Every time my husband sees someone in a military uniform, he thanks them for their service.
Our country has done a good job of acknowledging our veterans. These men and women who have served our nation are honored with holidays such as Veterans Day, and somewhat Memorial Day (though Memorial Day is largely for those who didn't make it back). We often like to hear stories from our Veterans--first-hand stories that didn't make it into the history books, but are just as real. Sometimes, though, in light of all the honor and glory, these men and women suffer from unspeakable trauma witnessed in the most ugly of human circumstances. Sometimes, they are haunted for the rest of their lives by the memories of things such as exploding shells, killing or disfiguring their friends.
In what I'm about to say, I do not in any way make light of the real heroism of men and women in our armed forces. What I am going to do, though, is make a comparison, because the Bible draws this same parallel.
As Christians serving God, we are in a war. This war has been going on since Genesis 3, when Adam and Eve sinned against God. It's a war between good and evil...between God and Satan. We know from reading Revelation how that war will end. Revelation 20:10 says: And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever. In verse 15, we are told that everyone who has followed Satan and not embraced Christ will also be thrown into the lake of fire. The last two chapters of Revelation are about our eternity with God, when there is no more sin, and no more war. But until that time, we are part of the ages-old war. We fight the battles of the time in which we live. A hundred years ago, believers fought their distinct battles, and a hundred years from now (should the Lord tarry), the Christians will be fighting their battles as well. We fight ours today. But we're all part of the same war.
Who are we at war against? Sometimes it seems like other people are the enemy, but Ephesians 6:12 assures us this is not the case: For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Our battle is against Satan and his followers. We who are believers are on God's side. Sometimes it's easy to forget who we're really fighting, because we can't see Satan, but we can see the problems he creates.
What do those battles look like? They can look many different ways. We are told in Ephesians 6:11 that Satan has schemes that we are to stand against. Second Corinthians 10:3-5 remind us: For though we walk in the flesh, we do not wage battle according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying arguments and all arrogance raised against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. Pretty aggressive words, aren't they? We are in favor of the word of God, and against everything that goes against what God has said. It might sound harsh in our overly "tolerant" society, but it is exactly what God said.
As Christians, our goal is to bring glory to God, and bring people to Christ. That can look differently in different people's circumstances, but in one way or another, we as Christians are all part of that battle--those war efforts.
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| In times of war, all good citizens participate in war efforts. The same is true in our spiritual battles. Think of some ways that these battles are served on the "front lines" and the "home front". Both are equally important. |
The Bible gives more info about battle, but let's think about this a minute. If we are truly fighting a war, that would make us veterans. We might not feel like we deserve to use that title. As I said earlier, I mean no disrespect by comparing spiritual warfare to the physical battlefront our soldiers face. But since the Bible draws the parallel, I feel safe to proceed. As spiritual veterans, have you ever felt drained, in need of rest? Have you ever gone through something hard or painful in God's service, and no one noticed? Have you felt isolated and alone in your battles? Have you ever not known how to interpret something you went through? Have you ever just felt broken and lost after an act of service for the kingdom? Have you ever felt wounded by a fellow soldier?
Hurt and trauma can happen to believers in the service of our King. Acknowledge that. Ask God for opportunities to share your stories with those who might be helped by them. Here are some other things to keep in mind.
The Battle is the Lord's
Second Chronicles 20:15 says, For the battle is not yours, but God's. Likewise, Exodus 14:14 says, The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still. We are soldiers in God's army, but He is the one who is really doing the fighting. We follow Him onward to victory. The all-powerful God has a greater vested interest in the outcome than you ever could, and He has already promised that He will win in the end. Proverbs 21:31 says it well: The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the Lord.
All scores will be settled
Isaiah 5:20 says, Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! That sounds a lot like today, doesn't it? It is viewed as "evil" to stand on the absolutes of the Bible, but it is "good" to accept anything and everything, with no moral code or scriptural basis. Galatians 6:7-9 is such an encouragement to me: Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a person sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his flesh will reap destruction from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit. Let's not become discouraged in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not become weary. God will allow the wicked to reap the consequences for their wickedness, while the godly will reap rewards. God will repay. Romans 12:19 reminds us, Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. Believers will all stand before the Lord at the Judgment Seat of Christ (Second Corinthians 5:10) to give an account of the lives we lived. We are saved no matter what, but the quality of our Christian lives affect the rewards we receive. As for the unbelievers, they will pay for their sins for all eternity in the lake of fire.
God has given you His armor
God has given us armor to withstand the attacks of battle. Ephesians 6:13-18 tells us how this works. That armor helps us stand firm, after all else. The pieces of armor are the Belt of Truth, Breastplate of Righteousness, Shoes of the Gospel of Peace, Shield of Faith, Helmet of Salvation, and the Sword of the Spirit. Verse 18 concludes that we need to continually be in prayer. Second Corinthians 6:7 also talks about spiritual armor, with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left. What do these pieces of armor represent? I believe they are the aligning ourselves with God, and that each of these pieces represents a different aspect of His character. The belt of truth is God's truth, and that belt holds the breastplate of righteousness firmly in place--and the breastplate is the fact that we are in Christ's righteousness. The shoes of the gospel of peace means we are ready to share the gospel, which brings us peace with God. The shield of faith is our faith in the Lord, which is the means by which we grab hold of the salvation Christ offers. The helmet of salvation protects you from Satan's lies. He likes to make you question your salvation, or your victory in Christ. The Sword of the Spirit is the Bible itself. That is the only defensive weapon, and that should show us that in order to fight these battles, we need God's word. Additionally, God protects us. Psalm 91:11 tells us that He gives His angels charge over us, to keep us in all our ways.
You are not alone in the battle
One of the biggest tactics of the enemy is to isolate believers. Ecclesiastes 4:12 gives some basic common sense truth: And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart. A song our pastor's wife in California used to sing a lot contained the line, "There's no foe that can defeat us, when we're walking side by side." We need each other, but we often feel alone in our battles. A passage that has encouraged me is First Kings 19. Elijah had just won a spiritual battle, but he was scared and discouraged. He needed renewal and assurance. Twice (in verses 10 and 14) Elijah tells the Lord that he is the only faithful one left. God replies in verse 18 that there are seven-thousand faithful believers in Israel. Elijah wasn't as alone as he thought. At the end of this chapter, God gives Elijah a helper and friend, Elisha. Part of fighting the battle is to have relationships with fellow believers. Go to church, join Bible studies, have a Christian friend or family over for dinner. Develop an accountability partnership with someone you gel well with. Pray with other Christians. One of the best ministries I am currently part of is a 24-hour prayer line, where Christians from all over the earth call in and pray. If you ever want to know you're not alone, join something like that. Other Christians are facing similar struggles to yours. There are many irritating issues with social media nowadays, but there are positives. It helps us connect. It has normalized people sharing their struggles with areas such as depression, anxiety, insecurities, etc. When I was a teenager, I struggled with these things, but no one ever talked about it, so I pretended I felt better than I did. I think pretending has thankfully started to go out of style. Surround yourself with believers who encourage you in the Lord. Just like veterans of physical wars share their common struggles and stories with each other, so should spiritual veterans.
Another way we are not alone is that believers throughout history--almost all of whom we won't meet until Heaven--have faced exactly what we have. The Apostle Paul wrote candidly in Second Corinthians 1:8, that we were pressed beyond measure, beyond strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life. Have you ever felt that way from the battle? I have. I met a gentleman in my Bible college years ago who said, "I can't imagine anyone wanting to die. I love life. God wants us to love life." He didn't mean anything bad by that at all, and I'm happy he hasn't had that struggle, but it also made me question if I was abnormal for struggling at times. If you are struggling, you're not alone. Christians all over, and throughout history, have gone through it. We are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses (Hebrews 12:1). These biblical believers had victory, and we live in the light of their witness.
You are victorious
As a soldier in God's army, you have a guaranteed victory. It might not look like it from our human vantage point. Think about Joseph in the book of Genesis. Things kept getting worse and worse for him. He went from a favorite teenage son, to a slave, to a prisoner, until he was finally made second-in-command of the nation. If he evaluated his life while he was on his way to Egypt as a slave, or while he was sitting in prison, he might have thought he lost the battle, but the story wasn't over yet. The same is true for us. But we have the promise of victory in Christ. First John 5:4 says, For whoever has been born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world: our faith. Remember what the Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians: Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. (First Corinthians 15:58).
In that, spiritual veteran, rejoice. And in case no one's ever said it, thank you for your service.
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