THE HEART OF A WARRIOR

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.      Christians are in a war, but we often live our lives oblivious to it.

1.        It is not physical.

2.       There is no shooting, no explosions, and no outward destruction.

3.       The losses do not appear to be tangible.

4.       The carnage does not involve mangled children, raped women, prisoners, and dead bodies in our streets.

 

B.       The war, however, is still real.

1.        The enemy knows it is real and fights it with a seriousness that we cannot comprehend.

2.       The battle takes place every day in the lives of every human being on the earth.

3.       There are losses.  There is carnage.  There is destruction and death.

 

C.      The war is a spiritual war.

1.        It involves God and Satan.

2.       It involves temptation and sin.

3.       It involves ignorance and the knowledge of God’s will.

4.       It involves the heart and soul of every human being.

5.       It involves principalities and powers in heavenly places.

6.       It involves the flesh and spirit.

7.       It involves the world and the church.

8.       It involves life and death.

9.       It involves the eternal destinies of everyone involved in the fight.

 

D.      1 Timothy 1:18

 

This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightiest war a good warfare.

 

E.      Christians are soldiers in this war (2 Tim. 2:3).

 

Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

 

F.       If we are going to be the fighters we need to be, we must develop:  “The Heart of A Warrior.”  Let’s look at some of the characteristics of this heart in this lesson.

 

I.                    A HEART OF OBEDIENCE

 

A.      Every soldier in an army is under the command of someone. 

1.        When that individual gives a command, the soldier is expected to obey the command.

2.       It has been said that if soldiers do not follow orders, then soldiers die.

 

B.       The Lord Jesus Christ is the commander of the army of God.

1.        He is the King of kings and Lord of Lord (1 Tim. 6:15; Rev. 19:16).

2.       He is the captain of our salvation (Heb. 2:10).

3.       When He issues a command, the heart of the warrior is willing to obey.

 

C.      The need to be obedient is expressed in many ways.

1.        Keep His commandments (John 14:21a)

 

He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me.

 

 

2.       Heed His Word (Heb. 2:1-3; 2 Pet. 1:19)

 

Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.

 

3.       Do the Word (James 1:22-25)

 

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your ownself.

 

4.       Abide in the word (John 15:7)

 

If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

 

5.       Continue in the doctrine (John 8:31; 2 John 9)

 

Then saith Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed.

 

II.                 A HEART OF COURAGE

 

A.      Warfare is not pretty.

1.        It puts soldiers against some very strong opponents.

2.       It puts soldiers in some very precarious situations.

3.       Sometimes the warrior finds himself facing a situation all alone.

 

B.       To face scary, difficult situations, the warrior must have courage.

 

C.      God’s warriors are going up against a powerful and evil opponent. 

1.        Peter described him as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour (1 Pet. 3:9).

2.       Satan’s allies can be harsh and cruel.

3.       They will call names, ruin reputations, speak lies, and harm one if they must.

4.       Just their words and their looks can strike terror into the warrior’s heart.

 

D.      Thus, courage is essential.

1.        God knew Joshua would need it to face the enemies in the land of Canaan (Josh. 1:6, 7, 9).

 

Be strong, and of a good courage…

 

2.       Paul understood the need for boldness and asked the church at Ephesus to pray that he might have boldness (Eph. 6:19).

 

And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make know the mystery of the gospel.

 

E.      The best way for us to maintain our courage is to remember:

1.        God is always with us (Heb. 13:5b-6).

 

…for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.  So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

 

2.       We are in possession of the truth (John 8:32; 1 Tim. 3:15).

 

III.               A HEART OF DISCIPLINE

 

A.      Definition of disciple:

1.        To possess knowledge and skills

2.       To maintain the ability to be focused

3.       To be able to keep oneself under control

4.       To learn how to suffer hardship and deprivation

 

B.       Good soldiers are sent through boot camp, daily physical training, additional classes involving both knowledge and skills.  They are disciplined before being put on the battlefield.

 

C.      The points that we stressed in the definition of discipline are laid out in God’s Word so Christians can become a disciplined army of people.

1.        Knowledge

a.       (2 Tim. 2:15):  “rightly dividing the Word of truth” and (2 Pet. 3:18):  “grow in knowledge.”

b.       Every aspect of the Christian’s armor is tied to the Word of God (Eph. 6:14-17).

1)       Loins girded with truth

2)      Breastplate of righteousness

3)      Feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace

4)      Shield of faith

5)      Helmet of salvation

6)      Sword of the Spirit

2.       Be focused (2 Tim. 2:4).

 

No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.

 

3.       Be under control (1 Cor. 9:27).

 

But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection:  lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

 

4.       Learn to suffer hardship and deprivation (Phil. 4:12).

 

For I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound:  every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.

 

D.      It is difficult for the Christian warrior to be disciplined in our society.

1.        It takes time and effort to study.

2.       There are so many things calling for our attention that it is difficult to be focused.

3.       Bad habits are tolerated, doctored, and explained away instead of teaching a person to practice temperance.

4.       We have grown up with the idea that we should have it easier and better than the previous generation.  This goes against hardship, deprivation, and sacrifice.

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.      We are warriors.  The thought is almost difficult for us to comprehend, but that is what we are.

 

B.       To fight well, we must develop the heart of a warrior.

 

C.      Three aspects of that heart are obedience, courage, and discipline.

 

D.      NOTE:  If we fail to develop a warrior’s heart, the adversary will attack us and will win the victory.  He will not win the ultimate victory, but he will win the victory over our lives.

1.        Judas lost the battle.

2.       Ananias and Sapphira lost the battle.

3.       Demas lost the battle.

4.       Diotrephes lost the battle.

 

E.      The words of the wise man are still true:  “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he…” (Prov. 23:7).