Walking into Battle

The Civil War has been a macabre fascination for me: people -- family -- living in relationship, side by side for years, suddenly forced by their beliefs and social circumstances to kill one another; the dearth of medical knowledge coupled with the risky medical procedures conducted (many successfully!) during those years; weaponry that was developed. A picture of the human tragedy so prevalent throughout that period and that region of our country is found in the book, Diary of a Dead Man, compiled by J. P. Ray. I read it years ago, and found the circumstances of the Civil War really coming alive to me. The conditions the soldiers and prisoners were forced to endure; the hardships of war and the loneliness of being away from family; the utter disbelief of working the family farm one week, and subsisting on insufficient rations the next; and the walking! Entire days given over to lugging gear and troops from one battle to the next. Constant movement and redirection communicated swiftly by horseback, executed laboriously by sick and weary men.

As I was doing my study on anger this morning, I read 1 Corinthians 10:13, Ephesians 6:10-18, and Philippians 4:13. God has provided a way for all of us to control whatever it is we need to control -- anger, fear, impulsive shopping, lying; to say that we cannot obey, or we are not receiving any help from the Holy Spirit is to call God a liar, to say He is not faithful. Help exists, a way out exists; we must seek God's direction, and He will enable us to do whatever He commands -- like control ourselves (Proverbs 25:28). Ephesians breaks it all down, explaining each piece of "armor" and what it does for us: truth, faith, salvation, righteousness, the preparedness that comes from the gospel of peace, the word of God, and prayer. We are equipped in Christ. BUT...

I think of all that walking. Walking either weakens or strengthens a soldier. Without rest or the proper nourishment, without proper clothing, the soldier falls ill, becomes weak and exhausted. With all the soldier requires (in this analogy, all God provides liberally and faithfully) the soldier becomes stronger; but the soldier must walk. Day after day; mile after mile. Battles don't come at every turn; a soldier may not see serious combat for weeks at a time; but the soldier must still walk, walk, walk, walk. To build strength; so the weapons and defenses supplied become part of the soldier; to become one with other soldiers and with their Leadership; to develop patterns within the brain to which the soldier will automatically seek to return once the battle is over. The soldier must walk. It's sometimes boring and arduous; it may be hard to get motivated when other things appear more pressing, but walking is imperative for the soldier. So, get your walk in today -- and everyday -- you'll be better for it in the battle.