From the Soul

Battlefield

Written: 11/20/15

The smoke from the nearby fires fills the air as I walk the battlefield. The bodies lay before for miles in every direction; their silent cries fill the air, each one with their demons.

This is the realm of the real battle, the one no one likes to admit exists. Lose here, and you lose everything.

I had been wounded and suffered much from my own choices before finally letting myself be healed. I had returned to the frontlines a few short weeks ago with a renewed vigor for the fight...I had forgotten how bloody it would be. I knew I would take wounds, but I had forgotten how cunning my enemy was.

He'd heard I was back on the frontlines fighting, and he relished the thought of knocking me back down again. But I knew he'd be coming for me; I knew he'd been spying on me and I was prepared.

His frontal assault was intense, but I clung to God and fought with the knowledge that God was on my side. My enemy did not relent, as wave after wave descended on my position. I held to what was right and pushed the enemy back. I was battered but still standing.

I found other warriors who were fighting the same battle and who were still standing; we rallied together, for we shared a mutual enemy and now we were not alone.

Our enemy is a master of war, and he knew how fluid the tides of battle could be. He wounded one of the warriors and knocked him down. But the warrior did not give up, no, he called out, and those that were nearby rallied around him. We formed a shield-wall around him; we put ourselves between him and the enemy.

The enemy began to probe the wall, carefully, patiently, looking for the small hole or advantage. That's when he started to taunt us. He slung our pasts at us first to try and weaken our resolve. Then he tried making bargains and promises to lure us away. After that, he tried to seduce us with false pleasures.

I called out to my brothers for prayer as I lifted them up with prayers of my own. As we prayed our enemy taunted louder and harder than before; so we raised our voices over his.

In his rage, our enemy beat on our shield-wall and hurled his demons on us, determined to break us and our wills to fight.

But we held on.

We stood our ground, and the enemy retreated for a time; we knew he would return. He would not let us stand in victory; to gain strength and confidence.

He would sneak up on us when we least expected him, and we would no doubt many wounds in the process.

We would see men go by us in a daze, demons clinging to their backs like leeches and sucking the life out of them. We called out to them; some didn't hear us, others didn't care.

There were yet others who heard us and joined us, and our Mighty King healed them. Others gave themselves over to the enemy entirely and without restraint. Our king wept for them, and we cried with him.

We knew the battle would go for the rest of our lives, but we knew the fight was worth it. I knew what was at stake.

I put on my armor, sharpened my sword, and went to War.