Good to Grace ~ Warriors

Greetings Dear Reader,

I realize that as someone who places love and grace above everything, “Warriors” is an odd title for my post this morning.  I am, however, in good company.  The New Testament writers often framed what we do in the metaphor of being soldiers in a conflict.

Even when things are peaceful and sublime, we must not forget that we are at war.  The difference is that our front lines are not visible as the battles are always first fought in the heart and mind.  Our weapons are not made of steel and wood.  Still, we are in a battle every day and often at every moment.  To those who oppose us, every kindness is an act of war. 

It is not the kind of war we can see.  When we prepare each day for this war, all of our weapons and armor are given to us.  We do not have to earn them though we may have to prove some of them.  That all we need to withstand our enemies is given to us freely is another mark of the permeation of grace in our lives.  Redemption, truth, righteousness, the Gospel, and the Word of God are all products of grace.  We have covered that redemption and righteousness are products of grace working in us.

That we can comprehend the truth of God is also an act of grace on his part.  It is part of the great gift that grace is.  The Gospel; the good news of Jesus is a product of grace.  Faith is only possible because of the grace we are given to have it.  We are armored fully through grace and the only weapon in our hands is the Word of God wielded in love and grace.

I realize that this metaphor assumes a great deal of belief.  If you have journeyed with me for very long, you know that I do not reject anyone who does not believe what I believe.  What I must do is understand that I battle daily in this armor and with this weapon.  As I put it on, I must realize that if it is done with anything other than love, I fail to wear it effectively.   The thing we leave out of the list is the cloak that covers it all; love.

We are warriors of grace, Dear Reader.  Whether we engage directly with those who need our love or stand by the door for those seeking a way into our ranks, we fight.  The journey is constantly a march.  It is one we take up when we rise and keep with us when we rest.  We fight through the day choosing in our minds and hearts how we will deal in grace.

It is not possible to otherwise make our way.  When we choose not to stand or fight in love and grace, we choose to aid darkness.  There is never a moment when we are not fighting for or against the light.  There are no secular issues.  I cannot divide things between war and peace until we are home and all is back to good.  Until then, I will fight for you, Dear Reader.  I will love you, and the Father, and our enemies.  I can only do any of this because of grace that flows to us from the love of the Father.

 No Rusty Swords – Michael Card

Don't you know the battle's raging
And you got to join the fight
There's an army of the darkness
And an army of the Light
There's a side that fights for Satan
And a side that's for the Lord
And on this battlefield, there are no rusty swords
And on this battlefield, there are no rusty swords

Christ has made the final move
So, our side is sure to win
He became like us so we would have
A chance to be like Him
It seems strange so many fall back
When the victory has been won
You just need to ask yourself
Which side you're on
And on this battlefield, there are no rusty swords
And on this battlefield, there are no rusty swords

There's a fact you need to understand
Before you join our side
You need to know when Jesus calls
He bids you come and die
He's invaded Satan's kingdom
And He's claiming all His own
When the battle's over
He will lead us home
And on this battlefield, there are no rusty swords
And on this battlefield, there are no rusty swords

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn
Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a homeowner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”
(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Every human story is part of the great story that leads to the Father getting everything back to Good.

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:
#aramisthorn
Support Page on Patreon: www.patreon.com/aramisthorn
Novels: From My Publisher or on Amazon          
Web Page:  www.aramisthorn.com
Bookings: aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com
Facebook      
Twitter        
Medium         
Instagram 
BLOG Archive:  http://aramisthorn.blogspot.com/ 

We are at war.  We fight every moment of every day.  The difficulty is that we sometimes switch sides during the battle.