a soldier for christ
That night the angel of the Lord went forth and struck down one hundred and eighty-five thousand men in the Assyrian camp. Early the next morning, there they were, all the corpses of the dead.” —2 Kings 19:35
Traditionally, nations have waged war by acts of physical violence coupled with prayers to their gods for victory. This is how most of the battles of the Old Testament were waged (see 2 Kgs 19:15-19; 2 Kgs 3:26-27), and how almost all battles are still waged today.
Occasionally, a war was waged without any physical violence on the part of the winning army. Moses (Ex 14:14), Jehoshaphat (2 Chr 20:17), and Hezekiah (2 Kgs 19:35) fought such wars. In these battles, although the winning army did not kill the enemy, the enemy was destroyed either by their own infighting, an angel, or God Himself.
In the New Testament, we have a radically different kind of warfare. This is perfectly expressed by Jesus’ death on the cross. Jesus did not do any violence to His enemies. He was “like a lamb led to the slaughter” (Is 53:7). Jesus did not even use His prerogative to command legions of angels to defeat His enemies (Mt 26:53). Rather, Jesus won the ultimate victory over Satan, sin, and violence by loving His enemies and letting them kill Him (see Mt 5:44).
Prayer: Jesus, may I let You fight my battles Your way — the way of the cross.
Promise: “Treat others the way you would have them treat you.” —Mt 7:12
Praise: When his wife died, Gary turned to the Lord and understood God’s promise of eternal life.
Reference: (There is still time to register for the retreat: Intimacy with God, which delves into the sacramental life Christ has established for us. June 29-July 1. Call 513-373-2397 or see www.presentationministries.com to register.)
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