Seventeen at War
Ephesians 6:10-18 (NIV)
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes…
Life is a battlefield. We are constantly at war- determined to triumph over evil and let justice prevail. But no such tactic has eased the strain or stress of fighting. I am surrounded by a generation that in general no longer seeks the face of the God I love and believe in. Surrounding me are those trying to tempt me to lust and fall into the traps of the enemy. I have seen good friends go into that territory and never return the same. I will keep my sanity-my convictions, my life; I will not suffer from their casualties. If to be cool is to be a fool, I tell myself I will continue to march on. In a world where promiscuity, smoking, drugs, and violence prevail, I look at such things like armed militia. In this battle, in order to stay alive the enemy tells me I must feed on the rations that the world delivers. I refuse to be swayed from where I stand- the fruit may look delicious but one bite condemned man to hell.
Machine guns rattle off continuously. A bullet ricochets off a foundation and leaves it in pieces. The severity of the guns has worsened the past three years. An explosion leaves an entire region engulfed in flames. Artillery, buildings, lives, and a culture become destroyed in seconds. An appointed commander leads but many troops struggle to follow His lead. The enemy has brutally mutilated many troops. Some soldiers dare to give up or sell their souls to the other side. Still, we remaining troops stumble along, searching for any signs of life amongst the rubble. Is humanity fit to survive the war?
I live in a country under the pseudonym the “Land of the Free”, but my religious freedoms are taken away from me daily. I believe that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. I chose this day whom I will serve- I will serve the Lord. God forbid that I would forsake the Lord to serve other gods-I will serve the Lord because in Him I believe. The commander I follow is the Lord- He has already declared, “If you love me, keep my commands”. People laugh at, ridicule and mock me and my beliefs. Going to cheer at multiple competitions, my squad was placed under preconceived notions. Our uniforms, our style, our make-up, our lack of suggestive body movement are the sole factors of why we were less appealing in the judges’ eyes. Serving as a juror at teen court, a rebuttal with a fellow juror made me discover that I am not allowed to bring my religious beliefs into the court of law. What kind of freedom do I possibly possess in this country? I put on my suit and armor, and people spit in my face.
The rattle of bullets echoing continuously is not a prescription for survival. The enemy seeks to kill and destroy but will not be victorious. The more I go through life, the more I realize I will need to keep my armor on and defend my beliefs. I fight and I am not ashamed. I am not ashamed to take the front lines, surrounded by people bearing arms, determined for freedom, and parading towards victory. I fight daily for what I believe and whom I believe. The enemy tries to control my thoughts by manipulating the media. Temptation is made appealing through propaganda. But still, with my full body armor I march on. In this war I continue to struggle to do what is right. I am a Christian soldier, marching on to war, with the cross of Jesus going on before.
“I'm in the battle field, en la battalla, I'm on the front line, I'm a soldier, Sientiendo el fuego, but I just can't give up now. I'm pressing on I'll win the race till the battle is won yo seguire todo se puede con Cristo, so I’ll keep on fighting'” – Michelle Bonilla, “Go Harder”