Spirit and Truth Ministries

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Make Me a Warrior, Lord!

 Don Hawley

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

President Bush has declared that we are at war, and he is right.  However, we as Christians must be careful not to focus merely on the physical aspects of that war.  The real battle, the climatic one for the ages, will be a spiritual one between the forces of darkness and the forces of light.  Spiritual Armageddon.

 
The supreme commander of the heavenly host is Jesus Christ.  Allthough he is the Prince of Peace, there will be little peace (except in the individual Christian heart) from now on until he establishes his eternal Kingdom.  That event, I believe, is much closer than most of us suspect.  I think God has had enough, and he will not let these last great scenes of conflict drag on very long.  Here is his latest command to his troops:
 
"Use every piece of God's armor to resist the enemy in the time of evil, so that after the battle you will still be standing firm.  Stand your ground, putting on the sturdy belt of truth and the body armor of God's righteousness.  For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News, so that you will be fully prepared.  In every battle you will need faith as your shield to stop the fiery arrows aimed at you by Satan.  Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the spirit, which is the Word of God.  Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit.  Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all Christians everywhere."  Eph. 6:13-18.
 
(For those of you who know the difference, it is of great interest that the word translated "sword" in this passage is "rhema" rather than "logos."  Communications are vital during battle.)
 
All through the years martial music has played an important role in preparing soldiers for battle.  During the Dark Ages, Luther stirred the hearts of God's troops with  the stirring "A Mighty Fortress is Our God."  We could use some martial music for the spiritual battle already underway.
 
Some time back I felt the need for such music, and I asked God to give me the lyrics for such a piece to share with other Christians.  I believe he inspired me to write the following:
 
  
 
MAKE ME A WARRIOR, LORD!
 
Don Hawley
Copyrighted 2000

 

Moses saw the Egyptian horde,
Knew the Red Sea had no ford,
Took his problem to the Lord,
Destroyed an army without sword.
Make me a warrior, Lord!
 
Joshua heard Jehovah's call,
Tho' Jericho had defenses tall,
Marched his troops around the wall,
Saw the mighty bastions fall.
Make me a warrior, Lord!
 
Philistines gathered; Israel ran,
Jonathan chose to play the man,
Decided on the boldest plan,
Slew a host within a span.
Make me a warrior, Lord!
 
David heard the enemy's jeer,
Turned away from King Saul's gear,
Faced Goliath without fear,
One pebble brought the victor's cheer.
Make me a warrior, Lord!
 
Elijah's God withheld the rain,
His prophet made the matter plain,
Baal's prophets cut themselves in vain,
Elijah had the whole lot slain.
Make me a warrior, Lord!
 

 

 
Jesus toiled up Calvary's road,
Felt the devil's sharpest goad,
Tho' crushed beneath sin's heavy load,
From his side salvation flowed.
 
He broke the cords of death's dark night,
Left from Mt. of Olive's height,
Claimed the throne that was his right,
Now to show his end time might.
Make me a warrior, Lord!
 
I'm not a musician, so I couldn't compose the proper music.  However, my son Craig is a musician, and God gave him the right tune for this martial song. 
 
I want to close with an appropriate portion of Scripture for our day.
 
"Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there.  And the one sitting on the horse was named Faithful and True.  For he judges fairly and then goes to war.  His eyes were bright like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns.  A name was written on him, and only he knew what it meant.  He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God.  The armies of heaven, dressed in pure white linen, followed him on white horses.  From his mouth came a sharp sword, and with it the struck down the nations.  He ruled them with an iron rod, and he trod the winepress of the fierce wrath of almighty God.  On his robe and thigh was written this title: King of kings and Lord of lords."  Rev. 1911-16.
 
donhawley1@attbi.com
www.spiritandtruth.com
 

Return to Spirit and Truth Ministries