God of Righteous War

I’m not a fan of the Spartans. They were merciless, racist, pagans who also destroyed my namesake city with a stinking wooden horse. However, I have to give them credit for the warriors they produced.

Almost 500 years before Christ, a Spartan army of only 300 men held off a million or so armed and angry Persians at a place called Thermopylae. They were led by the legendary King Leonidas. I do love Leonidas!  Leonidas wasn’t just a king sitting on a golden throne ordering troops to go fight for him. He was a warrior king.

He fought out front of his men and invited them to fight with him. Oh, how I love the idea of a warrior king! Although Alexander the Great has some very real faults, he too, was a warrior king. In one of his final battles, he ran so far ahead of his men, he engaged an entire army by himself. His men were scrambling to keep up!

With an arrow in his lung and a sword in his fist, Alexander the Great fought until his men subdued the enemy. That’s why I love Jesus. You see, real Christians don’t just serve a king. They serve a passionate, fearless warrior king.

The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name. – Exodus 15:3

While we will never be out in front of our God as He fights for us, we can and should fight for His glory. After all, He is unlike any warrior king before Him. He is full of mercy, compassionate, approachable and the servant of all. Yes, true leaders are servants, and we as the body of Christ need to embrace this fact!

Show me those Christians who are not just talking about the love of God but actually demonstrating it through hard work serving the poor and needy. I want to battle with those who are living proof that God never consults your history before giving you a future. Is that you? Are you a bad motor scooter for Jesus? If you are, let’s battle together as we follow our fearless Warrior King!