One of the most famous battles of WW II happened near the end of the war. Hitler had decided to launch a major offensive in the West against allied troops and retake the town of Antwerp in Belgium. On December 16, 1944 the Battle of the Bulge began.
Famous battles are part of our history. If you love history like I do then you know there are heroes and villains intertwined throughout the story. Like a well written novel, good and evil enter into a battle for the heart and soul of a Christian, Church and Country.
Many Christians today would say that Satan has launched a major offensive for the heart of America. And perhaps, America is
losing the battle. Could it be that Jesus has a much simpler task in front of us? That maybe we, as Christians, should be looking to win the smaller victories in the major offensive so ultimately we win the battle.
There was another person who had a profound impact in WW II. She wasn’t in Europe she was in Japan, Tokyo to be exact. Her name was Iva Toguri but she got labeled with a name that made her famous, Tokyo Rose.
Propaganda plays a significant part in war. It’s a tool of the
enemy to cause people to give up and quit fighting for what is good and right.
That’s what our text is all about. The Battle for the Heart is taking place in the front lines of every heart today rather we realize it or not.
Our verse says to not grow weary in the fight for good, in due time, we will win IF….we do not give up. How do we give up?
We lose heart...Notice our verse…..Galatians 6:9
If you’ll walk through the battle front with me in Galatians 6 you’ll see the stage being set. Paul writes about the importance of restoration after someone sins in Gal.6:1, because we all do sin, and then he speaks of helping out another Christian by bearing each other’s burdens.
Then he says something striking in v.6 those who are taught the word share in all good things with the ones who teach the Word.
He goes on to say we “reap what we sow.” (v.7)
You could say that the gist of the chapter is be a blessing in the battle. Don’t stand in reserve when those on the front lines are getting beat up and kicked around.
Why? Because here in v.9 is where the battle is raging. Too many are giving in and giving up. The Battle for the Heart has to do with salvation but it also has to do with being faithful to the LORD.
Notice three battle lines that are drawn in our hearts:
I. We Prepare for Battle
“And let us not grow weary while doing good.”
This text is written to the church. To Christians who are in the battle. We are constantly bombarded with the idea what good am I really doing. The onslaught of the enemy is centered around why keep on keeping on when I am only one person.
We have financial problems, work problems, car problems,
family problems and problem problems. When strife enters the areas of our lives it doesn’t take long to know we are in the battle.
We get weary. Exhausted worn out and burned out. Why do good when it doesn’t seem to be making a dent anyway?
The word doing in our verse has several meanings and one of them means to prepare. If we are going to go somewhere and do something we have to first prepare to do it.
Here is where the battle begins. We don’t have to prepare to do something bad because our flesh, our old nature is more than
willing to do that naturally.
When I am on the Interstate and 2 lanes go to 1 and people race up and cut in front of me I don’t have to prepare to honk my horn or mumble how wonderful I think they are it comes out naturally.
Even if I have been listening to Chris Tomlin, being Super Saint, and singing to the top of my lungs “My chains are Gone I’ve been set free, My God my Savior has ransomed me, and like a flood”…When someone cuts me off...His mercy doesn’t rain...it’s justice time!
We don’t have to prepare to do bad. We have to prepare to do good. To complain doesn’t take preparation, to compliment does. To criticize doesn’t take preparation to care does. We don’t have to work at discouraging but we do have to work on encouraging others.
I like how the NKJV says, Grow weary...almost as if to say we allow weariness to grow in our hearts like a weed. I’m no
Gardener, but I know weeds are bad. They are so bad I watch my wife pull them out of her garden. Of course I’m standing in the den with the A/C on but that’s another story.
Weeds choke-out good deeds. If they build up in the fertile soil of a good heart they will take over and surround our hearts with evil.
In the Battle of the bulge the German troops surrounded the 101st airborne near the town of Bastogne. General Anthony McAuliffe, leader of the 101st was told to surrender to the overwhelming German troops he uttered one word, “NUTS.” 1
Be prepared to not surrender your heart. Be Prepared to do good.
II. We Produce in the Battle “for in due season we shall reap”
Front and center in our hearts is the reality of what we are Doing and why we are doing it. This battle means we announce who we are and what side we are truly on.
When we look at our Country, our Church, and our Christianity isn’t it about time we produce our credentials? Should people have to guess who we are and what side we’re on? How many opportunities have we missed to be productive for God?
In God’s time all things come to light. In God’s time we see the benefit of the battle. We might not know why we are ding good deeds but the blessing is in doing them for God even if we don’t see immediate results.
As I stated earlier propaganda is a tool of the enemy. We want a fast-track spiritual benefit. The world tells us all the time to take short-cuts and do what feels good at the time. That’s not God’s plan that’s the enemy’s propaganda.
Our verse says in due season, in God’s time things happen not in our time. Things are not always what they seem. Iva Toguri traveled to Japan to visit a sick relative. Her timing was terrible because she was an American citizen in Japan on Dec. 7, 1941. The day Japan bombed Pearl Harbor.
Now a citizen in enemy territory, she became and enemy to her own country. She became the voice of a Radio show in Japan called “Orphan Ann” like “Little Orphan Annie.” But American GI’s named the voice “Tokyo Rose.” 2
The tragedy is there were several American speaking women
involved in the broadcasts and that she did in fact broadcast shows for Japan. Was she coerced? Whose side was she really on?
Even today some mystery and skepticism surrounds her. Two of the men who testified against her supposedly admitted to perjury.
This battle is too important to not know where we stand. Our hearts and the hearts and lives of others are at stake. Ultimately the battle for the heart requires a pardon from the Savior.
We all have to stand with the Savior because He stood for us at Calvary. Christian you’ve been pardoned He produced His
credentials for yours and you now have been placed on the
winning side.
BTW Iva Toguri was pardoned by President Gerald Ford. She was pronounced by the president as being guilt-less. But it took 30 years and 6 yrs in jail after she was first pronounced guilty.
In due season, God’s time you will reap what you have sown.
III. We have a Problem in Battle “If we do not lose heart.”
The Bible is full of examples of God saying IF. That blessings come our way IF. That IF we disobey God then there are
consequences.
We in the battle for our hearts have a problem. You see the world, flesh and devil all tell us to give up. It’s easier to throw away a marriage then stay and work through tough times. It’s easier to lose a friend and find another one then forgive them for hurting you.
It’s much easier to find another job, another church, it’s easier to leave then to stay. Even our friends say why I can’t believe you would stay and go through all that.
Everywhere we turn we are encouraged to give up. People today have gotten used to giving up and quitting. It’s not common today to stay in a tough situation. But the Bible tells us to NOT LOSE HEART...
The KJV uses the word faint here for lose heart. The Bible tells us in Proverbs 24:10, “If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small.”
It’s adversity that makes us better. Going through trials is the very thing we need to make us stronger in our faith. The Bible tells us in James 1:3, “Knowing this that the testing of your faith produces patience.” Literally means that our faith is on trial and that time of testing produces endurance.
It’s the thing that keeps us going when nothing else can keep us going. When General Anthony McAuliffe uttered his famous
reply to surrender...NUTS the Germans didn’t know what he meant. They actually had to look up the word. There is now a NUTS Street named in honor of this famous reply to surrender. 3
The 101st Airborne and other American troops had earlier been given the order to retreat. However, they were surrounded at the town of Bastogne. They were completely cut-off so they could not retreat. They had to stay and fight.
I wonder IF there are enough Christians who have the same heart. We can’t retreat so why don’t we stay and NOT LOSE HEART. Our homes, churches and Country needs us…
Conclusion:
In the Battle of the Bulge over 76,000 American troops were killed, wounded or captured. The Battle itself only lasted 6 weeks.
As high and as tragic as that is how many people have lost the battle for their own heart? How many hearts have died to the things of God? To their spouse or kids?
How many more have been wounded?
Or Captured by the enemy?
1.http://www.militaryhistoryonline.com/wwii/articles/bastogne.aspx
2. http://www.fbi.gov/libref/historic/famcases/rose/rose.htm
3.http://www.militaryhistoryonline.com/wwii/articles/
bastogne.aspx
