Committing to the Battle
By: Denise Bowman, Houston, TX
It was a Wednesday night. Right before leaving for worship services, I heard on the news that the US was engaged in a war. I was in college, and this was the first time I had been truly aware that our country had soldiers actively fighting in a foreign land. It made my stomach hurt, and I was uneasy. I left the house that night expecting to see most people in red, white, and blue, talking about this war, hanging their American flags outside their homes. What I saw were people going about, doing what they always do. No anxiety, no concerned conversations…just business as usual. Why? Because the battle was far away from home.
As Christians, we are at war. Sometimes we forget that this war is not taking place in another land, but right in our own backyards. “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Eph. 6:12). If we have put on Christ, we have enlisted in His army, and we must be fighting for right. There are no peace treaties or ceasefires in this battle. We must decide daily to put our armor on and fight for the Lord. “You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please Him who enlisted him as a soldier” (II Tim 2:3-4). Laziness, apathy, and distractions have no part in the Christian soldier’s life. And lest we think that this battle is just too big for us to manage, please consider these truths.
We have the battle plan. God has given us everything we need to be a good soldier. In His plan, God has revealed Himself and His love for every person. He has told us how we can be redeemed so that we can be part of His army and fight for His cause (Eph. 2:4-6). We have intel about the enemy and his lying, deceitful, crafty ways: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (I Pet 5:8). With the help of our Commander, we know how to win the battles with the devil: “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7; Matt 4:1-11). We also know that the devil never stays away for long. Even after Jesus resisted the temptations in the wilderness, the devil only went away until his next opportunity arose (Lk 4:13). We must be prepared for his attacks. Our Commander is clear about the expectations for each soldier. Through implementing His plan, we can discover our weaknesses and work on strengthening ourselves through study and practice, so that we can be worthy soldiers and win our daily battles (Phil. 2:12-13). What a blessing to have God’s plan to which we can refer at any time.
We can talk to the Commander. As a soldier in the army of God, I do not have to go through a chain of command to share my concerns or failures or fears. I can go directly to the great Commander Himself, through His Son, and He hears me! “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:14-16). God alone is in control, and we should have great confidence in the fact that He not only hears our concerns, but has the power to change things. We do not always know how God will answer our prayers. In fact, the answer to my prayer may be a resounding NO. But because we know our Commander loves us and is for us, we trust in His providence and His plans: “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall he not with Him also freely give us all things?” (Rom 8:31-32). Prayer is such a precious privilege.
We are part of an army. Praise God, I am not waging this war alone. I have fellow soldiers who care about me, support me, and fight with me. The devil would like nothing more than to find me all alone and vulnerable, just like he found Eve in the garden. We should stay close to our fellow soldiers and give our dreaded enemy no opening to attack. And please be advised that civil war should not ever be part of this battle (I Cor 1:10). God has called us to band together and love each other. Pride, jealousy, pot-stirring, and infighting are all characteristics of the world and should never be found among the soldiers of God. Our individual battles are difficult enough. We cannot afford to lose the support of our fellow soldiers. “But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation. For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you are doing” (I Thess 5:8-11). Reach out, and stay connected.
We know how the war ends. God wins. God wins. GOD WINS! The resurrection of Jesus Christ has secured the victory over sin and death! (I Cor. 15:56-57). When our daily struggles are wearing us down and discouragement starts to set in, look up. Stand strong. Keep fighting. The battles may be tough, but the war is won! As long as you are standing with the Lord, your victory is secure: “Therefore my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord” (I Cor. 15:58). Because of this, we should live our lives with great joy, hope, and optimism. Even in the storms of life, the world should see in us our confidence in our Commander and His plans. How can we hope to bring new soldiers to the Lord if all they see are grumbling, scowling, discontented soldiers? We have no reason for such a disposition. God loves us, we are in His army, fighting for good and right, and our reward is assured in heaven above (Jn 14:2 ; I Cor 15:51-54). What a reason to rejoice, no matter our circumstances! What joy we have to share with each other, and with the lost world around us! “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For 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 created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus” (Rom 8:37-39). Praise be to God!
Soldiers of Christ, arise! Let us commit to the battle plan, constantly pray to our Commander, join hands with our fellow soldiers, and march on to victory through Jesus our Lord.