Embrace the Battle

DAY 6 Winning Edge Devotions

2 CORIN. 10: 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.

One thing that sets football apart from any other sport is putting on armor and going to war. It is not natural. I remember being so afraid at times playing football- but I faced my fear and became more of a man.

I am always interested in watching our young players face their fears and learn to hit. At different times and in various ways, they learn to embrace the physical side of the game. The best lesson is to learn to be the ‘hitter’ and not the ‘hittee’. The players who flinch often feel the most pain. The warriors learn to attack and become quickly feared. I love the steely eyed toughness of a seasoned fighter- there is awesome strength there!

This life requires learning to fight. One day you may have to fight for a job, for your wife, fight against disease or a tough situation. You may have to fight for your faith. Jesus was a great fighter. He used tough words against the Pharisees, he fashioned a whip and drove out the moneychangers, he carried a cross up the mountain bleeding and hurting for me.

This is a difficult issue. Our society is increasingly becoming more sedentary. Leisure is a big commodity. An unintentional result of leisure and affluence is “softness” or an inability to endure difficult circumstances or discomfort. Education tends to erode necessary traits of survival such as the ability to fight.

Our football program believes that true manhood is a balance between tenderness and toughness. Tenderness without toughness leads to weakness. Toughness without tenderness leads to brutality. Our motto is “become warriors and brothers”.

Our culture is growing increasingly hostile to the core beliefs of Christianity. As the country embraces secularism and relativism we see battle lines becoming more distinct. One thing that is interesting about this passage in I Corinthians is that it is impersonal. Our enemies are not people!

However, make no mistake about our being in a war! As believers we cannot wimp out of the fight. We have the divine power of God to boldly stand in the marketplace of ideas and destroy any argument that stands against the truth of God.

Have you been ignoring a tough situation? What fears are keeping you from engaging a noble fight? Instead of weakly walking in and taking a beating, why not attack in the Holy Name of Christ? There is great strength in winning battles; it creates momentum to win the war!

Lord, I have not been a faithful warrior for truth. Why am I so afraid of that person, they are not my enemy. Help me find the ability to fight in worthwhile ways and for worthy causes. Train me in how to battle! Christ is my great example. Give me His boldness and tenacity!