Spirit of a Soldier

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Last Thursday, my company formally offered me an immediate promotion to a senior level position. Amidst the corporate welcome and voices of encouragement, I was granted my first official assignment of my new career: Assist with the hiring of my replacement. Suddenly, I felt so small. Who am I to be deciding another co-worker’s professional fate? Was I even equipped to help make this decision? Aren’t there others who are much more qualified than I am? This one assignment made me second-guess my entire promotion that I, originally, felt so ready for. How was it that I could feel so ready, yet so unprepared at the same time?

Ephesians 6:12
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” - NIV

When we utter that sinner’s prayer and begin our lives as Christians, are we ever truly ready for what comes next? Do we feel confident enough in the tools we currently possess to walk into the lions den? The moment we accept Jesus Christ into our hearts, we are promoted to the front line of a great spiritual war. Even though we believe in the cause, can we believe enough to see past our own weakness?

The life of a believer is anything but effortless; in fact, walking uprightly takes more intentional awareness in one single step than the entire journey of the lost. We are to protect our hearts from those who would deceive us. We are to guard our mouths against unholy slander. We are to arm our feet to flee from the unrighteous temptations of our surroundings. We are to be on guard against this whole world that serves another master.

To be perfectly honest, I am exhausted from the efforts before my day even begins. The weight of a believer’s load is unbearable. There has never been, nor will there ever be, a believer who can shoulder this cross single-handedly. Lucky for us, we have the Spirit of a soldier. We have a God that will not only remain by our side, but who will carry our weight Himself. He will guide us. He will protect us. He will ready our feet and seal our hearts.

We can fear the job ahead of us, or we can believe that our Spirit will prevail. No matter the case, we must choose a side.