When we hear the term American fighting man, many images come to mind. If I sat down with 100 men and asked them to describe that image by using a person they know, actor or character from a book, movie, etc..and we meshed them all together, no doubt we would end up with a shirtless, gruff voiced, indestructible gladiator type universal soldier clad in armor – both of the muscular and man-made persuasion, bandoliers, rifles & machine guns strapped across his back, an assortment of knives strategically placed for easy deployment, chewing on a cigar, and sporting a quiet, lone wolf countenance as well as the scars and battle wounds from far too many enemy encounters. Wow! What an image. At some time in our lives, I think it is safe to say, we have all aspired and/or pretended to be that guy. I know I did..and have.
But I am here to present the true American fighting man. He stands head and shoulders above the image we created earlier and with abilities, strength, and talents that far exceed anything we or Hollywood could ever dream up. Want to see him? This is going to blow your mind.
Ready?….Drum roll please…louder….build up…louder…….crowd goes crazy… flash/explosion…big screen lights up… and…Insert picture of YOU here.
I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking, “Come on, Searcy. Be serious. I’m an ordinary guy. Yeah, I’m a man’s man. I play sports….like to tackle the woods now and then. I do my fair share of guy stuff…to include a fight or two back in the day. (Maybe even yesterday for some of us) But I’m no warrior. I’m no ‘fighting man’ in the sense you’re talking about. When I look in the mirror, I don’t see Rambo, John Wayne, or even Private Ryan for that matter. I see… me. Tough guy? Yeah, you betcha. Or at least I like to think so. But, a warrior? Nah.”
Time to change how you view the man in the mirror. Think I’m kidding? I couldn’t be more serious. If we don’t see ourselves as the fighting men we have been called to be, Satan, his henchmen, and the world will wreak havoc in the lives of our families and communities…those very lives we have been entrusted to lead, protect and serve. And that includes you single guys. In fact, you may even have a tougher job. But that’s the subject of another discussion.
We are at war, gentlemen. We are at war against the world and, as God’s Word tells us in Ephesians, at war against the “devil’s schemes…against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of the dark world and against the spiritual forces in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:11b-12 NIV). I don’t know about you, but I have yet to see a bullet that can take out an “evil spirit in the heavenly realms”. In fact, I have no doubt that in my own strength I lose that fight, mano e mano, against a ‘power of the dark world’. These battles rage constantly. And whether we choose to accept it or not, we are smack in the middle of it…taking bullet after bullet and punch after punch. We have a choice. Either we take a place on the wall and stand and fight…or we stick our head in the sand and hope the battle passes. Far be it for me to provide a reality check but if you stick your head in the sand during a fire fight, you get shot in the south end of your north bound direction. In all seriousness, you have to ask yourself a question: Are you relying on your own strength or on a source of strength that never tires or fades? If I might make a tactical suggestion: check your heart.
Hey, you… American fighting man. Isn’t it cool that God looks at the heart of a man, and not his outer appearance (1Sam 16:7)…and certainly not his strength or ability. God works through those who are willing and available. I’ve always heard, “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight but the size of the fight in the dog.” Remember Gideon, (aka “Mighty Warrior” – a moniker that, by the way, was given by God himself), the least of the least tribe of Israel who took 300 men and wiped out a few hundred thousand Midianites…with trumpets (Judges 6-7)? Gideon’s strength was not in his physique but in his faithfulness and in his heart. Just as in Gideon, and in that dog in the fight, the fight inside a servant warrior is a heart filled with Jesus Christ: The Name above all names; the Savior of the World; the Lion of Judah; ‘the Rider, called Faithful and True, riding a white horse and dressed in a white robe dipped in blood, His name is the Word of God, with the armies of heaven following Him’ (Rev 19). Now that is truly the Ultimate Warrior. Question: If I could offer you a way to guarantee victory in the inevitable battle of life and death, would you take it? Well, I can. Ask Jesus Christ into your heart and receive the gift of eternal life (John 3:16).
As we are talking about warriors, this Veterans Day please remember and pray for all of the warriors, past and present, and their families, who have served and continue to serve their country in the greatest military in the history of the world. We owe them all a debt of humble gratitude and the utmost respect. Make sure to take time out to thank those who stand and have stood to defend freedom’s wall, for us. May God bless them. Keep it real.
Published in Power Source Magazine, November 2010 (www.powersourcemagazine.com)
Jeff Searcy 