Just pull up the news, observe a church event committee, or spend a hectic week in our homes and we will find that there is so much to battle out there as well as within us, and it often gets difficult to bear the weight of it. Rebellion, Sin, Divisiveness, Despair and Tragedy — these are all common to observe or even experience first-hand in the life of a Christian. These things cause heartbreak, bitterness, anxiety/fear, and weariness. In those instances when we feel like we can’t take one more burden, what we ought to do is hold fast to the freedom of this truth: although we become weary of the battle that rages, the Commander-In-Chief that we follow has already deemed us victorious under His Lordship. And of course, I am not talking about The President or Prime Minister. I speak of the King of Kings and The Lord of Lords, Jesus Christ.
One of the early church fathers, Polycarp, said this: “My Master has been faithful to me. How could I betray Him at the end?” If we are to endure the battles of this world in a way that honors the Lord and gives Him glory (and we want to honor and glorify Him because we love Him and He is most worthy), we must remember that we have a Master who sacrificed Himself for us. As we were headed for death, face-first into the devil’s sword and into a most unfathomable wrath (of The Father), Jesus ran out in front of us, scooped us behind Him, and took the slings of arrows, the fiery cannons, the piercing swords for us as He gave the ultimate battlecry, “Father, treat me as if I were they and treat them as you would treat me!” Our value is lower than that of a grunt soldier apart from Him, but in Him we are treasured. Jesus took His perfect, gleaming armor off and put it onto us, making it possible for us to present His worth to His Father so that we can call Him ‘Our Father’. No longer slaves to sin, but slave to a Master who loves us fiercely and gave His all for us so that we would have victory over our own destruction. So when the battle gets too heavy, may we remember two things:
- Christ already gave us victory when it matters most and so we ought not to lose sight of that victory daily and rejoice in our sufferings because we have a God who is trustworthy and never changes.
- We were bought at the highest price, and so are slaves not to death but to the one who embodies everlasting life and victory. And the slave is not greater than the Master, so we should not go forward into battle with our own strength but put on His armor that He so graciously imputed to us and depend on His Might.
“If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. Whoever hates me hates my Father also. If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father.” (John 15:19-24)
“For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.” (Hebrews 10:36)
“Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” (Romans 5:3-5)
Questions to ask yourself:
- What battles will you entrust to your Master?
Prayer Prompt:
Give the things that make you battle weary to The Lord and ask Him to help you to remember and walk in the victory that He achieved on our behalf.