The Word Warrior

The image of a warrior runs throughout Scripture.

God Himself goes to war on our behalf.

We are called by God to go to war in the spiritual realm.

Sometimes we war in the physical realm, but only as a prophetic picture of war in the heavenlies.

The "warrior" is one of the prophetic images Paul used for his beloved spiritual son, Timothy. It typifies the personal committment needed for successfully living the life of a Believer in the Kingdom here on Earth.

Paul said,

"As a good soldier of Christ Jesus accept your share of suffering. Every one who serves as a soldier keeps himself from becoming entangled in the world’s business--so that he may satisfy the officer who enlisted him." (2 Tim 2.3-4, Weymouth)

Paul also said to Timothy,

Timothy, my child, I’m giving you this order about the prophecies that are still coming to you: Use these prophecies in faith and with a clear conscience to fight this noble war." (1 Tim 1.18, GWV)

As the Word of God speaks to us (the Living Word that "proceeds out of the mouth of God"), it is prophetic. As prophecy, this Word prepares us in faith and conscience to wage spiritual war.

The warrior is an apt image for us to use in our course on studying the Bible. Not only must the Believer be as committed as any Roman soldier ever was to the cause of Christ and to rightly handing his Bible study "tools", the Believer must also recognize that the diligent success of his or her studies will be a spiritual equipping for the war in which we face foes which are not flesh and blood, but demonic powers and princes of the air over this world system.

Soldier -- pick up your armor and put it on (Eph. 6.10ff), especially the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God!