It is not a question of our equipment, but of our poverty; not what we bring with us, but what he puts in us; not our natural virtues, our strength of character, our knowledge, our experience; all that is of no avail…. God can do nothing with people who think they will be of use to him.
~Oswald Chambers (1874-1917)
On a bare hill raise a signal; cry aloud to them; wave the hand for them to enter the gates of the nobles. I Myself have commanded My consecrated ones, and have summoned My mighty men to execute My anger, My proudly exulting ones. The sound of a tumult is on the mountains as of a great multitude! The sound of an uproar of kingdoms, of nations gathering together! The Lord of hosts is mustering a host for battle. They come from a distant land, from the end of the heavens, the Lord and the weapons of His indignation, to destroy the whole land.
~ from Isaiah 13
Oh beloved, it is true. We are in a grim battle. The bitter wraiths, who in ages past, aligned themselves with the liar, are arrayed against us. They, like us, know that their doom is sure. But the process towards seeing the Day when peace is put into place is still underway. And until that Day, the ones who have reckoned true the truth that they are set apart unto their L_RD and King, will be in hot contact with a vicious foe.
And in battle,
Our knees are weak from marching
Our hands are shaking from combat
Our eyes leak tears from loss
Our skin is dry from years in the field
Our feet hurt from the miles
Our shoulders ache from the load
Our back is tight from the lifting
Our mind is tired from the battle inside
Our arms almost droop from the wielding of the sword
Our hearts are nearly broken from the failures we experience.
Regardless, we, you and i beloved warriors, are the ones G_d has consecrated to change the world. We, the fools and failures and sinners and sickly losers and ragamuffins – made whole in Him – are the ones the Mighty One is using to manifest His infinite strength in the world.
And sometimes we get so tired. And this is very good news.
We get so tired, that we finally remember that we are but salt and light to be spread amongst the darkness. We are but elements and vessels and weapons and instruments of His righteousness. And it is in re-reckoning true our own weakness that the Power so mightily at work within us begins to flow.
Our weak knees crash to floor as we crash boldly into His presence, and receive the grace and mercy we so desperately need.
Our shaking hands are raised empty that He might hand us – with His own Hand – the very riches we need to continue the battle.
Our clouded, teary eyes tear themselves away from the battle and look to their Captain for guidance.
Our dry skin is soothed by the oil of His Spirit, which works completely into our inner man and renews us.
Our hurting feet begin to dance as we see the path He has set before us is perfectly graded, and going in just the right direction.
Our aching shoulders suddenly feel relief as we – once again – shoulder only the load He has fit for us.
Our back turns free as we put down the burdens He never intended us to carry in the first place.
Our mind is renewed with wisdom as we put it back in its place – that being subservient to the spirit, and surrendered in fear of Him.
Our arms are strengthened as they are raised in praise and worship. And they swing free as we allow the Sword of the Spirit to simply do Its own work.
And our hearts are now full of Him and Love and Hope and Courage and Joy and Strength and the Knowing that all is well in Him.
Can we see it? The L_RD is the One mustering His host. Oh yes, we will fight. But the battle is the L_RD’s. And any warrior worth his salt knows that he is nothing against the powers of evil and darkness in heavenly places. Any warrior knows he must fight with strength that is nearly infinitely beyond His own. But once that warrior concedes this truth, there is no stopping him. He will most surely win.
So, are you in a fight? Good. Victory is His. Will you let Him give it to you as well?
Tonight is your night beloved. Time to start winning the fight.
The average Christian these days is a harmless enough thing. God knows. He is a child wearing with considerable self-consciousness the harness of the warrior; he is a sick eaglet that can never mount up with wings; he is a spent pilgrim who has given up the journey and sits with a waxy smile trying to get what pleasure he can from sniffing the wilted flowers he has plucked by the way.
~A. W. Tozer (1897-1963)
