Get up and fight
I was tired.
Consumed by “survival mode” with baby #2 just a couple months old.
On top of everything we were smack in the middle of a big ‘shake you to the core’ type struggle.
Searching for respite, I went to the women’s retreat our church was offering. I was blessed by some private time with our speaker where I spilled my heavy heart.
Boy, did I spill.
I was holding my fussy baby just talking and talking… complaining… grumbling… sharing my frustration about all the things that were happening to me.
After listening for a long time… this wise woman looked at me with so much grace and simply said,
“Get up and fight.”
These simple words caught me off guard but were exactly what I needed to hear.
I was sitting there… in the middle of a battlefield, just sitting – wondering why in the world I was under attack!
Truth be told, I was giving into the enemy – letting him kick me around and pour discouragement all over me.
Kind of like today.
Tired of the battle today.
Focusing on my circumstances… gazing at what looks ugly and all the things I don’t have.
Why do we so easily forget that we are in a warzone?
Our enemy is strategic and, I guarantee that he does not forget this fight… but, he sure hopes we do!
Get up and fight!
In Ephesians 6, Paul talks about the battle followers of Jesus face. I had never read this passage in The Message before – but loved it:
verse 10: God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we’ll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels.
13-18 Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.
Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words.
They are weapons!
Learn how to apply them… you will NEED them throughout your life.
I sure haven’t felt like fighting today.
I see a stack of bills sitting on the counter and I just want to ignore them. Maybe they will go away if I pretend they aren’t there. The sink is full of dishes that I don’t feel like doing… and it’s almost dinner time.
Whatever battle you are facing… we have a choice friend.
We can sit down in the middle of the battlefield.
Or, we can get up and fight.
I turn on music.
Purposeful in my choice to fill my mind and focus me on TRUTH.
Remembering to always pursue RIGHTEOUSNESS… offering my ugly for His beautiful.
Believing that my King won’t abandon. That He walks is in the battle with me and has equipped me with every weapon necessary.
Get up and fight!
Choosing to fight… I go to the sink and start the hot water.
Praying… crying out to my God while washing each glass and bowl.
And, I don’t know why… but I’m surprised that my Jesus has met me once again in my weakness.
Are you on the battlefield today too?
Get up and fight!
~~
This post is part of the 31 Day Challenge: My Ugly, His Beautiful. You can follow along here.
Care to join in on the writing challenge? The Nester is putting it on – you can learn more here.
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Love this post and this blog Jenni, thanks for sharing. You are wonderful.
As a child, my church song leader (usually the pastor) occasionally allowed (at the the less formal Sunday evening service) the congregation to shout out a favorite hymn. Inevitably, some wizened old-timer enthusiastically shouted out #289, Onward Christian Soldiers, and I’d cringe. The words to this song and its accompanied music seemed overly dramatic. Our church organist always picked the drum and bugle stops on the pipe organ and added, with glee, a fife overlay. In my minds eye I pictured starry-eyed, over-zealous columns of soldiers in ill fitting uniforms blindly and blissfully marching lock-step into battle to face certain death. What in the world were we singing about. I failed for many years to see the correlation between the Christian life, also depicted in a John W. Peterson Song, “Life is a Symphony” and this song which describes the Christian life as a member of the Church universal, ” Gates of hell can never, ‘gainst that Church prevail, we have Christ’s own promise, and that cannot fail” and the chorus, ” Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war, with the cross of Jesus, going on before.” Well, I get it now. The battle rages daily. Certainly there have been some large, life-altering campaigns, against the enemy of my soul, but mostly it’s been daily skirmishes with the enemy of my soul: a bit of gossip here, a lie there, an angry outburst against an idiot driver, or other small irritant so common to modern life. But isn’t that the REAL war, the daily fiery darts to combat with a flimsy shield of faith? Don’t the skirmishes, over time, make one large unending battle? I fear I fight many battles over the same ground, again and again. Three hard-won steps forward against the enemy and two backwards to reclaim yesterday’s victory from today’s defeat. But this so-called overly dramatic hymn got it right… “ONWARD Christian soldier, marching as to war, with the Cross of Jesus going on before, leads against the foe, forward into battle, See His banners go.” We are in a battle with the foe every day in both big and small ways, but we are not alone. He is not only with us, (always, always) but LEADING, with the the CROSS, the very emblem of His suffering, our shame, His victory, satan’s defeat, and our only hope of of redemption. To dust off the lyrics from a couple of old hymns: “In the cross of Christ I glory, towering o’er the wrecks of time…” and “Soldiers of Christ, arise! and put your armor on…from strength to strength go on, wrestle, fight and pray; tread all the powers of darkness down, and win the well-fought day.” I am a warrior!
Love this Jill… Thank you for sharing this. I had the same feeling about ‘Onward Christian Soldiers’ growing up. Beautiful comment – thank you.