The Battle

 ~ Be careful how you treat people, everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. ~

                There are battles that we all face. We are each spirit, mind, and flesh.  Each of these can work against one another or as a cohesive unit to fight our battle.  There is a war that wages on whether you are aware of it or not; a war for your soul, a war for your heart.  These are the core of our being as God’s creation.   It was by His grand design.  He made us to be a needy people, incapable of saving ourselves.  Unable to be even in our strength, what He will so willingly be in our weakness.

                 The battle rages on for our spirit because it controls the rest of us. The word is faithful to remind us that our flesh is in submission to our spirit or the other way around.  It cannot be both.   This battle is inevitable.  It is true for you, it is true for me.  There is no denying it.  You may choose not to acknowledge it, but it prevails nonetheless.  It is symbolic of the darkness of Mordor and the cherished light of Rivendell from The Lord of the Rings. It is a battle of good versus evil, dark versus light, life versus death.

           No battle would exist without warriors to fight.  We all are warriors of some kind.  There are those warriors who freeze from fear that either die quickly or are severely wounded.  They shake in their boots with timidity.  They may have an attempt at victory, if they can muster up the courage to strike at all.  They feel weak and uncertain and eventually taken captive by the enemy.  There are others still who rush in with oceans of nerve and audacity and no fear of death. They are tireless and fierce, pursuing the enemy from every angle and allowing no opportunity for his advantage.  They slash and pierce with every single ounce of their might. By their very presence, their fellow soldiers feel brave. There is a third kind of warrior.  This warrior knows the battle at hand and he knows he must fight in the face of his own fear.  He chooses not to shake but to cover his flesh in armor.  He attaches it piece by piece with full certainty before picking up his sword.  With sword in hand and hellacious grip, he ties on his blindfold.  He knows that he cannot see through his eyes of flesh.  They blind him.  He understands this war has eternal consequences and that only the Keeper of the battle can ultimately carry him through.  His spirit must be quiet; he must listen for the Keeper’s voice.  He cries out for vision, for strength, and aid from the Keeper.  He charges forward with power in the face of the unknown.  One step after the other, he is able to fight.  He knows that as he moves on foot, the next step will be before him.  He does not back down.  He does not tire.  He allows his armor to be his protection and the Keeper to be his sight.  He does not know how long the battle will last, He does not know how many injuries he will sustain, he rests in knowing the Keeper will never leave him and the Keeper will have victory upon the final swing.    
           Even the most valiant warrior does not leave the battle without bruise or injury.  This is common to all men.  There are some battles though, that no one else can see, the ones that we fight privately through unknown tears and sorrow.  Some fight secret addictions they think no one will understand.  Others fall victim to behaviors they think no one would believe.  There’s bankruptcy, neglect, gluttony, alcoholism, sex, abuse, adultery, materialism, drugs, pornography, promiscuity, perversity, laziness, selfishness, vanity, an idolatrous heart.  I would wager a great amount that most of these battles do not come alone.  They sometimes intermingle, sometimes intertwine.  Why is it that we so often fight these silently?  Why do we feel such fear of judgment, rejection, and isolation?  Even the most righteous person battles a secret sin.  If they are a very mature believer, their sin may “appear” less egregious, but all sin is rooted deep within the heart. 

The Lord sees the battle that rages within us, the battle for morality and holiness.  He is the author but more importantly, the FINISHER of that battle.  I desire deeply that we would fight together.  My heart so longs that we would be brothers and sisters in arms, putting on our armor together, believing for one another, what we may not have the faith to believe for ourselves.  I pray we could tirelessly sharpen one another with words of truth, words of life.  There are a great deal of battles we could never attempt on our own even if we so desired. 

Do you know?  Do you know what your coworker walked through before arriving to work today?  Do you know what the girl who always smiles endures behind closed doors?  Do you know that man who is so consumed by pornography he has lost touch with reality and bears so much shame he can barely stand?  Do you know the person who is buried beneath layers and layers of deception hoping to be invisible?  Have you seen the man who is so entangled in such a web of lies he can no longer tell his left from his right?  Can you imagine the terror and confusion of the person whose voice has been taken by another or the nightmare the person sitting next to your will endure when they get home?

There is great comfort in the future kingdom.  One day it will be finished.  One day all will be revealed and the seemingly unconquerable will be eradicated.  Victory is certain and the ultimate purpose revealed.  Temptation will no longer overwhelm, sin no longer defeat.  Until that day, I pray for the grace to be an honorable warrior; one that will so willingly take on the blind fold to hear my Keeper’s voice.  I hope I can be a warrior that leaps in faith when I cannot see the ground beneath me. I want to trust His sovereignty, even when the pain of the unknown feels debilitating.  The gospel is a lavish mystery that is beyond comprehension.  It requires faith.  It requires surrender and sacrifice and seemingly impossible humility.  It offers the armor necessary to survive the battle.  We have a great King who has already completed it.  We have a Heavenly Father who binds up the brokenhearted and tends every wound.  We have a Holy Spirit who will gently whisper in our ear which way to step, shout if He must.  He is for us.  He equips us and goes before us and brings light to the darkest of places.  The Lord IS the light that intends to fill our soul.  He IS the salve intended to cover our wounds.  He is the WARRIOR who fights on our behalf.  Our Defender, our Protector.  The coming of His kingdom is the reason we fight at all, He IS our great Keeper, and in Him, the battle is already won.