Presence
Power
Finally, we come to prowess.
These three mark the code of the warrior of God.
Prowess, either as a natural or supernatural trait, or in simple obedience to God by faith, is an absolute necessity for the warrior of God. Nimrod's exploits assumed boldness. It is also implied that Abram and his "trained men" were brave, going to battle against kings when they were greatly outnumbered. God specifically commanded Joshua numerous times to be "strong and very courageous." Gideon was encouraged to be courageous, and given a glimpse into the minds of his enemies to further embolden him.
It is very encouraging to me that God commands strength and courage. This shows me that I can simply choose to be strong and fearless, and that God will back this fearlessness. In fact, He promises to back what He commands by giving His Spirit, as it is written,
"You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you." Acts 1:8
The Lord Jesus and His apostles were especially powerful and bold, to the extent that the boldness of the apostles was noted by their enemies:
"Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus." Acts 4:13
What does all of this have to do with you and me? We are not at war or on a battle field of enemies, are we?
The Bible assumes spiritual warfare as our reality.
Think of this spiritually, soulically, and physically.
The Bible says, "Submit to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you."
We see that through faith in Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior, we have the very same Holy Spirit with us that warriors of God in days of old had with them. The difference is this: The Spirit of God remains in believers of Christ now and forever! He doesn't just come upon us temporarily to empower us, as He did with Kings, Priests, Prophets, and Warriors in the Old Testament. I have the very same Holy Spirit in me that Joshua and David had with them.
With His presence we have his power, or ability, and divinely given bravery. But who, or what, are our enemies? Spiritally, the devil and demons and deceptions and temptations are our enemies. We must possess the presence of God to fill and fulfill us, so that the tempations and deceptions of Satan pail in comparison. We must be brave to resist such a treacherous and ferocious enemy, a powerful liar and murderer, sadistic unmerciful and cruel. To resist and oppose him will invite the retaliation of Satan. So be it, says God's warrior, filled with God's presence and God's power.
Our enemies attack our souls, our minds, emotions, and free decisions. We must resist manipulations, seductions, and dominations. There is war against our spirits for our souls.
Our enemies attack our bodies, seeking to weaken us, sicken us, and kill us. Whether through stress, disease, or literal physical attacks, we possess a duty to honor God with our bodies, and thus resist attacks upon us physically.
We have everything we need for invincibility and perfect victory. We possess the presence, power, and prowess of the one true God who is a warrior!
If you are a believer in Christ and a child of God, then God says these words to you now:
"The Lord is with you mighty warrior!"
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