“The Lord your God is in your midst, A victorious warrior.
Zephaniah 3:17 (NASB)

‘Do not fear them, for the Lord your God is the one fighting for you.’ Deuteronomy 3:22 (NASB)

 What is ‘Warrior Love’? Well, let’s look at what a warrior is . . . what he does.

There are various types of warriors ~ this is the explanation that will suite this discussion best and, I believe, describes God best.  A warrior becomes a warrior because he does so out of a sense of purpose.  He believes that what he is fighting for is more important than life itself.

I found paper on-line called ‘The Warrior’s Code’ by a Prof. Shannon E. French at the U.S. Navel Academy in which he asks his students in his philosophy class to reflect on the meaning of ‘warrior’.  A warrior is more than just someone who fights ~ as Prof. French says,

“The term would have more strength if we reserved it to apply only to those war fighters who meet other important criteria, which may be less tangible, but ultimately more significant, than that of having taken up arms against an enemy.”

To help stimulate their thinking he gives them a list of five words that are somewhat synonyms for the word ‘warrior’.  The students consistently reject all five words, because a true warrior is fighting for a big purpose or goal. A warrior is also fighting an enemy who wants to destroy him .. and others. A warrior is fighting to defend their ‘communities’ from any force that is out to undermine it. A warrior is fighting to protect an ‘identity’ and the deep values that accompany it ~ values worth defending and possibly even worth dying for. (Sounds like our Warrior God to me, how about you?)

Since the Fall, God has been fighting for His creation.  His love for us is so great (and big!) and His purpose is so clear, that He will accomplish what He means to accomplish ~ ultimately that is, having the world see His glory.  So, while we have a hard and rebellious heart much of the time, He is the mighty warrior that wins our hearts back . . . if we surrender our heart to Him.

Sometimes, I believe, we try to fight the war on our heart because we think we know how to win . . . and He will not step on our free-will so He lets us try to be a warrior.  But when we come to the end of ourselves and are totally fatigued from the battle we turn to the Warrior whose love for us goes beyond our imaginations ~ and He goes before us and fights in our place.  He did this in the Old Testament with His chosen people . . and then He did it again in the New Testament with the ultimate Warrior and the most victorious win in all of history ~ His Son and His death on the Cross. Our life . . with Him . . . was more important than His own.

What battle of your heart are you trying to fight on your own? Are you fatigued enough yet to surrender it and let Him fight it for you? Christ’s life was sacrificed for yours.  Because His love for you is great . . and He will fight for you!