WAR. The dictionary offers many synonyms for this word. Most of them go along the lines of “fighting”, “combat”, “attack” and everything else that remotely alludes to bloodshed, gore, pain and suffering.
Swords slashing, the sound of metal upon metal, stabbing, wounded, crying, dying. Some people call that war.
People hating people they don’t even know, super powers, bombs, terror, destruction, pillaging, devastation. Some people call that war.
What do you call war? What is your personal definition of this very short but extremely loaded word? Is it fact or fiction to you?
These are questions more important than a if-you-had-one-wish-in-the-entire-world-what-would-it-be question in a Miss Universe pageant. And the answer is much more labyrinthine than the all too cliché “World peace”.
War, whether we like it or not, is an impending circumstance. No amount of ignoring this fact will make it go away. The Bible clearly tells us that before the second coming of our Jesus, there will come a time of great battle between light and darkness. In other words, War. And God has called His children to be ready for battle, to fight alongside Him.
Ephesians 6:12 says, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
Loose the chains of injustice, untie the cords of the yoke, set the oppressed free.
Feed the hungry, provide for the poor, clothe the naked.
Die to self, take every thought captive, resist temptation, love the unlovable.
These are the battles we must fight.
God says that He is a safe tower; the righteous will run into it and be glad. In this Tower, we are buffered and protected on all sides. But God calls us to do more than that! He wants us to pull into the fray, barrel over enemy lines, and rescue those who are kept in captivity.
Now see this:
We as God’s children are hidden in the mighty fortress, The Tower, even as battles wage on outside. We are safe here, and well fed. We are happy.
Then, the King sweeps into the room, his countenance is ethereal light. His voice cracks across the room like thunder, it doesn’t make us fearful. No, instead it strengthens us, renews our courage.
Then the King says, “My children, I am glad that there are so many of you here today. Your faith has brought you to Me, and I have brought you here. I love you very much. Now, I am going out into the battlefield to rescue more of my children who have gotten lost along the way.
I do not demand any of you to come with me, for it will be a dangerous task and many of you will lose your lives because of this. But I will provide you with what you need; I give you the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the sandals of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, helmet of salvation, and the Sword of the Word. This full armor I give to you freely, because of my great Love for you. All you have to do is take it up and put it on.
I will protect you and surround you with My songs of deliverance. My unfailing love surrounds you, so trust in Me.
Now all those who are with me, let’s go. It is time.”
War. It is a scary notion, to be sure. But God has provided each of us with everything we need so that “in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”
War. It is the cry of all believers as we storm the gates of hell and set the captives free in the name of Jesus.
War. It is the time that God’s grace, glory, power, and love has never shone brighter.
War. It is our declaration of Truth in a world full of lies.
War. It is the heart cry of God to fight for His lost children.
Let’s declare it to the enemy: We are ready, we will fight, and we will win.
If this war will make me weak, I’ll lean on the One who’s strong. Bring it on.
Let’s say it together now:
This Is War.
i think we’re always in a spiritual war with the enemy – but God is faithful to always give us the victory IF we hang on to Him! 😀
So very true! The war wages all around us every day and we need His strength to get through it. Without Him we lose the war!
Love your outlook!
Powerful reminder that we need to rears for battle daily. We get so caught up in the physical things and sometimes forget that we are constantly fighting a spiritual battle.
This is war and I stand ready to fight along side you!
Daily I remind myself that our weapons to fight this war are not carnal but they are mighty and effective THROUGH God in the annihilation of strongholds. May we make war for Christ sake more often.
Great post!
This post gives me comfort. There has been so much talk lately of the End Times and Christians being put into camps, persecuted. I’ll admit it, it terrifies me a little. What will become of us? Even as I write this, I feel anxious. But we do know God has equipped us for whatever situation we’ll be in, whether those times come sooner or later. Thank you for this!
I do think the spiritual war is never over, but I feel like here lately it feels like a much bigger fight. I’ve had to stop looking at a lot of social media because I feel like there are a lot of anti-religion/anti-Christian sentiments going around on there.
Thanks for an uplifting post!
Very well written post. War is the battle we face everyday while we try to claim/fight to get closer to our goals. I believe that war happens whether we like it or not. We are always working towards some goal whether we look at it in that light or not. Of course, we know that Satan is the ruler of this world, so we shouldn’t consider ourselves allies to this world!
Thanks for the beautiful post and reminding us that, every day is a struggle and we have to take our side. At least as a believer, we have the secret weapon to carry us through this war!
To me war is both physical and spiritual. We are always battling one or the other. But remembering that God is our fortress and our protector helps me through all the wars I am dealing with in my life.
Great way to look at what’s going on in our country and in these times. It is a little scary all of the persecution that’s going on. But we have to remember God is always with us. Thank you for this!
Reminds me of a song from the 80s “We are the Army of the Lord” that talks about Running into the battle, and shaking the darts out of our shields, warning us not to fall asleep. Great post!
Great topic!! More believers need to understand warfare and engaging against the enemy.
Love this. I am going to have to come back and read it again! Thanks for sharing.
Spiritual warfare is no joke. I think it is often overlooked. Thanks for sharing, what a great reminder to be ready!
I’m so thankful we don’t have to fight through each day alone
Timely post! The last days of this world are fast approaching and we must hold onto the promises of God. We must remain in him while the world slowly crumbles around us. We can’t be silent and passive towards fighting evil with truth.
The Lord’s “it’s time” caused me pause. I want to go out and help God rescue others.
This is a great challenge and reminder. Especially liked this: We are ready, we will fight, and we will win.
This isn’t just relevant and striking, it’s beautifully written. God has already won. This battle is already won.
So true! I’m so glad you talked about this, because I think it’s a topic most ignore! Thanks for bringing it to light!
I love your closing line if this war makes me weak, I will lean on the One who is strong…beautifully written as a great reminder and encouragement!
Cathy
it can be so easy to forget the battle we are in, thanks for this timely message.
This was a really inspiring text. I have found this text to be inspiring because I am the only Christian in my family and some of my family don’t really agree with me being a Christian. Your closing line has really inspired me to go against them and try to bring them to Christ even if I will be persecuted I can “lean on the One who is strong.” Thank you!
Absolutely!! We need to be ever vigilant and ready to fight the good fight of faith. Thank you for this insightful and thought provoking post.