THE HEART AND MINDSET OF A WARRIOR
Do you know there is a difference between a soldier and a warrior? A soldier fights to live, and a warrior lives to fight. A soldier fights to obey an employee (mostly for money), and a warrior fights out of duty to rescue or save someone. A soldier fights not for morals and principles, a warrior fights for honour and justice. God is not looking for soldiers, He is looking for warriors. A warrior wages war out of necessity and a soldier engages in conflict to appease the one-eyed king. A warrior seeks to serve and fight for others, while a soldier’s motivation is self-centred and self-exalting.
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God is calling for warriors who live to fight for His truth and Kingdom! They seek not to be enlisted for financial gains, but to glorify God! Remember, we serve a mighty Commander - Jesus – who has already won the war for us. We are called to withstand the forces of our spiritual enemies until the day Christ fulfils His promise, and places Satan in the pits of hell for all eternity (Hebrews 2:14). The day is coming when Jesus returns (Matthew 2:21). Are you ready (Matthew 25:1-13)? Will you be found faithful to His cause?
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Are you a soldier or a warrior? A soldier is ‘hired’ for specific battles, or are you living your life as His warrior, soul-called to the spiritual fight, speaking out against injustice, standing for those in need, maintaining morality and honour both on and off the battlefield? The difference between a warrior and a soldier is the difference between a shepherd in service of God and a hireling. “I am the good shepherd,” Jesus says. “The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep” (John 10:11–13).
Don’t let the familiarity of this passage blind you to its mind-blowing and paradigm-shifting significance. Jesus didn’t say that good shepherds care, feed, lead, and protect their sheep. He said that they lay down their life for their sheep. The shepherd has a close, caring relationship with the sheep. Meanwhile, to the hired hand, caring for the sheep is just a job – it's a way to make a living. The hired hand doesn't have a close relationship with the sheep and will not place himself in danger to protect the sheep! True warriors will stand for justice and ‘fight’ for others, no matter the cost. A soldier seeks personal gain. The soldier is a hireling, whose courage fails when the fight for honour gest real.
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The thing about being holy warriors for our God is that it is a lifetime mindset. It’s not that we perceive ourselves fighting in just one battle against the forces of darkness, but that wherever darkness is found, we plunge in and spread light. This mentality doesn’t allow for an end to our service; it ends when we do. This commitment is about so much more than agreeing to be in the trenches of spiritual warfare for any single battle that may pertain to our personal Christian interests. It takes training to adopt the endurance and dedication of a warrior, such that it impacts every frame of our lives. That sense of honor. That morality. That perseverance. That keenness to see where the conflict is, the courage to move into it at the leading of God and to come out on the other side of it prepared for the next battle.
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When we swear allegiance to God and enter into His family, we have a choice: we can sit on the sidelines and let our belief carry us through or we can choose to actively engage everywhere it matters, to champion the cause of Christ, to live and love in a way that is both mighty and gentle—to live as Jesus did. This is what it is to be a holy warrior, not just a soldier in God’s army, and to live by God’s code both on and off the battlefield. It may be strict, it may be difficult to abide by, but His way is always pure, always perfect, and always victorious. Will you choose to live by that code—the way of the holy warrior?
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How do we glorify God and withstand the enemy? The simple answer is that we become specialized “warriors”. We do not settle for being a couch potato Christian, praying only simple prayers at mealtime or when we remember to. We train and discipline ourselves, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to become prayer warriors and lovers of His truth. For us to do this, we must know Jesus more intimately by studying Scripture. 1 John 2:27 tells us that the Holy Spirit teaches us everything that we need to know, and 2 Timothy 3:16 tells us that Scripture teaches what is true and what is wrong in our lives and teaches us what to do right. It is vital for believers to daily stay in God’s Word for God to communicate with us and for us to know God’s character and will.
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Mighty warriors are not made in peace, they are made in conflict (James 1:2-4). They are tried and tested. They are called to endure during the midst of a battle. They are stretched beyond measure and refined by the fire. Warriors train for the battle, they are equipped, and those who are victorious are the ones who study the enemy, listen to their General and persevere in the war. We who believe in Christ Jesus, as our Lord (our General), must do the same. We have to surrender ourselves, and our control of our lives to Christ.
The time is now to wake up to the spiritual battle that is around: you, our children, our schools, our city and our nation. If we are not aware of his schemes then we fall victim to them. We must have our life in a position (holy, set apart) to be able to hear God’s directions, to outmanoeuvre the enemies' traps. God does not want us to live a defeated life. He created us as His masterpiece so that we can accomplish His purpose that He created us for. He needs us to stay humbled before Him so that He can accomplish His will on Earth as He does in Heaven.
