Women; You Were Made For The Battlefield. Rise From Complacency and Fight.

It was inside the laurel bushes, the magic happened.

Little boys held what my daddy made, using his skill saw. Wood weapons like swords, riffles, and handguns, used for the battle played by the imaginations of us neighbor kids.

It was a day of G.I. Joe, and camouflage. A day where Vietnam had ended, and we wore helmets earth colored, us pretending to defeat the enemy.

With a brother, four boy cousins, six more boys living on both sides of me..

It was no wonder they tried to initiate me into being “a nurse”, or some other “girly” person, in our imaginary game of war and boundaries, shooting, and holding prisoners.

I may have been feminine, long blonde hair rolling down to my buttocks, but my heart was less about putting real band-aide on those playing like they were injured…

And more about getting into the battle, holding a weapon and bravely charging the enemy, just like the rest of them.

My heart longed, even at the young age of nine, to race right to the front lines and slay the enemy.

Still, the boys around me carefully instruct that I, the youngest of everyone in the neighbor, straggle back and play, “innocent” or “captured damsel” needing to sit tight while others fight…

But, there was a light in me (even then) that longed to lead, a warrior spirit that says, even the youngest, a girl, or the weak, can win a battle if they use wisdom, discernment, careful strategies, targeting the enemy and charging head-on, unapologentically.

My guess is, that warrior-spirit is somewhere in you, too?

Today, I am a grown mom. I cut my long hair and stay home taking care of my children and husband.

But, that fire of war inside me hasn’t left. I was created to do battle, made to get my weapon’s of war, and slay the darkness, lying brazenly in my path.

The warrior-spirit is somewhere in you too, friend! You were made for battle!

Still, it can be a tricky thing as women.

Either we can mask our God-given gifts and stay back, silent, and cowardly in the shadow of man, or we live over-bearing, charging forward, disregarding, disrespecting, and completely oblivious to the fact that men are our shield, our fortress, a covering.

Her name was Deborah. She lived in a day where women had little say, little voice, couldn’t parade their opinions, or even write their words where others were able to see.

Still, Deborah knew she was made to slay the enemy, go into battle, proclaim the name of the Great One, taking dark land, and planting the Name of Jehovah.

Yet, so many of us shrink. We let time hypnotize us, or other people’s pain, cripple us from action.

Yet, Deborah wasn’t some lone soldier, facing the battle-field alone. Barak believed in her and stayed by her side until the war was won.

And you might think, Deborah in the Bible was a nobody, or some men-hating woman who tried to be like Jezebel, overpowering every body.

But, the Bible says Deborah was in charge in Israel, a judge, a prophetess.

Fact is, she was just like many of us, with a husband, loving God and with a passion warring inside her, to live uncompromised, fighting injustice.

That day, God led Sisera and all of Jabin’s army into Deborah’s hands.

And I wonder if she would have sat back? Made excuses like, “I can’t, I am just a woman?” What if she decided to just sit under the Palm of Deborah, making excuses, talking and judging the people…

Discussing battles, but never getting in the game?

Yet, as women of today, can’t we took, make a thousand excuses?

Doesn’t the enemy fill our minds with lies like, “Don’t be too determined, too forceful?”, or, “Just sit back in submission. After all, your just a women.”

We somehow have been conditioned to think meek means meaningless, humble means silent, submissive means blind, and deaf, and dumb to our gifts, incompetent in making a difference. When God calls His women to rise.

He gave us life to live and die for the sake of the gospel, being bold and courageous like Mary Slessor, Amy Charmichael, Joan of Arc, and Mother Theresa.

He has asked us to go into the battlefield to not be some pampered princess, but to take the weapons of our warfare, prayer, fasting, fearless faith, humility, and courageous determination and trust in a living God.

He called us outside the city gates, to take back the land from what once was dark and lost.

He called us to do more than simply mend the hurting, but bring the dead to life.

My older brother finally convinced the neighborhood boys to let me off of “nurse duty” and to finally give me one of those wooden guns.

He knew, as the youngest, I refused to be silent or be the one holding the band-aides for fake wounds when a war of my neighbors was going on.

And today, I still fight the same temptation.

Will I sit quiet in submission to the forces of opposition, or will I grab my weapons; prayer, fasting, and most important, my faith in Jesus. Are we ready to go into the battle field like a modern day Deborah, taking land from the enemy?

Maybe you too today, have been lulled into believing, “It’s too late”, or “You can’t because your too weak, too helpless, or just a woman.”

Well friends, this cultural deception is a lie. He has planned you from the beginning of time and breathed the same life of the Spirit He once gave to Deborah.

You were made for this time, whatever battle it is you are facing in life.

Set on the steps of conviction like Esther, positioned to fast and bring conviction to those who slay God’s people.  You were born for this life…for just a time as this.

Won’t you get off the side-lines, grab your sword, stop making excuses….and fight with conviction for truths, and justice, and the God of the Universe…

He made you more than some silent commodity. He created you as a powerful, valiant, capable woman….A women like Deborah, made for the battlefield.