The Code of the Warrior of God

 "The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” Judges 6:12

I'm reading and enjoying a book called, "The Code of the Warrior," by Shannon French.

French discusses the need for a warrior code, and explores the codes of varying warrior cultures, as she says here:

Warrior cultures throughout history and from diverse regions around the globe have all constructed codes of behavior, which establish that culture’s image of the ideal warrior.  These codes have not always been written down or literally codified into a set of explicit rules, yet they can be identified as they are carefully conveyed in some form to each succeeding generation of warriors. These codes tend to be quite demanding. They are often closely linked to a culture’s religious beliefs and can be connected to elaborate (in some cases, death defying or excruciatingly painful) rituals and rites of passage. And in many cases they seem to hold the warrior to a higher ethical standard than that required for an ordinary citizen within the general population of the society that the warrior serves. 

 As I read, I considered the biblical warrior, and whether I detected a biblical code for warriors.  I thought about these warriors in the scriptures:

• Nimrod, the mighty warrior before the LORD
• Abraham and his trained men
• Israel, who struggled with God and with men and overcame.
• Joshua, to whom God said, "No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life.  As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you."
• Gideon, whom God called a mighty warrior
• David, of whom it was said," He is a brave man and a warrior...And the Lord is with him."
• David's mighty men, who were valiant and performed great exploits, whom the Lord gave victory

 I noticed three similarities with God’s warriors:

1.      Presence-God’s presence, known by perfect victory and invincibility

2.      Prowess- Bravery or boldness commanded or possessed by the warrior

3.     Power- God given fighting ability, being “mighty.”

From these similarities, I believe I found the code for warriors of God.  They seem perfectly expressed in God’s words to Gideon:

“The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.”

I will explore the code of God’s warriors so that all who desire to be His warriors may know the way.

Read part 2 here