I Was Made For War

I remember when I was younger seeing movies about wars and battles and thinking that they must be the most terrifying experiences any person could have.  When I was older, around 14 or 15 years old, I heard a rumor of a possibility for a draft.  This was just a rumor, but I always had a slightly overly active imagination, so when I heard the rumor of there maybe being a draft, it meant there was going to be a draft.  I then tried to find a way out of being drafted for war.  Maybe I'd be a conscientious objector, or move to Canada (because Canada and war didn't mix in my mind).  I didn't know what I'd do, but I was sure I wasn't heading off to fight and kill.  That's something that just wasn't in me.  My dad, being a pastor in the Methodist Church, gave me a book that explained what the Methodists believed about war and that the church would prevent me from being drafted.  So I figured I'd study up and find out what I should know about not going to war.  I took the book to my room and set it on my dresser.  And there it sat.  Untouched.  For a year.  I never read what I wanted to know about avoiding war.  Instead, my fears passed and went on living my life.

As I got older, my faith grew.  I went from being a simple teenager who only heard messages at church and youth group, to desiring to know more about the Bible and God and studying the Bible more closely.  Probably for the first time in my life I actually took the time to really read my Bible outside of some sort of church event.  As my faith grew, so did my knowledge of theology and doctrines.

Now, five or six years later from that time I tried to find a way out of fighting in a war, I've become an intern for a youth ministry.  Because of the events of my life, I've realized that I'll always be fighting a war.  I've come more and more into the reality of sin and how much satan is at work in the world (I used Jonathan Acuff's reason for spelling 'satan' with a lowercase 's' because that's like the middle finger of grammar).  My war comes mentally and physically (and this is the same with all Christians; it just depends on how aware of the war they really are).  As a Christian I have three enemies: 1) satan, 2) the world, and 3) myself.  The physical attacks are the least of these.  Many of the other attacks come mentally and spiritually, attacks that try to cripple the character and destroy any hope that one might have.  It's like once satan has lost a prisoner, he does anything he can to get them back, to abandon the hope they've heard about the Savior.  The war rages on and gets more intense the deeper into Christianity one goes, but the fighting can be easier.  John Piper has said that he can't see how anyone can live in this world without a sword at their side.  And he's right.  A Christian can't survive in this dark world without a sword to fight off satan and temptation, the sword being the word of God (Ephesians 6:17).  It's crucial to memorize scripture because a good soldier is always prepared, so whenever an attack comes he doesn't have to search for his sword; its already with him.

Every day I realize more and more that I was made for war.  The most comforting things is that my victory is already set in stone because of Christ and that I'm not fighting for a lost cause.  Also that I'm not fighting alone.

"I was made for war and my victory is certain.  Yes, my victory is sure.  You’ll see me stand defiant with the warrior that will conquer all. Victorious in death, He will never fall.  I am victorious only when I remember who I am and heaven’s waiting on the glory that He’s put in my hand.  My redemption is to bring redemption.  Steadfast, I press on for the freedom of the world, for that is why my Savior bought me.  So I stand beside Him, ready for the fight. I was made for war." - For Today