It is important to understand who God is! The reason this is important, is that the Bible declares we are shaped in His image and likeness (Genesis 1:26-27) and if we are shaped this way, then we must understand what flows down from God into us.  

One such character trait of God, is found in Romans 15:33, where it indicates, “The God of peace be with you all. Amen”. God is not only a God of peace but He has also passed this peace to us when He said in John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you”. But on the flip side of God being peaceful, He can also be a God of war and this is the side we often forget.

Exodus 15:3 -“The Lord is a warrior; The Lord is His name”

Isaiah 42:13 – “The Lord will go forth like a warrior, He will arouse His zeal like a man of war. He will utter a shout, yes, He will raise a war cry. He will prevail against His enemies.”

So, if my God is a warrior, then who am I? I AM A WARRIOR, also!  

With that established, what are the things that all warriors have in common? They have a strong desire to fight; they develop themselves with the skills to fight and they also choose the right weapons to fight with. Now, to be an outstanding warrior, we must use all three. Today, however, I am simply going to focus on choosing the correct weapons for the battle.

Have you ever watched any of those gladiator type movies where the warriors walk into a room and they get a chance to pick their weapon of choice? It’s the same way for us. In every battle we face, we have a choice to choose the right weapon. But the key is choosing your weapon wisely, “Don’t bring a penknife to a gunfight”.

When I examine the bible, I realize our weapons can be many. For instance, Jehoshaphat used prayer and fasting as a weapon when he was being attacked from all sides (2 Chronicles 20:1-4), when Paul and Silas were in prison they used praise as a weapon (Acts 16:25-26), and Jesus used the words of God to fight the devil in the wilderness.

If you are in similar situations today, then these same weapons can be used to good effect. If you are feeling pressed in on every side, if you feel imprisoned or trapped, or if the enemy has brought you to a wilderness place, I say to you, choose a weapon and fight back. You are shaped in the image of God, and you are a warrior, not a worrier!. 

God has so equipped us, that we even have more weapons than the obvious ones listed above. For example, the Father of the Prodigal son used prayer and patience (Luke 15:11-32) in rebuilding the relationship with his son. Jesus was silent before his accusers (Mark 14:53-65, Isaiah 53:7) and did not use railing for railing (1 Peter 3:9), and we are encouraged to use Love to triumph over our enemies (Proverbs 25:21-23).

 “21 If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink: 22 For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the Lord shall reward thee.” – Proverbs 25:21-23

Other times we must give up our rights for peace’s sake as noted by Jesus in Matthew.

Matthew 5:38-40 (NIV) 38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ 39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. 40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well.

Now, allow me to add one more example in the mix, using a modern-day reference. I was talking to my cousin recently, who has been married for about 30+ years. You know what she said? She said Dane, “Do you know that submission can be a weapon?”. Then she gave me examples where she followed the biblical instruction of being submissive (Ephesians 5:22-33) to her husband, although she was not in agreement. Then, as God would have it, she ended up becoming victorious in the situation to the benefit of both spouses. How wonderful is that? I never saw it this way, but coming from a Christian woman with that much experience, I took it as a learning because men are also called to submit (Ephesians 5:21).

So, just take your pick, Mr. Gladiator or Ms. Warrior. You have many weapons to choose from, and our weapons are not carnal (2 Corinthians 10:4). Let me state that when I say weapon, I don’t mean something that we take to destroy our enemy. By weapon I mean, anything that can allow us to win. When you look at your weapons in this fashion, then God allows you to see many opportunities and things to use, to give you the victory. As 2 Corinthians 10:3 declares:

”For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does”.

The world selects only weapons to destroy their enemies. However, we select weapons to allow us to win the victory, with the intention of having our enemies see God through us. With the ultimate goal of obtaining peace and hopefully making believers of them.

Proverbs 16:7 (NIV) “When a man’s ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him”.

So, choosing the correct weapon for the battle is not only important for us but also for those around us, to the glory of God.

It is also important to know that we must enquire from God about what weapon to use in a situation. It might only be one weapon  you need to use, or an assortment of weapons, but it is important to know. Likewise, never forget that God is the ultimate weapon giver, and He is the one to equip us for battle. He gave David a stone for Goliath; He gave the Jews a shout for Jericho’s wall; He gave Moses plagues for Pharaoh. God is the weapon giver and we are the weapon wearers/users.

The reason God equips us so well, is because He wants us to win the victory. He wants us to be shaped more into His image and likeness. He wants to turn us into “Warriors who  Win”.

I don’t know what you are going through today, for just as our faces differ, our challenges differ as well. But I want to encourage you, to be bold like a lion and keep on fighting; Knowing that you are not fighting alone, but the Lord Himself is on your side and fighting for you.

Deuteronomy 1:30 (NIV) “The Lord your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes,”

So, fight on my friends! Fight on with all your might and  remember to:

Pick your weapons, but also pick your battles.

PS: Dane Miller was last seen praying and asking God for more battles and more weapons. For getting both will make him into a better servant.

Your Brother in the Lord,

Dane Miller | Author

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