It is far to easy to get weighed down by the everyday concerns of life, or to get distracted by the onslaught of evil all around us. On some days, all it takes is one negative comment from someone at work, or one unexpected bill in the mail to completely derail us. The constant barrage of negative media on social and broadcast channels potentially keeps us in a state of anger or panic. But, it doesn’t have to be that way. There is one small change in perspective that can disarm the enemy’s attacks and keep us deeply rooted in the Kingdom of God. It is the realization that we are warriors!
God recently took me on a study of Psalm 145 where I experienced an awakening to the fact that I am a warrior. I was initially struck by the many ways in which warriors conduct themselves in light of the greatness of God. The Psalm reads like an epic story of YAHWEH, the mightiest warrior of all, surrounded by his mighty men and women of valor, telling the stories of the greatest battles of all times and the victories won by the King.
You can see hints of the legendary storytelling in Psalm 145:4-7, “One generation shall praise Your works to another and shall declare Your mighty acts. On the glorious splendor of Your majesty and on Your wonderful works, I will meditate. Men shall speak of the power of Your awesome acts, and I will tell of Your greatness. They shall eagerly utter the memory of Your abundant goodness and will shout joyfully of Your righteousness.”
It is verse seven that captured my heart and moved me to write, “A Warrior’s Creed.” When we walk with God and see His miracles happening all around us, we cannot contain it. When we see lives transformed, relationships restored, and deep healing from the hand of God, the stories literally pour out of us. The idea of “eagerly utter” is to ferment inside and bubble over, like a bottle of great champagne exploding when it is shaken. “Shout joyfully” is literally a victory shout. It is the cry of the warrior’s heart.
When I wake up in the morning, I cry out to God for victory. When I am in the battle, I plead with YAHWEH to come to my side as YAHWEH GIBBOR, the mighty warrior. I do not stop crying out for victory until the victory is won. And when victory comes, I let out a blood curdling victory shout. Victory is the cry of my heart. It is the cry of my heart in moments of desperation, in times of endurance, and in the moment of victory.
I wrote the first four stanzas of “A Warrior’s Creed,” but when I was done, it didn’t feel complete. I had a sense that there was more. The remainder of the creed came from verses fourteen to eighteen, where the psalm moves from the warrior’s quest for victory to the warrior’s deep dependence on God.
Psalm 145:14, opened my eyes, “The LORD sustains all who fall and raises up all who are bowed down.”
Reading this verse, I realized that the battle begins on my knees, bowed before God in complete surrender. In the words of Leonard Ravenhill, “Prayer is not a preparation for the battle; it is the battle!” Go back and read verse fourteen again. Think about it this way: if I happen to fall in battle, God will lift me up and set me back on my feet again; but when I am bowed down, God will exalt me to a place of victory. I would much rather bow down before God than fall down in battle. The principle is simple and powerful: When I am bowed down, I cannot fall.
The rest of Psalm 145 is all about my deep dependence on God and His great deliverance. My eyes look to Him (verse 15). I open my hand to receive from Him (verse 16). I call upon Him continually (verse 18). I fear Him and cry out to Him for help (verse 19). I am utterly dependent on YAHWEH for victory in battle. And when I am utterly dependent on Him, He is near to me, He hears my cry, and He will save me. He will save me in battle. With YAHWEH on my side, I can stand strong. I can persevere. I can win the battle. I am a warrior.
A Warrior’s Creed
By John Santaferraro
I am a warrior.
Today, I will live like a warrior.
He has put the desire to conquer into my heart.
When I climb, my desire is to make it to the top.
When I play, I want to win.
When I dialogue, I want to prevail.
When I work, I want to fight and win.
My heart cries out for victory.
It is who I am.
I am a warrior.
What does a warrior do?
A warrior wakes up to fight another battle.
When I am not fighting, I hone my fighting skills.
When I am not fighting, I strategize against the enemy.
When I am under attack, I never go it alone.
So, then, I declare that I am a warrior of God.
This is who God made me to be.
I declare that I am in a battle, and the battle has been won.
Today, I must fight.
Today, I must hone my skills.
Today, I must strategize against the enemy.
Today, I side with God, the Mighty Warrior, to defeat the enemy.
Today, I cry out for victory.
I may not be able to see it, but I cry out for victory.
In the battle, I will continue to cry out for victory.
I know the battle will end with a great victory shout, a shout of joy.
Today, I know I must face the battle.
Today, I will fight.
Tomorrow, I will win.
The cry of my heart is a victory cry.
I am a warrior.
Today, I declare my dependence on God.
As a warrior, I am fully dependent on the Mighty Warrior.
There is no victory without Him.
I bow down before Him in complete surrender;
For when I am bowed down, I cannot fall.
He raises me up;
And when He does, I am His warrior.
Before I enter the battle, my eyes will look to Him.
He is my help;
A Mighty Warrior is He.
I see Him and follow Him into battle.
I fight no battles on my own;
And I fight none of my own battles.
I only fight when I see Him marching into battle ahead of me.
When I see Him, I will call upon Him.
I invite Him into the battle.
There is no other way.
When I see Him, I will fear Him.
There is no one like Him.
When I align with Him, no one can stand against us.
He is with me.
He is for me.
He is the Mighty Warrior.
I am His.
I am a warrior of God.
In the heat of the battle, I will cry out to Him for help.
He will hear me.
He will deliver me.
He will make me a victor.
Because I love Him, He will protect me.
He will preserve me.
He will be at my left and at my right.
He will be behind me and before me.
He is my Deliverer.
I am a warrior of God.
I am a warrior.
© 2018 - John Santaferraro
Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.
Copyright by The Lockman Foundation.