Weapons of Warfare: Strategies of Warriors
2 Corinthians 10:4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. NIV
When I was younger, my uncle taught me how to play checkers. On any given play he would tell me, " I'm coming for your man", or " so you just giving me the game". Or the greatest line ever he would tell me, "Don't sit down if you are not going to play the game". Within a matter of minutes, the game would be over, and I would be crying because I lost the game. It wasn’t that I lost that game, it was honestly that I was getting tired of losing every game; so, I started to practice. And as I started practicing, I started getting better and winning at our games. Recently, I have started to become interested in chess. As a side note, checkers and chess are two completely different
Websters Dictionary defines strategy as this- it is the art and science of creating a careful plan or method towards a particular goal. Allow me to state that again because it blessed me, and I pray it blesses you- Strategy is defined as the art and science of creating a careful plan or methodology towards a particular goal. This is what my uncle was trying to tell me all along, without telling me all along. When you play any game, the goal is to win; no individual just happens to win. There is a well thought out plan. There are plays to discover and the ability to study your enemies. Your goal is to play offense when you need to play offense, and defense when you need to play defense. You need a strategy. Warriors need a strategy.
And isn’t that just like our faith? We need strategies. For the Bible itself declares that this Christian life is warfare; and with warfare comes weapons. No not guns and knives and other violent means; those are the weapons of the enemy. Our weapons are different; yet they are even more effective than anything the enemy can attempt to form. Allow me to give you 3 weapons-prayer, worship, and thanksgiving.
Your first weapon is Prayer. Prayer allows you to talk to God. It allows God to hear your heart. In other words, it builds intimacy. Th Father is allowed access to things within you that you thought you may have tucked away. You know those spaces. The things you’ve buried. The traumas you won't address. Prayer not only allows you to speak to God, but it also allows God to speak to you. Though you may be praying about God changing a situation you may find yourself in, God can change how you view not only the situation, but yourself and God while you are still in the situation. God will make it so that the situation is the same, but how you now respond to situation is completely different.
Your next weapon is worship. Worship is not just music. Worship is the intentional focus on God. It is the intentional focus on his attributes, and deity. Worship is the lifting of hearts and recognition that He is the ONLY living God. Worship is coming to terms that HE is the only God that loved you enough to die for you. To go to hell for you. To do battle for you. To take the sting out of death for you, and let you know that this life is not all there is. That there is more to come.
Lastly, one of our greatest weapons is thanksgiving. There is so much to thank HIM for. A psalmist once sang, don’t wait until the battle is over, you can shout right now; because here is the thing….We have already won! The enemy is still playing checkers, while Jesus has been making chess moves all along. If by chance you are ever at a loss for things to thank HIM for, let me help you out a bit
That breathe you just inhaled.
That breathe you just exhaled.
The fact that you woke up this morning.
The fact that you had presence of mind to connect with other believers to seek HIM first this morning.
The fact that you have running water.
The fact that you are clothed in your right mind- you know your right from left and your left from your right.
The fact that again you just inhaled and exhaled!
The fact that you are still here on this earth.
The fact HE has already won the battle, so we can shout right now!
The fact that though you may have lost somethings or people, you haven’t lost HIM! He still has you in the palm of HIS right hand.
The fact that HE keeps drying your tears.
The fact that He keeps walking and talking with you.
The fact that HE keeps on getting better.
As you begin to strategize and use your weapons more consistently, you will begin to see more victories. Let me not deceive you, the enemy will try harder. Let me also tell you, he will forever be playing checkers, while you are joining the Father in playing a game of chess. Join me in telling the enemy, CHECKMATE!
