We, who have seen war, will never stop seeing it. In the silence of the night, we will always hear the screams. So this is our story, for we were soldiers once, and young.”  Joe Galloway-We Were Soldiers Once and Young

I can’t count how many times I made the comparison between my life in the military and my life in Christ. Many times I even used it as an excuse not to trust my brother or sister in the Lord; for fear that they would not be there when the shells start dropping and the bullets start flying. For Christian it’s sometimes a lot harder to see the enemy that is trying to disrupt the peace in your life, or far worse, trying to destroy your relationship with Jesus.

We can’t always see the adversary that has a desire to destroy our motivation to seek God in the direst of times. His barrage of attacks is constant and never ending. Our Lord in heaven is always there to watch over and keep us, to guide us through the storms of our daily walk. We can’t do it alone; we should never do it alone. In any battle, there are wounds, there are scars, and there are memories, which are left behind. I don’t think I will really come to an understanding of this until I am standing in glory in the presence of my King. One obvious compensation for my carnal wounds (When I say carnal I do mean of the flesh) is that I know how they are inflicted and in most cases, I know how to treat them and better yet, perhaps avoid them. In the spirit though, the wounds can be a little more subtle and hidden.

Many times I have stood in defiance of these wounds and said, “I am NOT affected! It doesn’t hurt.” In the meantime I am wincing; sore and sometimes I don’t have the ability to move in the areas of the spirit that God has ordained for me. Many times I am not willing to see the wounds I have, which if left unchecked will fester and become infected with my own inability to give them over to the healing touch of the Lord. I don’t believe for one moment that the wounds I have incurred over my life time become worse solely because of our dread foe. I will say that like any infection there can be contributors which will inhibit the healing process. Bottom line is this; I am not meant to be a solitary creation of my heavenly Father. We are all on the front lines as it were, in the spirit. We all suffer from war, physically, spiritually and emotionally. The scars are not badges of honor, but reminders that we need our savior Jesus Christ that much more in our daily lives. His scars give us a heavenly reminder that He sacrificed himself for all men and women of this world.

Don’t ever be fooled into thinking that you will come through the battle unscathed. In fact the intensity of this war is going to increase, and we, together, must be ready to face it with the in filling of the Holy Spirit, in power, in truth and most importantly in Love. He is loyal, we must be loyal to Him who saved us. Loyalty goes both ways. I hope this has not been words of discouragement, but encouragement. To let my fellow warriors know, we are all scarred and battle worn, but we will come out of this because Jesus made a promise so long ago. Here are a few scriptures to encourage you with His promise.

“Some had families waiting. For others, their only family would be the men they bled beside. There were no bands, no flags, no Honor Guards to welcome them home. They went to war because their country ordered them to. But in the end, they fought not for their country or their flag, they fought for each other.” Joe Galloway

Deuteronomy 31:6 “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”

Deuteronomy 31:8 “And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.” 

Joshua 1:5 “No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you.

Hebrews 13:5 “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”