Warriors in Christ: Victory Through Obedience

Growing up, my dad watched a lot of movies about war. I can remember scenes of a soldier crouching behind a crumbling wall, with the deafening sound of gunshots and explosions all around him. His squad was ambushed from every angle, and they were cut off from reinforcements. As the soldier gripped his weapon, fear began to grab hold of him.

This soldier had been trained for war, but nothing could fully prepare him for the devastation and reality of this battle. Every decision and every reaction was critical to the moment in front of him. His mission was clear: stand his ground, protect his team, and trust his commanding officer's orders. His radio broke through the chaos around him as he heard his captain's voice instructing him to hold his ground while reinforcements were on the way. He relayed this command to his squad. Some were wounded, some were exhausted, and some doubted if the help would even come in time, if at all. But this soldier knew that obedience in battle wasn't about seeing the outcome, it was about trusting the one leading the charge. Not long after, an aircraft roared above him. The promised help had arrived, and within a short matter of time, the soldier's team had overcome the battle.

Scenes like this remind me of Joshua in Jericho standing face-to-face with an impossible battle. Joshua was an exceptional military leader. After the Israelites left Egypt, he fought against the Amalekites and led Israel to victory (Exodus 17:8-13). He had years of experience leading armies and seeing God's deliverance in the wilderness and Egypt. He had seen victories, but as he became the new leader of Israel, he stood face-to-face with the mighty city of Jericho. By human standards, this city was impenetrable. Luckily, we don't have to operate by human standards. In Joshua 5:13-15, we read about Joshua's encounter with a man standing before him with a sword. It says, "Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, 'Are you for us or for our enemies?' 'Neither,' he replied, 'but as Commander of the Army of the Lord I have now come.' Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, 'What message does my Lord have for his servant?' The commander of the Lord’s army replied, 'Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.' And Joshua did so."

When Joshua encountered the Commander of the Army of the Lord, he realized that the battle was no longer his own. Rather, this battle belonged to the Lord. Like the soldier above, the victory of this battle wasn't dependent on his strength, rather it was dependent on the One who is the very source of our strength. As Christians, we must realize that there is a constant battle going on around us. There is a violent clash between light and dark, good and evil. Somewhere in the midst of it, is where we find ourselves today. This is a battle we are called to face every day. We aren't meant to be spectators in this battle, we have to be participants. We are called to be warriors because the one who made us is a warrior. We are made in the image of the Commander of the Army of the Lord so that means we have victory encoded in our DNA. However, in order to walk in the victory Christ has given us as an inheritance, we must first walk in obedience. You see, obedience is a prerequisite for God's promised victory. That doesn't mean we have to be perfect, praise God! But it does mean we need to be ready for battle, ready to listen, and ready to act in obedience at all times.

I want to be very clear about this: just because we have victory in our DNA doesn't mean we won't see a battle. Just because we have victory, doesn't mean we don't face an enemy. Even Jesus had a Judas, David had a Goliath, Daniel had a lion, and Moses had a Pharaoh. What victory does mean, is that no giant, no beast, and no person can stop God's plan or His promises. We can live in that victory when we recognize that the name of our enemy or our battle doesn't matter, but the name of our God does. The name of our God stands and reigns over every single thing that could stand in our way. However, most of the time we have to take a step of obedience to see a promise. Just as Moses had to raise his staff for the Red Sea to part and as Joshua had to walk around Jericho for the walls to crumble, obedience and faith are a requirement for victory.

As warriors in Christ, we must recognize the battle in front of us. I fully believe that this generation of believers would have told Joshua to pray for Jericho and let the city live its "truth". This generation would've probably told David to accept Goliath instead of fighting the giant. But as warriors in Christ, sometimes what God calls us to do is to slay our giants. As warriors, sometimes we are called to defend the truth and lovingly rebuke. That's just the reality of it. There is a constant spiritual battle around us at all times, and the worst thing we could do is act passively. When God grants His people victory in the Bible, it is never because his people were passive or dismissive, it's always because they were courageous, faithful, and obedient.

So, how do we apply this to our daily lives? The first step is learning to recognize the battle in front of us. Spiritual warfare isn’t always obvious, and it doesn’t always look like a full-on attack. Sometimes, it disguises itself as persistent doubt such as doubting God's love, His plan, or even our worth in His eyes. Other times, it looks like a lack of desire to pray, read Scripture, or seek God. It can even take the form of sin cycles and recurring temptations, where we feel stuck in patterns we can’t seem to break. The key is awareness. If we don’t recognize that we’re in a battle, we won’t be able to fight effectively. But when we live with a victory mindset, it becomes easier to identify when that victory is being threatened.

Once we recognize the battle, it’s time to execute our battle plan. The first and most powerful weapon we have is prayer. Prayer isn’t just a routine or a last resort, it is an offensive weapon that shifts the spiritual atmosphere. Through prayer, we invite the power of heaven into our circumstances and ward off the schemes of the enemy. James 5:16 reminds us that "the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." If we want to stand firm, we must be prayer warriors. Second, we must be suited up in the full armor of God as outlined in Ephesians 6:10-18. Verses 12-13 read, "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand." A soldier never goes into a battle without a weapon and protection. Truth, righteousness, faith, and the Word of God are our spiritual defenses. Just as a soldier wouldn’t step onto the battlefield without being suited up, we can’t engage in spiritual warfare without being properly equipped.

Finally, we must walk in obedience and step out in faith, even when it doesn’t make sense. Sometimes, obedience feels like we’re walking in circles, just as Joshua and the Israelites must have felt while marching around Jericho. It can feel tedious, frustrating, or even like nothing is changing. But as we act out faithfulness, we walk towards breakthrough. Joshua 6:16 says, "Shout! For the Lord has given you the city." Victory didn’t come before their obedience; it came because of their obedience. In the same way, we can confidently move forward in faith, knowing that our victory is already secured in Christ. Even before we see the walls fall, we can shout with joy because the battle has already been won.

As we face the battles in our lives, both the seen and unseen, remember that victory isn’t something we have to win on our own. We’re not fighting by our own power. God has already secured the ultimate victory for us. As we pray, trust Him, and walk in obedience, we’re equipped to stand firm, even when the battle seems hopeless. So, let’s move forward with courage, knowing that God is with us every step of the way. The battle may rage on, but the victory is already secured. Stand strong, warrior, for the Lord is with you.

May your roots run deep, and your faith remain strong! As always, Stay Rooted, my friends! <3