As we continue our thoughts on war and how it impacts our mentality, today I want to focus on what we can learn from Biblical examples. Yesterday we considered some old and New Testament examples. Today I want to go back to the Old Testament where war was much more of the storyline to address a few key thoughts.

When I was growing up, my parents used to tell me that if I didn’t listen to my elders and learn from their advice, I was bound to learn the hard way — through experience. Unfortunately, most of us have a streak of rebellion in us and must learn the hard way. We are fortunate that we live under the umbrella of grace. However, not all of mankind can count on grace. Scripture says that mankind has “no excuse whatsoever for not knowing God.” (Romans 1:20) Why is this? We can read Scripture, see God’s handiwork and hear His voice. We are most blessed because we have the written Word.

Consider the kings of Judah following David’s reign until the time of captivity in Babylon, whose life expectancies were directly dependent on their mentality and how they approached application of God’s principles. Those who “did right in God’s eyes” reigned an average of 35 years while those who “did evil in God’s eyes” reigned an average of 11 years. The tool used in most cases? War!

The Spirit commissioned Hebrew writers to be the world’s historians. They, above all others, kept accounts of the wars and events impacting the relationship between the earthly and eternal Kingdoms. From them, we learn that war will go on and on and on. The last hundred years, up to and including today’s news headlines, illustrate that there will be no peace until Jesus returns.

However, you and I are directed to focus on the spiritual war rather than fret over the temporal wars continuing here on earth. Christ tells us not to worry about the physical, but to be concerned about life or death in the Kingdom we cannot see. Paul also instructs us to distance ourselves from the distractions of the temporal world and play by God’s rule of war to achieve eternal victory.

In yesterday’s three Biblical warrior examples, there were three mentalities revealed (in addition to the commitment to discipline and caring for comrades):

1. David was a realist. He understood his position and mortality, he accepted responsibility for his failures, but he never lost a spirit of repentance.
2. The Centurion demonstrated a great respect for position and authority. He knew power could be executed through multiple sources or individuals.
3. Cornelius feared. That fear became the source of a righteous and generous lifestyle commended by Divinity despite his worldly position.

The concepts we’ve discussed serve as a basis for how The God Family uses a warrior’s mentality to shape the way The Trinity is to be viewed. To transition from God’s family of mankind to a member of the Kingdom Family, thereby becoming a friend of God, an attitude of repentance must exist to walk God’s designated path for you. To walk that path, you must adopt a warrior’s attitude of fear which we have discussed multiple times in the recent past.

Love Dad