares, mattocks, axes and sickles sharpened.” In this verse, Israel is preparing for battle with the Philistines raiders who were carrying out punitive expeditions against them. All of Israel went together to sharpen their weapons in order to prepare for battle. A dull weapon is of no use in combat. Without accountability partners, we walk into the combat zone alone, unprepared, and dull because, “Iron sharpens iron; so one man sharpens another.”

Eccl 4:9-12 “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” Here we have several Biblical analogies for accountability partners. We cannot survive in the devil’s world in isolation. We need someone to come along beside and pick us up when we fall down, or let us know when we are walking on unstable ground. We need someone to keep us warm when the Spiritual fire starts flickering during the blizzards of life. We need someone who will stand firm with us in battle as to not become overpowered. (Ephesians 6:11-12) And just as a rope with only one strand is weak and a rope with many strands is strong, we need to be interwoven with other believers in order to multiply strength. (Strength in numbers!)

Biblical examples of failure due to lack of accountability:

God placed Abraham and Lot together and Lot was accountable to Abraham. When Abraham and Lot separated (Genesis 13), Lot was no longer accountable and was lured in by the lifestyle of Sodom and Gomorrah. The lack of accountability cost Lot dearly, in which he lost credibility with his own family (Genesis 19:14), lost his wife (Genesis 19:26), and perverted the morals of his daughters (Genesis 19:31-38).

Aaron was accountable to Moses during the Hebrews exodus from Egypt. But when Moses was delayed in coming down from the mountain Aaron became swayed by public opinion and made an idol cast in the form of a calf. (Exodus 32:1-6)
When we become independent of accountability it is more likely that we will lose our focus of the person of Christ and the plan of God, resulting in a major fall.


Jesus Christ understood the importance of accountability when sending out the disciples in pairs. Mark 6:7 “And He summoned the twelve and began to send them out in pairs, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits;”
The Holy Spirit understood the importance of accountability when He chose Paul and Barnabas to go on the first missionary journey. Acts 13:2 “While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."

Hebrews 10 and Proverbs 27 makes a clear case for an accountability partner!

Heb 10:24-25 “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another-and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

Proverbs 27:9 “Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of one's friend springs from his earnest counsel.”
We need someone to spur us toward love and good deeds while keeping an eye out for stumbling blocks. We need someone who will offer wise counsel when we seem to be making all the wrong decisions.

I will close with a quote from Chuck Swindoll on accountability. “Today, we too, need others to hold us accountable. Sometimes an objective opinion will reveal a blind spot. Sometimes a straight-from-the-shoulder piece of advice will preserve a friend from a fall. Other times a strong reproof will get the wayward back on track. On another occasion, we may simply need a sounding board to help keep us on target. Are you accountable to someone outside your family? Someone who can ask you straight questions, hard questions, and make honest observations? Do you spend time with this person on a regular basis, looking at each other’s life? Are you committed to mutual encouragement? Do you think together? Pray together? Play together? I hope so.”
Don’t try to go it alone, isolated and independent. Choose an accountability partner that you can trust, and I promise you that it will pay dividends, resulting in the endurance that leads to Spiritual growth maturity. James 1:4 “And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing.”