The Heart of a Warrior

“Marine, can you stand?”

That was the last thing she heard before she lost consciousness. Aw, sweet relief. Each time that she opened her eyes she would have snippets of something horrible happening to her, but she didn’t know what. It was as if she was watching a heated battle of some war movie. She was falling in and out of consciousness, and the only reminder that she was still alive was the searing pain that grabbed hold of her every time that she came to. There were two medics running beside her rushing her to the chopper. One was carrying her while the other one was holding her IV bag that was connected to her limp arm. She could hear the urgency in their voices as they yelled over the sound of the helicopter and the nearby blasts reminding them that they were still under attack and not yet out of danger. One said, “She has lost a lot of blood,and I haven’t been able to assess all her injuries. She needs to get out of here! Keep her arm up; the tourniquet seems to be slowing the blood flow, but her BP is dropping like crazy. We need to get her onboard ASAP and pump more blood into her.” The other medic who was carrying her said, “Marine, you’re going to be okay! Hear me? You’re going to be okay!”

She remembered that she had been sent on a mission to transport one of their interpreters and her 3 children to the base for safety. The EOD team had located and diffused, hopefully, all the IEDs in the area, but they did not expect to come under enemy fire. She heard the sounds of the hostages screaming as she rushed into the room where they had been hiding. She quickly assessed the situation; there appeared to be one lone combatant. He was sweating profusely and using the mother as a human shield. He held a gun to her head and kept yelling over and over in broken English, “Stay back; I kill her!” She yelled back, “Let her go!” It was then that the dark room erupted in gun fire. And then she felt it---a searing pain that went through her entire body. She had been hit, but somehow, she managed to get a few rounds off as she fell to the stone floor. “Her last thought was a prayer, “Please God, let them be okay.”

She awoke from her nightmare, hearing again the voice of the medic who was carefully loading her into the waiting chopper, “You did good, Marine; they’re all safe. Just rest now; we’ve got you.”

Question: Have you ever thought or yourself as a warrior?

You might be thinking, “Are you kidding? I’m not the least bit brave. I’m more like a lily-livered coward who runs and hides at the first sign of danger. A warrior? Can’t say that I see myself that way.”

Let’s imagine that you have been called to be a warrior. You have been called to fight for a noble cause---to defend the helpless from a “Goliath.” Could you stand up against him? David did, armed with only a sling and a stone. You may remember David; he was the teenage shepherd boy who became the King of Israel. Goliath was the champion of the Philistines who was a mere nine feet tall. He was a giant who walked around on the battlefield spouting his potty mouth and threatening the lives of the people of Israel. He actually told David that he was going to feed him to the birds. What??? His ego was equally ginormous as his body; you could honestly say that he had a “big head,” if you know what I mean. But he was no match for David. David didn’t run from his problem; he ran to it.

(From the Little Bitty Bible Buddies Curriculum)

It was then that David took out his sling,

He put in a stone and gave it a good swing,

The stone hit Golath right between the eyes.

He fell down dead. That was the end of that guy. . .

Many years later from the line of David, someone would come along,

Who was never weak but always strong.

He was not strong like Goliath holding a great big sword.

He was strong like David whose strength was from the Lord. . .

Something we learned from David from the very start

Is that it doesn’t matter how big or strong you are; what matters is your heart.

Maybe you think that you have mustered-up enough courage to return to the battle. You have pulled up your boot straps and put on all the armor necessary to defend yourself from your Goliath. But on this day, you find yourself standing alone on the battlefield surrounded by the enemy, and they are fully armed and have you in their sights. Actually for many of us, this is our reality. We are fighting Goliaths that even the bravest of souls would dread. Maybe you need some help?

Question: What is your Goliath; what is that one thing that you fight against everyday that drains the very life out of you?

Maybe you have become so weary fighting this battle that you want to go back to bed, pull the covers over your head and scream, “I just can’t take it anymore.” This is a sign that you are beginning to spiral down that rabbit hole that leads to despair. Well friends, welcome to planet earth; you’re not alone. In John 13:33 Jesus said, “In this world you will have tribulation…” (Just what you wanted to hear, right?) But thankfully Jesus finished John 13:33 with these encouraging words, “but take heart, because I have overcome the world.” How you ask? He says “Take heart, but does he even know what I am going through? Does he even see me? The answer is yes; he will not leave you in your misery. He loves you, and because he loves you, he will call you. Listen, he says, “Wake up you mighty men (women)” (Joel 3:9-10) “Don’t be afraid; don’t despair. The Lord your God is in your midst; he is a warrior who can deliver. He takes great delight in you; he renews you by his love; he shouts for joy over you.” (Zep. 3:17) He’s the warrior inside of you.

You may not feel like you have it in you to stand and fight, but God does. His grace has no bounds. “But you have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God, not from yourself.” (2 Cor. 4:7) This power, his grace is not just a saving grace but also a living grace that empowers us to live a fruitful and abundant life in all circumstances that we face. I don’t know about you, but just knowing that God is fighting for me helps me overcome my lily-livered thinking.

This is what Moses told the Hebrew people when they were being pursued by the Egyptians in pursuit of the Promised Land. They were scared out of their wits especially when they came upon the Red Sea blocking their way, and they saw no possible way of escape. He said, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.” (Exodus 14:14) (I can’t help but remember that image from the movie, “The Ten Commandments,” of the Red Sea splitting and rising up allowing the Hebrews to cross over to safety. I also remember being in the theater watching the following scene when the whole Egyptian army was swallowed up and drowned by the closing of the Red Sea. This is when the whole theater erupted in applause, including “Yours Truly.” Quite dramatic; talk about special effects.)

Fear, weariness and despair are all Goliaths that we have all faced at some point in our lives, and we have been wounded in the process. Even if we had rigorous training and took every precaution to protect ourselves on the battlefield, there is an enemy out there who has an endless supply of arrows to shoot at our heart. But a good warrior knows his enemy; he knows his tactics and that the enemy always fights dirty. He will kick us when we’re down; he will use all of his “Dirty D’s, such as doubt, discouragement, diversion, defeat and delay to make us question our identity and break us down into a state of defeat. He is relentless, and many times we are left with wounds that are invisible and difficult to heal. They are things like humiliation, depression, broken hearts, broken dreams, PTSD, lost hope, loss of passion, and so many others.

Question: How would you describe the heart of a warrior?

A warrior is brave, strong and well-trained; he will fight against all odds until the very end. This is true about you, mighty warrior, but you will need to rise-up and go forward, constantly guarding your heart and putting on love as you go. Denise Hildreth Jones in her study, “Reclaiming the Heart,” wrote, “If a heart isn’t guarded, if it becomes closed, shut down, boarded up, disconnected from everyday life, then every aspect of life---dreams, callings, and relationships will be affected.”

David Jeremiah in his book, “Forward,” wrote, “Everything in your past has prepared you for what’s next, and every promise of God will provide what’s needed. This is no time to let anxiety, apathy or anything else hamper you from going forward.”

Paul Ellis in his book, “The Gospel in Ten Words,” wrote, “When the Holy Spirit came into your life, the change in you was like night and day. It’s like you were given a heart transplant. Your old heart, which was captive to the desires of the flesh and enslaved to Sin, was replaced with a new heart with new desires and appetites. Your new heart beats with new passions, and they are the passions of the Holy Spirit.” All he wants from us is to rest in his love, and he has showed us how to do that by loving us so well. He teaches us how to love, and he tell our hearts to beat again.

This is what the Lord did when he gave you your new heart:

He circumcised your heart…Rm 2:29

He removed your heart of stone and gave you a heart of flesh…Ez. 36:27

He gave you a new heart and a new spirit…Ez. 27

He bound up your broken heart…Is. 61:1

He poured his love out in your heart…Rm. 5:5

He put his laws in your heart…Heb. 10:16

He gave you a heart to know him…Jer. 24:7

He hid his word in your heart…Ps. 119:11

He caused you to be obedient from your heart…Rm. 6:17

Holley Gerth in her book, “What’s True About You,” writes, “When we’re weary, he’s our power. When we’re afraid, he’s our courage. When we’re uncertain, he’s our security. She also wrote, “I am going to run toward grace. I am going to run toward love. I am going to run toward the wild dreams that beckon me in the distance. I am going to run toward Jesus.”

My granddaughter, Claire drew the image of a Purple Heart for this post. I thought it was appropriate. The Purple Heart is given to those in the military who have either been wounded or killed in battle. It says in John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.” I am so honored and thankful for the amazing sacrifice that our military has made for all of us. These brave warriors rise-up and fight everyday and would sacrifice their very lives for us to be free. Jesus did this for us at the cross. (Heb. 12:2) “For the joy set before him, he endured the cross.”

Warrior, “only you, with God’s help, can lift the veil that has distorted your true image and has weighed you down with regret and fear all these years. Make the decision today that you will believe God when he tells you that he makes all things new, including you; the new you has the heart of a warrior. Take these steps…Pray for the strength of your heart, pull the covers off, take a breath, stand up and say, “Enough is enough,” and then jump into the arms of grace.” (Her Treasures)

Inspiring Music Videos:

“Rise” by Danny Gokey, “Rescue” by Lauren Daigle, and “Rise Up” by Andra Day.

Enjoy!