Mankind has been warring since its inception. The first war being two brothers who fought with the death toll being one. As the population grew, the wars grew. And as the wars grew, the intensity grew. Early wars were nothing more than angry men battling with whatever weapons they could gather. Sticks, clubs, and rocks graduated to spears, swords, and axes. Imagine angry hordes of soldiers lumbering towards each other, weapons of death in hand, with murderous hearts to match. And as the hate and anger bubbled from their hearts, it materialized upon their lips. The birth of the battle cry.
The battle cry is as old as the battle. As men faced off to destroy each other, they embraced every single weapon that was available to them. Even beyond their axes and swords, they found their words could cut and damage as well. The battle cry on the tongue was as valuable as a long sword in the hand. The battle cry was adopted by the army as one belief or motto they could all agree upon. It would be either a chant that signified their deity of war or a lofty ideal that would carry them through the ravages of war that would soon be upon them. The battle cry would be yelled loudly over and over as the front lines neared each other. It would serve to strengthen the resolve of the army as well as to intimidate the opposing force. The louder the cry, the more the cry was believed. The stronger the battle cry in the heart, the stronger the heart for battle.
Historical battle cries were colorful in what they were meant to achieve and symbolize. That is, victory through the death and defeat of the enemy. The Reconquista battles of the Iberian Peninsula started in 711 AD, founded the battle cry “Awake Iron”, meaning to show confidence in the modern iron weapons they wielded. It would also instill fear in those they faced who carried inferior weapons of wood and stone. Flash forward 1,100 years and another powerful battle cry was shouted upon the very plains of where I write this, Texas. After the bitter defeat at the Alamo, the Texas forces would enter future battles against Mexico with the war cry, “Remember the Alamo!”
But by far the most chosen battle cry was aimed at the god the soldiers believed would carry them through the conflict. You see, ancient battles were vicious. Close combat resulted in deadly results that could strike in an instant. The blow of a sword, the swing of an axe, or the flight of an arrow could send you into eternity before you knew what struck. The comfort of a higher power, a god that would protect you and empower you during the battle, was the order of the day. And battle cries echoed this higher power.
The troops of ancient Athens, during the Medic and Peloponnesian Wars were noted for going into battle shouting "Alala!", which emulated the cry of an owl, the bird of their patron goddess Athena. The Swedish warrior and nobleman Eric the Victorious adopted the battle cry “Odin owns you all.” A statement that told his enemies that his Norse god Odin, had already delivered him the victory. But as we ponder the history of the battle cry, I have a question for you. Have you ever thought about what your battle cry is today? Or do you even think you’re at war?
This is one of the single biggest lies that satan sells our world today. That there is no attack from him, that there is no war raging around us. That satan, the opponent of Almighty God, is somehow just hanging out in hell leaving the world to its own devices. Folks, satan is more involved in the daily destruction of this world than you can ever imagine. And how do I know this war is viciously raging? The same way that I learn all things concerning God’s plan for this world and the people that live in it…directly from His Holy Word. In it I can easily find who God tells me is controlling this world today. Like a puppet on a string, satan and his team of demons, infiltrate every sector of this world today to achieve their end game. And that is, to halt, alter, or completely destroy God’s effort to share the soul saving Gospel of His Son Jesus Christ.
“We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.” 1 John 5:19
“In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” 2 Corinthians 4:4
“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5:8
“As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. Ephesians 2:1-2
“The Lord said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” Job 1:7 (all italics mine)
Friends, hear this clearly. We live in a world today that is a dark, evil, sinful place. And that is exactly the way satan wants it. Satan’s goal is to see that people do what is right in their own eyes, serve only themselves, and steer well clear of the principle of Jesus Christ. And you can clearly see by just looking around, that the world is buying what he is selling today. If you are a genuine child of Jesus Christ, one that has asked Christ into your life to save you from the death of your personal sin, then I have news for you….you are at war today.
The world wants your life. Satan wants your peace, your joy and your freedom that can only come through a close walk with Christ. And he is a master at using the world to achieve his task. He will use other people to betray you, hurt you, anger you, and cause you to stumble in your walk with Christ. He will use specific situations to steer you in the direction he wants you to go, a direction away from Jesus. And folks, satan is a master at using our own selfish desires to turn us against ourselves. Satan can use our flesh to tempt us to do things no other person on this planet could get us to do. The war is real, it is vicious, and the stakes are higher than any riches, or piles of gold. The war is for the souls of every man, woman and child on this planet.
The evil one wants us to think there is no war. He wants us to get up this morning, get ready for work or school and then stroll right into a battlefield, completely unaware of the evil that is before us. An evil that is ready to devour and destroy us. The Christ-follower today needs to be hyper- aware of the battle. The child of God needs a battle cry as they enter the battle that this world is sure to give them today. A battle cry just like the one that we see from the valiant warriors of God today in 1 Chronicles 5.
“for they cried out to God in the battle and He granted their urgent plea because they trusted in Him.” 1 Chronicles 5:20b
Friends, today, cry out to God for help. You are in a battle you can’t win on your own. But the good news is, you were never meant to fight this fight on your own. As a child of Christ, He will do the fighting for you. As the world beats you down today, as the evil one tempts your flesh, as people push you too far, use your battle cry. Cry out to God, He wants you to have the victory. A victory that is guaranteed in Jesus Christ. For you see, my Jesus, the lover of my soul, the Savior of my life, He is greater than the one that controls this world today. I can trust that the victory in Jesus is sealed.
And my battle cry today will be just that…”the victory is in Jesus!”
“Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood. 1 John 4:1-6
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