FROM THE BOOK THE HEART OF A WARRIOR

BY

  JOSEPH SMALLDONE

   CHAPTER 1

    The Call

       “The Lord is a warrior; the Lord is His name” Exodus 15: 2-

As Christians we are continually engaged in a bitter struggle against the enemies of God. Since the beginning of time, Satan and his co-horts have been actively plotting and planning to tear down the Kingdom of God. In spite of this, we continue to press forward in battle, keeping our hearts and minds fixed upon Jesus the captain of our faith.

The devil knows his time is short; he will stop at nothing to try to kill, steal, and destroy God’s people. So in these last days and for the past two thousand years, Our God has assembled a mighty army, fully trained, equipped, and ready for battle. Jesus our mighty Warrior will lead us into victory, battle after battle, no surrender, and no retreat!  Every day, the Lord is recruiting new soldiers, men and women of valor, full of the Spirit of God and has placed within them the heart of a warrior. The trumpet has sounded. It’s time to put on the Armor of God. Many souls are at stake. The mission is clear. Let us unite together in this great cause for Christ.

For all of us who choose to follow Christ, God is with us. Our destiny is set. Our future is sure. Our Lord and Savior has taken possession of the keys to hell, death, and the grave. Because of His unselfish sacrifice upon Calvary’s cruel cross, Christ has purchased for us by His blood, the right to become a child of God. Galatians2: 20 says “I have been crucified with Christ it is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me, and the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

No longer are we alienated, unable to have access to God the Father. We can now go boldly before the throne of grace and receive help in the time of need, for we have become heirs and joint heirs with Jesus. Our minds and hearts must now be fixed on doing His will and not our own. For example, take the Apostle Paul previously known as Saul. The moment he encountered Christ on the road to Damascus, his whole perspective of whom he perceived Jesus to be changed. His life was turned upside down. Paul, the great persecutor of the Way, knew then and there that he must submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Needless to say, ever since that time, Paul no longer did his own will, but his life was totally committed to the Lord and the furtherance of His Kingdom (Acts 9).

When John the Baptist was questioned by his disciples about Jesus and His authority to baptize, John made this simple statement to them, “He must increase, but I must decrease”. (John3:30). John the Baptist recognized Jesus as the Son of God. He knew in his heart what he must do, and he did it! He also wanted to set an example for his followers to practice. As warriors of the Lord, we too must be an example to others. We must demonstrate our desire to please God and it must become our number one priority. Our needs and wants must be brought low and we must give in to what God requires of us. We must come to realize in our hearts what we must do, just as the apostle Paul and John the Baptist did.  By allowing ourselves to be led by the Holy Spirit, He will lead us and guide us into an attitude of submission and surrender unto God.   Just to know whom we are in Him and that His love for us is a never ending love is an awesome thought. It will continuously cause hope and joy to rise up in our soul, and will draw us ever closer to God.

Our Lord and savior Jesus Christ, the King of glory, has stopped the enemy dead in his tracks. The devil is a defeated foe and Jesus has prevailed in the decisive and final battle for our souls. The war has been won! Psalm 24 says, “Who is this king of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle”.  No longer do we have to shrink back in fear, with no hope for the future, but now we can be confident of a better tomorrow in Christ Jesus.  The time has come for us to rise up in boldness and accept the challenge. Take up the gauntlet and follow in the footsteps of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.