A Christian Warrior, an Open Battlefield

A Christian Warrior, an Open Battlefield

“Greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends”, (John 15:13).

Proudly, I have two sons that served in the military, one in the Air Force, the other the Marines. My youngest son, who served in the Corps, served twice in Iraq, and once in Afghanistan. My son in the Air Force served in Afghanistan, the Arab Emirates, and in Africa, and was in the Air Force for 10 years. I, myself also served in the USMC- during Jimmy Carter’s term as president.

Many young men (and women) willingly join the military and give up their very lives to maintain the freedoms we enjoy. The passion these young people have for their country and their people is overwhelming- they were willing to give their life for an ideal, often in a foreign land that showed them no thanks. That kind of devotion and passion should be cultivated and should spread into other areas of their lives, continuing into their civilian lives as well, for their families, their spouses (and future spouses), and for their children.

Warriors come home to a world where their lives are no longer dependent on their fellow soldiers, and sadly, the passion they once felt for their fellow man is quickly diminished. This at times is a hard transition; their daily performance is no longer appreciated, their sacrifice forgotten. Once home they enter an open battlefield, but instead of weaponry they must now fight with words and conviction, (Ephesians 6:12).

Like Warriors, Christians are chosen by God to deliver their people from the darkness, into the marvelous light of His presence. The desires and lusts of the world keep people in the shadows, and in ignorance- we can never know everything that lurks in the shadows. By staying in the light there are no shadows to hide in- light scares the shadows away, and nothing can be hid from us as we walk in the light.

As Christian Warriors there should be no need to conform to the world and the way it thinks. We can be happy regardless of what we have; to be content with what God gives us, not desiring more. Oh yeah, we would all like to have more, but we aren’t going to collapse in a heap if God doesn’t give us something we would like to have. If we are sincere in our belief we know that God will only give us what He sees fit for us. It is merely up to us to accept God’s answer- if He says yes, great, but if the answer is no, then accept that it isn’t something we need.

The battlefield of life stretches before each of us, from the day we are conceived until the day we die, and every person must fight to maintain the ground they hold, (2 Timothy 4:7).

What can each of us do to save our loved ones from the dark uncertainties of life?