So I was
thinking that I
like to think. I
would call
myself a deep
thinker.
Laundry, it
never ends.
Every weekend
after a full
week of work,
there it sits in
its unclean
glory, begging
to be put into a
washer and
gently dried
with a drier
sheet (that I
might add). Wow,
a thought about
life crossed my
mind one day as
I stared at a
mountain of
dirty clothes:
This reality
now, that we
call life, is
full of
monotonous
chores that seem
to never end.
Some of us might
just be sitting,
wondering if
this is what
life is all
about─the never
ending laundry
curse. Well, I
am here to tell
you, that over
the horizon of
your stinking
clothes, is the
answer to that
gnawing
question.
What if I told
you that this
reality we are
currently living
in is the
setting to the
most epic battle
mankind has ever
seen? I know for
myself and most
men, we have a
burning desire
to fight in some
heroic battle,
to overcome evil
and stand as
conquerors over
the fallen
enemy. We want
to walk into
glory with
everyone
rejoicing with
us in victory.
The only part we
forget to
comprehend is
the hardship of
battle. The hero
can’t stand
victorious if
the troubles of
war have not
been met head
on. The
suffering,
adversity,
courage, and
perseverance are
what have
allowed the
soldier his
honor.
It’s no
coincidence that
we see movies or
video games
where the
entertained
party gets to
embark on the
journey of
warrior. The
saga of good
versus evil,
where the enemy
is crushed while
your home team
stands
triumphant.
Mankind
instinctively
has this warrior
spirit. Why do
we have this
soldier’s
spirit? I think
it has a much
deeper meaning
than the
bloodbath, that
is, war. The war
we are battling
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
(Ephesians
6:10-18).
Join with me in
suffering, like
a good soldier
for Christ
Jesus.
No one serving
as a soldier
gets entangled
in civilian
affairs, but
rather tries to
please his
commanding
officer (2
Timothy 2:3).
The Scriptures
make it very
clear that we
are on some
battleground of
sorts,
furthermore we
see the apostle
Paul telling us
to put on the
armor of God for
protection. Well
what do we need
to be protected
from? The
battleground of
sin and
temptation; sin
is the enemy of
our God.
Temptation is
the mechanism
the evil one
uses to get us
entangled in the
perversion of
sin. Then
mankind also has
the impossible
task of sorting
through all the
lies of the
world. If you
have the truth I
would advise you
to thank God
right now,
because that’s a
real miracle. We
demolish
arguments and
every pretension
that sets itself
up against the
knowledge of
God, and we take
captive every
thought to make
it obedient to
Christ (2
Corinthians
10:5).
Where does
temptation and
sin start? It
starts in the
mind, which is
why Paul is
telling the
Corinthians to
take captive
their thoughts.
Before I knew
Christ and
realized I was
held accountable
for my thoughts,
I was on
autopilot. Now
most of the time
I find myself
disagreeing with
my thoughts and
desires, and
sometimes
screaming in my
head for God to
not hold me
accountable for
the craziness
that flies
through.
What the
Scriptures are
painting to the
reader and the
student of our
Lord Jesus is
that we most
definitely, are
in a battle.
This battle is
for our very
soul, our
eternal resting
place. It’s for
our very own
quality of life
in eternity. I
am not going to
go through a
lengthy process
of telling you
how to not sin
indefinitely.
Shoot, I myself
haven’t figured
that out, but I
will try and
portray reality
so that it will
become easier to
make the right
decision when
temptation
comes.
Every time you
have a chance to
sin, every time
you have a
chance to speak,
truth, you are
taking up your
sword for battle
against the
enemy. Make no
mistake, the
enemy is
standing at the
door and ready
to devour. We
all face certain
sins like a ball
in chain, but
this dead weight
doesn’t even
exist when we
seek the kingdom
of heaven first.
The Lord told us
to seek the
kingdom of
heaven.
Moreover, if
Christ is in you
then you my
friend, are
royalty. Your
reality is a
battle-hardened
soldier for
Christ fighting
the exact
expression of
evil. That evil
is staring at
you, it’s
studying you,
it’s tempting
you, and it
hates you trying
to devise its
plan of your
destruction
along with
anyone you
encounter.
The very clash
for your soul is
inside your
mind, and down
the slippery
slope of the
heart. God has
called us into
combat against
the enemy, but
He tells us to,
“Fear not.”
For if
God is for us
who can be
against us? So
as each of us
embark on the
battlefront of
the world, we as
soldiers will
have our day of
rejoicing
(Isaiah 41:10;
Romans 8:31).
This heavenly
encounter is
very much my
opinion, but
this is just the
way I think it
could happen, if
we stand against
the devil’s
schemes through
daily repentance
and are cleansed
of our
unrighteousness
through Christ:
We will walk
before our Lord
Jesus, and He
will acknowledge
us before the
Father, and
millions and
millions of
angels.
“But will
acknowledge that
name before my
Father and his
angels”
(Revelation 3:5)
“Then I looked
and heard the
voice of many
angels,
numbering
thousands upon
thousands, and
ten thousand
times ten
thousand. They
encircled the
throne and the
living creatures
and the elders”
(Revelation
5:11).
Imagine for a
second the
possibilities of
this encounter,
the unimaginable
size of this
room. One
hundred million
angels staring
at you, Jesus
and the Father
saying, “Well
done, good and
faithful
servant.
Millions of
angels pointing
at you
whispering,
“They are the
ones who faced
battle daily.
They are the
ones who have
shed countless
tears, tasted
rejection and
death, felt with
every nerve
ending what
physical pain
is, watched
loved ones decay
and die, and
daily fought the
enemy called,
Satan.”
Right now as you
read this you
are behind enemy
lines, so I am
telling you that
God Himself is
telling you to
pick up your
sword called the
Word of God. Put
on your armor;
dig yourself a
foxhole, because
we have a
position to
hold. The enemy
has broken
through. We are
surrounded, but
we, as Christ’s
disciples know
that Jesus has
all the enemy
positions laser
designated.
You can hold
your position at
work, in your
family and with
your friends.
You can gain
territory and
soldiers for
Christ, if you
act boldly and
fearlessly for
our God, who He
Himself has
provided all the
equipment we
need. In all
reality that
recognition we
all crave, that
sensation our
souls are
starving for.
Our entire point
of existence
will be in that
moment when we
stand before God
and His angels.
Think about it,
you are standing
there, your eyes
wide open, all
the angels just
peering at you.
Jesus Himself
says, “Here are
my Father and
His angels.” And
you, my friend,
will be standing
there with your
thousand yard
stare earned in
battle just
completely
floored that you
managed to
escape the
clutches of the
enemy to witness
the glory of
God.
Please
understand you
are right now in
that epic
battle. The next
time you hear
that temptation
calling, pull up
your shield of
faith to
extinguish all
of the flaming
arrows.
Put on
your helmet of
salvation and
stand tall
because you have
a big audience
in heaven
cheering you on.
Our God knows
the battles we
have faced, He
knows the pains
we have
experienced. God
Himself, if He
didn’t already
know that we are
going to make it
home, might be
surprised how we
just keep
getting back up
from the pain
and constant
loss of this
life. But please
understand the
army must stay
intact. Our Lord
is pointing at
other people who
are held as
prisoners of sin
and by the lies
of the enemy.
The Lord is
calling us to be
that rescue
mission for the
lost, we have to
train-up in the
Word, gear up in
faith, we have
to take courage
and make one
last push to
free the
captives. Make
no mistake: If
we don’t board
the helicopters
and fly in as
Medevac, those
people will die
in their sin.
To die in sin is
certain death.
Just contemplate
on hell and
eternity for a
minute. If you
have been in
hell for over
ten-thousand-years,
you will still
not have one
less second to
spend there. Now
maybe you
yourself are
okay, and maybe
it feels safe to
stay back at the
headquarters of
salvation where
there isn’t much
enemy fire, but
don’t forget you
are serving the
most decorated
God and military
outfit in all of
history and we
as Christians
leave no man
behind.
(Revelation
14:11, Isaiah
34:10)
Blessings
Don McReynolds
Mcreynoldsdon@ymail.com