The Warrior's Creed

NOTE: I am human. Any discrepancies between what I have written and the Word of God are a direct result of my humanness. God is perfect; I am not.

So, why must we be warriors of God? Certainly, this is a complex question, one that requires much thought and prayer. The first point of critical importance is how to define a warrior of God.

A warrior of God is one who enters into a state of complete submission to the authority and will of the Lord God Almighty. Essentially, a warrior of God is to be an instrument through which God can carry out His will on Earth. God is capable of defending Himself, this is true--but God uses His people to do so. If a warrior of God is compelled to defend the Lord, it is only because the Holy Spirit which dwells in him has led him to do so.

It is important, then, that we become warriors of God because the Spirit of God can work powerfully through those in whom it resides.

The next question that arises with regard to becoming a warrior of God is also complex, but much simpler to answer: what are the duties of a warrior of God?

Now, of course, no one is perfect; we will all fail from time to time. However, as a warrior of God, one must strive to emulate Christ in all that he or she does. To be a warrior, one must be disciplined, focused, and dedicated to the Lord. He or she must have a heart for God and a desire, ultimately, to serve Him. Warriors of God must submit to the authority of Christ and seek to obey, as closely as possible, the laws which He has set before us. Most importantly, though, a warrior must be in constant communication with the Lord and must study tirelessly the Word of God, the warrior's greatest weapon.

The next item of consequence is that which pertains to the title of this post--the Warrior's Creed (Remember that, even as my intentions are good, I am still a man, and as this is not directly from the mouth of God, it can never be perfect.):

I am a warrior of God.
My purpose is to serve God,
to submit to His authority,
and to be used by Him
as an instrument of His will.

I believe, first and foremost,
that it is only  through
the death and resurrection
of Jesus Christ, my Lord,
that I can be saved.

Therefore, because of His love and mercy,
because He made the ultimate sacrifice,
I am permanently indebted to Him.
I am bound to serve Him
because He first saved me.

A warrior is nothing without armor.
Therefore, I must put on the full armor of God
each and every day--the belt of Truth, the shoes of peace,
the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith,
the sword of the Spirit, which is His Word, and the helmet of salvation.

As a warrior of God, I dedicate myself
to the Lord and to His will.
In dedication to His will,
I strive to obey Him at all costs
and to emulate His Son, Jesus, in all I do.

I seek to pray without ceasing
that His will might always be made clear.
Most importantly, I commit myself
to the study of His Word
so that I may draw closer to Him.

Lord, let Your will, not mine, be done.

I leave you with one final thought. While as warriors of God, we are fighting against everything evil, both Satan and sin, in order to emulate Christ, we must approach sinners with a different attitude. As the common Christian saying goes, "We must hate the sin, but love the sinner." This does not mean we allow the sinner to continue in sin; it simply means that we treat the sinner with love, just as Jesus would have done. Everyone sins. Even warriors can be caught with their armor off. So why should we judge a person by their actions? Yes, we must hate the sin, but it is critical that all people feel God's love. We must condemn ONLY the sin.

Bible Verses/Passages That Influenced "The Warrior's Creed":

Eph. 6:10-18
1Th. 5:17
Rom. 5:6-11
Luke 22:42

Introduction

Let me begin by saying this: I fear for the souls of mankind. The culture of this world has become so inebriated with the wine of immorality that the Truth has become blurred. The world says we can do whatever we want because no one will accost us. Everyone is supposed to be tolerant and politically correct (P.C.). But I am sick of it! It frustrates me that the true Christians of this world suffer and even die for their faith, yet as soon as we Christians criticize the sinful actions of others, we are scolded for our intolerance.

But why must we be tolerant?

My intolerance is not an act of hate but, rather, an act of love! Even though I may falter in my humanness, I can see the Truth because I am no longer drunk with carnality. The world, however, struggles to make out the Truth amidst the blurred shapes it perceives with its drunken eyes. Sometimes, all the world needs is a slap in the face to help them see the Truth. I am intolerant because I want everyone to see the Truth. Is that not an act of love?! Intolerance, then, is an act of love aimed at exposing the world to the Truth.

There is one more issue I must discuss: the lukewarm Christians.

These are the people for whom I fear the most. These are people who have been
saved and yet are still living in a carnal mindset. My brothers and sisters in
Christ, we must strive to live in the Spirit! Jesus says in Revelation 3:15-18, "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see." The problem with lukewarm Christians is how they represent our faith to the world, to the lost. They are too tolerant because they are still in the world, and Christians are then perceived to be hypocrites. We must not be like the Christians who believe that all faiths, regardless of what deities they worship and serve, are a pathway to salvation. They argue that all these faiths really are believing in the same god with different names. But this cannot be true! Our GOD, the One True GOD, says, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." GOD sets Himself apart from these other "gods." These "gods," therefore, cannot be one and the same. That is my problem with lukewarm Christians. They have become too tolerant.

I fear for the souls of mankind.