Ready For The Battle

Life seems like such a struggle. There seems to be no end in sight. Are you sitting there wondering “why might I be going through what I am going through as well as how might things change?” Do the things happening in your life make you start thinking of yourself as Mr. or Mrs Irrelevant or feeling like anything I might be able to do is a long shot? Do you think of yourself as insignificant? Do you want to scream “I matter don't I? Even those who are picked last for everything have a place in this world, don't they? I have the right to be someone that matters.”

For some, life has always felt hard and may still feel that way. They may feel others get breaks, so why can't I? There is such a desire to get through at least one day with feeling like someone and getting beyond the feeling of being less than, that they may do anything to be noticed. But at the end of the day, the same feelings exist. Who am I? What is my purpose? Will I ever make a difference in anyone's life or even in one's own life? Or will it always be the same song and dance routine where those feelings of unworthiness and feeling less than still remain in the forefront of the mind at the end of the day? Each and every passing day, life seems like a war and has all along. Each day filled with battle after battle. Just because it actually may feel like this for most of a person's life, it is encouraging to know it doesn't always have to be this way. Life can change as much as it seems it's not going to.

To get beyond feeling this way, the question is not “Are you ready for the war?” but “Are you ready for the everyday battles that you are going to face throughout the war of life?” When a person looks at the big picture (the war of life), it seems to be too big of an undertaking to even imagine things could change. There is the hope that it will be swept under the carpet or that by some miracle, things will change. There is a miracle waiting. It is making a paradigm shift in life and no longer looking at the war but looking at the battles. When a person faces each battle, which in this case is one day, it looks much more manageable even if it still seems like life is unmanageable. You can make a change for today that you may not think will have lasting effects. But sticking with making the desired changes, one day at a time, does work.

The War of Life

The war zone looks tattered and worn with many past failed trials and tribulations. But remember to look for the successful attempts at facing some of those same trials and tribulations. They are out there. These are the ones a person can learn from. It is not a matter of thinking being free of those trials and tribulations is the answer. No, the freedom comes from knowing you have had success in the past and if you can't think of anytime you had success, it is important to know you can, in similar present and future situations. The truth is trials and tribulations are a part of life and until one can accept that, the battle will regularly seem insurmountable.

Too often, the reason people are feeling as described earlier is because they are haunted by their many mistakes and indecisions, that they forgot the times when they didn't fail and did succeed. The focus needs to shift from the mistakes or sins of life to the successes of life, regardless of which outnumbers the other. A person who is feeling defeated in the war is only focused on the past or the future. Thoughts tend to be towards the future like “Will things ever change?” or “Will I keep doing the same thing(s) over and over again?” or “What can I do differently as everything I have tried just doesn't seem to work?” Change those thoughts to “What can I change?” and “What am I going to do different in this situation?” and “Will I be okay regardless of the outcome, knowing I tried something different?”

The horror of this war is the destruction of who we are as a person. The enemy wants each person to feel defeated and insignificant to matter. So to stop the enemy, one must identify who the enemy is. This is not as easy to do as it sounds. The Bible does help identify who the enemy is.

There are two references in the Bible which help identify who the enemy is. The first tells us in Romans 7:21-23 “So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.” And earlier in this same chapter, we learn this about the law. “We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do it, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do – this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.” (Rom 7:14-20)

This is confirmed by Ephesians 6:12 “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

The Daily Battles

The transition to bring one from the past and future into the present is where the real war is fought and where the war can be won. It is in each daily decision one faces. The focus needs to become the same as Matthew 6:34 where it reads “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” God wants each person to know life is not free of troubles. He is spelling it out that there is a real war happening. And there is no break from it.

The means to make this transition from worrying about the future and being bogged down by the past is living in the present. A couple of ways a person can do this is by asking God to “give us today our daily bread” and to begin “seeking first His kingdom and His righteousness.” (Matthew 6: 11, 33)

So when waking up at the start of the day, it helps to prepare by asking God to guide every step. There needs to be an alertness in the heart and mind to listen to where God wants to lead and as to what God wants to say to others. He knows where the mines are, in the field. It is vital to spend time in God's Word, getting to know what it says since each decision faced is provided with an answer there. That answer, more than likely, is not spelled out but principles are given as to how to handle different situations. Changing the focus from wanting to be noticed to bringing glory to God will make a difference as well. But this doesn't mean that life will get any easier. In fact, it becomes much more difficult to make the decisions that bring glory to God because many times that decision goes against the norm of what society says to do. And our own thoughts still linger at wanting to please man or one's self.

And when getting ready to end the day, recount the day and thank God for being present and being that strength and encouragement when times got rough and feelings of mercy and comfort when times were good.

Closing Thoughts

A walk with God is not something that only happens by going to church on Sunday and with reading the Bible and praying. A walk with God comes from living out the ways learned from studying His Word. Each time a hard decision to do things God's ways is another daily battle won. It is at those times when Deuteronomy 28:7 will bring joy knowing that “the Lord will grant the enemies to rise up against each one of us in order for Him to defeat them before us and cause them to flee in seven different directions.” (Paraphrased) In the end when the day comes and God brings us into His presence, will we hear the words “Well done good and faithful servant” or “Get away from me for I never knew you”? This war and battle is won with a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. When that becomes real, that is more than half the battle.

Living in the present and letting God shape life in the way He will be pleased will result in a changed heart and attitude as to who we are in God's eyes and how we are able to handle each day and each relationship. It begins today and each day you wake up. So as of today, who are you and your house going to serve?

If you are looking for answers to have hope in your life once again, feel free to send me your question and I will look at addressing that topic in future publications.

John's Bio:

John served this nation for 20 years in the United States Navy. Since his departure from the Navy, he has begun pursuing a career in Addiction Studies which began at Allan Hancock College ( Santa Maria , CA ). In addition, he spent time as a Training Leader with a Christian Recovery program for 2 years as well as helping newcomers adjust into the program. He is in the process of developing a non-profit organization with the focus of ministering to those who are spiritually sick, broken, in bondage and feeling ill-equipped as a saint. Currently, he is an active member of Biltmore Baptist and resides in Asheville , North Carolina .

I would appreciate hearing from you whether it is a word of encouragement or in sharing feedback or asking a question based on your current situation. You may contact me via email at: John_03_16_Bates@yahoo.com

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