Quotes:
“The most persistent sound which reverberates through men's history is the beating of war drums.” -Otto Von Bismark
--And so it is within mankind (the war between the Spirit and the flesh… a constant struggle).
“Never has there been a good war or a bad peace.” -Benjamin Franklin
“Courage is almost a contradiction in terms. It means a strong desire to live taking the form of readiness to die.” -G. K. Chesterton
“Some people live an entire lifetime and wonder if they have ever made a difference in the world, but the Soldiers of the US don't have that problem.” –Adapted from Ronald Reagan
“I do not fear an army of lions, if they are led by a lamb. I do fear an army of sheep, if they are led by a lion.” -Alexander the Great
--Jesus is the Lion of the tribe of Judea and we are the sheep of His pasture.
II Timothy 2:3-4 “3- Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4- No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.”
II Timoteo 2:3-4 “3 Sufre penalidades conmigo, como buen soldado de Cristo Jesús. 4 Ningún soldado en servicio activo se enreda en los negocios de la vida diaria, a fin de poder agradar al que lo reclutó como soldado.”
To be a “good soldier” in Christ/To be a veteran of the Faith you “must”:
Obey the Commander and Chief (Jesus the Christ).
Engage the enemy (at all times on all fronts).
Fight to the end (never giving up).
Ephesians 1:18-23 “18- The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, 19- And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, 20- Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, 21- Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: 22- And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, 23- Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.”
Efesios 1:18-23 “18 Mi oración es que los ojos de vuestro corazón sean iluminados, para que sepáis cuál es la esperanza de su llamamiento, cuáles son las riquezas de la gloria de su herencia en los santos, 19 y cuál es la extraordinaria grandeza de su poder para con nosotros los que creemos, conforme a la eficacia de la fuerza de su poder, 20 el cual obró en Cristo cuando le resucitó de entre los muertos y le sentó a su diestra en los lugares celestiales, 21 muy por encima de todo principado, autoridad, poder, dominio y de todo nombre que se nombra, no sólo en este siglo sino también en el venidero. 22 Y todo sometió bajo sus pies, y a El lo dio por cabeza sobre todas las cosas a la iglesia, 23 la cual es su cuerpo, la plenitud de aquel que lo llena todo en todo.”
Jesus Christ is the Commander-&-Chief of the Church.
And as Christians we are to obey the orders of our commander.
And the Old Testament tells us that “Obedience is better than Sacrifice.”
Jesus even said Himself, “if you love Me, keep my commandants.”
Luke 6:46 sums it up pretty clearly; “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?”
Lucas 6: 46 “¿Y por qué me llamáis: “Señor, Señor”, y no hacéis lo que yo digo?”
Secondly, we must fight our enemy on every hand…
For I Peter 5:8 says: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:”
1 Pedro 5: 8 “Sed de espíritu sobrio, estad alerta. Vuestro adversario, el diablo, anda al acecho como león rugiente, buscando a quien devorar.”
The New Testament reminds us that our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces.
Sometimes you feel like you are completely surrounded by the enemy of your soul… That just means you can attack on every front; “For greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world!”
And Lastly, Fight unto the very end; for Matthew tells us, that he who stands firm to the end will be saved.
And we know most assuredly that our Lord will go with us until the very end without fail.
Never ever give up. Fight, and fight some more.
A veteran of the Faith never gives up.
“Gentleman Jim” Corbett, a great heavyweight boxer said: “Fight one more round. When your feet are so tired that you have to shuffle back to the center of the ring, fight one more round. When your arms are so tired that you can hardly lift your hands to guard yourself, fight one more round. When your nose is bleeding and your eyes are black and you are so tired that you wish your opponent would crack you on the jaw and put you to sleep, fight one more round—remembering that the man who fights one more round is never whipped.”
So then Veteran of the Faith-Fight one more round.
And when you hear the bell call that round over, FIGHT yet another.
Keep on fighting; fight unto very end;
For if will never give up on the Lord, you will have victory in the end.
If you live right, you will die right.
Jesus never gave/nor gives up on you. So Fight the Good Fight of Faith.
As Paul so valiantly said in II Timothy 4:7-8 “7- I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: 8- Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.”
II Timoteo 4:7-8 “7 He peleado la buena batalla, he terminado la carrera, he guardado la fe. 8 En el futuro me está reservada la corona de justicia que el Señor, el Juez justo, me entregará en aquel día; y no sólo a mí, sino también a todos los que aman su venida.”
Churchill rallied Britain with to fight with these words: “We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills. We shall never surrender.”
So then today I tell you, we shall fight in our homes, we shall fight on the work places, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets of our fair city, we shall fight in the hills. And we shall never surrender.
For “if God be for us, who can be against us?”
“War is an ugly thing, but…The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight is a miserable creature…” - John Stuart Mill
Young David came to the battle field and saw firsthand the sad situation and heard the vile cries of the ungodly Philistine and cried out, “Is there not a cause?”
Is there not a cause today in your life worth going to alter one more time to battle against?
Something worth fighting for before the Lord one more time?
Fight on, Fight on to Victory! Victory in Christ!!
