Sometimes the fight is overwhelming. And I can tell you from personal experience that sometimes the battle gets so brutal and drags on so long, that it is possible to lose all sense of it - to begin to forget why you are fighting and what the war is for. It is then that you must stand the strongest, though every ounce of you is screaming, "Stop!"
The soldiers stationed in tranquil Hawaii frantically scramble to action once the attack begins in Touchstone Pictures' Pearl Harbor - 2001 Photo © Copyright Touchstone Pictures

It is good when the battle lines are clear, the goals are precise and the troops are strong and ready to march. But most of this happens before one shot is fired or one sword of battle is drawn. God gives you a plan. You know your enemy. You prepare with the Word, prayer, support from fellow warriors, companions and those who send and supply you.

But the test is always on the front line. There, all romance about the glory of war disappears. There is real pain and real suffering and there are real casualties.

Did you happen to see the recent movie Pearl Harbor? The first part portrayed the carefree confidence of young soldiers and nurses who had not yet tasted war.

Let me be honest. Many "ministries" and churches are like that. They are safe. They are supported well, pleasing to others and full of busy activities. And all this is fine. But it isn't war.

I read about a ministry recently whose mission is leading people to Jesus through weight lifting feats. And that's great. Like Paul, I say, "As long as Christ is preached." But hearing that the ministry head filed a $500,000 tax return last year (minus perks) kind of made me sick. That's a lot of "ministry money" for doing something you like, something you're good at anyway.

But it isn't war. It's playing on the Hawaiian islands while our brethren around the world are being slaughtered - literally.

Pearl Harbor part two: The war comes to us. And the movie was relentlessly brutal in showing what it was like - it was gory, ugly, horrific, devastating. And we were not prepared.

Well, back to my point.

Real spiritual war is hell. And no, not everyone is called to the front lines. But much of what I see isn't even IN the real war. It's G.I. Joe play-war. While mega-ministries awash in cash and good feelings play, hundreds of thousands of real men and women of God are fighting to hang on to what they have. They are working with the hardest - the worst kind of people in our eyes: Gangs. Gays. Drug addicts. Domestic violence victims. Sexually abused children. Occultists. The demon possessed. Punkers, prostitutes, prisoners. The ones many would rather not acknowledge or welcome, much less minister to.

To these warriors, and every Christian who understands the real battle we are in, I want to write this to encourage you in the fight.

Please don't think it a shallow analogy between Pearl Harbor and the Christian fight. The Christian battle is in fact more real and significant than any human war because the stakes are eternal.

I can never remember a time when I have seen genuine believers who are committed to Jesus and His Kingdom so embattled. Once clear callings and purposes have been overwhelmed by crises, illness, attacks, failures, family struggles - as well as indefinable attacks - strange confusion, spiritual lethargy, doubts and fears, uncertainty in direction and purpose and calling. Some, who have never had an unkind word said about them, have awakened to find their character, their motives and their very calling on trial by believers who unexplainably turned adversarial in an almost demonic way to assassinate their very spiritual character.

"Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you..." (1 Peter 4:12)

If you are walking through these things, Peter says rejoice! And though it seems strange, it is not. You are no longer back home singing about the glories of war. You are in it, and you realize it is not a game. You now understand satan is very real, and he hates you passionately. He is throwing everything at you to kill you and take you out - lies, gossip, doubt, failure, temptation - everything.

In this moment you must not falter, even though you are not even sure why you are at war anymore. This isn't uncommon even in human battles: When a soldier fights, he is not usually thinking, "I'm doing this for my country." He is thinking, "Kill or be killed." A soldier's instinct is survival first. The purpose for the fight is not usually upfront when the bullets are flying.

When you have been set to defend a territory - when you have been commissioned to a ministry, a mission or a call - when you have determined to stand and be 100% committed to Jesus no matter what the cost - you will enrage the enemy, and he will contest your every move, even your most insignificant move.

But, you say, I'm not a warrior! I'm not running a "big ministry"! I'm just a Christian trying to hang on! Why is he attacking ME so hard???

Beloved, hear me - every and any believer who stands uncompromisingly determined to live for Jesus IS a warrior. Right now believers are falling in multitudes to sin, compromise and even surrender. That makes every believer who refuses to quit a bigger, clearer target. We are in an hour where every believer must understand their vital place, take that place, keep that place, DEFEND that place!

The devil doesn't care how pretty or how ugly or how good or how desolate your spiritual square inch of land is. He just wants you to move, that's all! Because it used to be HIS turf! HIS land! But when you surrendered your life to Jesus, you became GOD'S property and became a hated enemy of satan, who is determined to do everything he can to seize you back, or failing to, render you USELESS!

So now here you stand: You are weary beyond words. Once certain goals are now unclear. Once clear vision is now cloudy, as the sheer sweat of battle blinds and stings and blurs your eyes. You are tired of fighting; you are tired of LOSING. You are tired of not knowing even WHY you are fighting anymore.

There is a small passage in the Old Testament that is a perfect picture of this very place to me: "And after him was Shammah...the Philistines had gathered together into a troop where there was a piece of ground full of lentils. So the people fled...but he stationed himself in the middle of the field, defended it and killed the Philistines. So the Lord brought about a great victory." (2 Samuel 23:11-12)

Do you think the field of lentils was a big prize? No! It was a symbol of the center of the battle. We are not told why the enemy gathered in it nor why Shammah fought for it; but it's safe to assume, in Shammah's heart, he thought, "This is GOD'S land, not the Philistines'! And I'm going to wipe the enemy off of it!" And so he did. God always loves impossible odds, impossible battles waged against insurmountable enemies through unlikely heroes and unremarkable warriors! Shammah was one. His name has dual meanings: Ruin, or astonishment; desolate, or wonderful thing. The field of lentils was where he would be proven to be one or the other. And he became an astonishing warrior who did a wonderful thing: he beat the enemy through the mighty power of God! All became he simply took the center of the battle, stood, fought and refused to surrender. "...And having done all, to stand." (Ephesians 6:13b)

Your territory - your battleground - your ministry, your calling, your life - may seem as insignificant to you as a field of beans. But not to God! To Him it is the very holy ground where warriors are made, saints are proven and the devil can once again beaten senselessly into the dust by the children of God. You don't have to know the whys of the attack, nor have complete clarity and vision. Just know that HE set you where you are at this very moment, at this very place. Remember that if your place and your life were not of infinite value and crucial importance to the God of heaven and His plan, there would be no battle raging - the mere ferocity of the fight says that this place you are defending is so important that satan cannot let you win! That is why you MUST hold the ground. Hold it and destroy the enemy that has sought to take God's ground - because it is GOD'S GROUND! Take courage, the victory is ASSURED - if only you stand!