Issuu

John Greco

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Attention!

BOYS OF THE LORD’S ARMY, HERE ARE YOUR DAILY BRIEFINGS!

There’s a battle going on between good and evil. You have an important part to play in the fight. This exciting book will show you how.

Here are sixty devotions that highlight great warriors of the Bible:

➣ Actual ﬁghters like David, Gideon, Joshua, Samson, and Elijah

➣ “Spiritual warriors” such as the apostle Paul, with his “whole armor of God” (Ephesians 6:11); Timothy, a “good soldier of Jesus Christ” (2 Timothy 2:3); and every Christian man, who is called to “resist the devil” (James 4:7)

➣ The ultimate warrior, Jesus Christ Himself, who rides a white horse and leads the armies of heaven in the end times

Each entry is packed with interesting information and life-changing inspiration. You’ll find out why Bible men fought so well for God. . .and how you can too.

You want to become a strong, courageous Christian man, right? This book will point you in the right direction. Read on for your daily briefings, warrior!

Abraham

MOVING IN FAITH

[Abraham] believed in the LORD, and He counted it to him for righteousness.

GENESIS 15:6

Every great warrior for God needs faith. What is faith? It’s simply believing without seeing. Faith is trusting in something or someone even when you don’t know all the details or can’t see the outcome. God calls you to have faith in Him even though you can’t see Him (Hebrews 11:6). He wants you to trust in Him even when you don’t understand all His good purposes.

Abraham is one of the Bible’s greatest examples of faith. As a young man, he didn’t even know God. He grew up in the wicked city of Ur, where people worshipped many false gods. Then the one true God called to Abraham, telling him to leave everything—and everyone—he knew and travel to the faraway land of Canaan. There, God promised, Abraham would build a family. His descendants would eventually become the great nation of Israel.

When God made this promise, Abraham was seventy-five years old. His wife, Sarah, was sixty-five! Both were well past the childbearing years. Yet Abraham believed God and left for Canaan. That’s great faith!

When Abraham reached Canaan, life didn’t magically become easy. He had to make hard choices, fight battles, and save relatives from death. He also had to wait twenty-five long years for God’s promise of a son to come true. Sometimes Abraham tried to take matters into his own hands instead of trusting

God. But God patiently reminded Abraham of His promises and helped him grow.

God wants to do the same for you. He knows your faith isn’t perfect, but He’s willing to walk alongside you every step of the way. He just wants you to trust Him.

So here’s the big question: Will you trust the Lord?

THINK ABOUT IT:

How can you show faith in God today?

The Roman Centurion

A WARRIOR WHO UNDERSTOOD JESUS’ LIMITLESS AUTHORITY

“For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this man, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

MATTHEW 8:9

Jesus spent most of His earthly life in Israel. He made no secret that He had been sent mainly to preach the good news of salvation to the Jewish people (Matthew 15:24). Yet He paid a great compliment to a Roman military commander He met in the village of Capernaum.

This commander was a centurion—an officer in charge of

up to a hundred other soldiers. He was stationed in the area and came to find Jesus because his servant was badly hurt. This servant was lying at home, unable to walk (Matthew 8:6). The commander’s faith to seek out Jesus was remarkable enough. But when Jesus said He would go to the man’s house and heal his servant, the centurion’s faith really showed. He told Jesus, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak the word, and my servant shall be healed” (Matthew 8:8).

Wow! This Roman soldier had enough faith for a longdistance healing! He knew Jesus had authority over everything, including sickness, pain, and injury. He believed Jesus could simply say the word, and his servant would be all better. Jesus was so amazed by the man’s faith that He announced, “Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith, no, not in Israel” (Matthew 8:10).

A good warrior understands that the greatest Warrior is Jesus. He is the final authority over everyone else. Nothing is beyond Jesus’ reach, so the best thing a warrior can do is seek Him.

THINK ABOUT IT:

Have you recognized Jesus’ authority over your life?

Gideon

THE WARRIOR WHO DIDN’T KNOW WHO HE WAS

The angel of the LORD appeared to him and said to him, “The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valor.”

JUDGES 6:12

The first thing a warrior for God must do is recognize that he is one. The Lord’s call to be one of His warriors is always an invitation to kingdom adventure. Gideon received his call in a really interesting way.

When an angel appeared to Gideon and called him a “mighty man of valor,” Gideon was confused. He wasn’t a warrior or a hero of any kind. In fact, he was a coward. At that very moment, he was threshing wheat to provide food for his family—all well and good. But he was doing that down in a winepress, below ground, instead of where he would be seen. He didn’t want the enemy Midianites to know what he was doing! Gideon was anything but a mighty man of valor. As far as he was concerned, this angel had the wrong guy.

Even though Gideon didn’t know who he was, God did. The Lord saw Gideon not as a coward hiding in a winepress or even as the fragile follower who would eventually ask for two miraculous signs to strengthen his faith (see Judges 6:36–40). No, God saw Gideon’s full potential—as a warrior who would lead a small army into battle, overthrow the Midianites, and rescue his people.

By all earthly measures, Gideon was right. He wasn’t much of a warrior. He wasn’t particularly strong or brave or smart. He was just an average young Israelite trying to survive in a

dangerous world. But because God was with him, he really could be a mighty man of valor. He could do the impossible and rescue his people. When the time came, Gideon defeated the Midianites with only three hundred soldiers. And their “weapons” were just trumpets, pitchers, and lamps (Judges 7:19–23)!

When Jesus invites us into His kingdom, He also calls us to be warriors—to take a stand for what is right (Galatians 6:9), to defend those who can’t defend themselves (James 1:27), and to fight the spiritual battle raging all around us (2 Corinthians 10:3–5). Whether or not you know it, you too are a mighty man of valor. That’s how God sees you!

THINK ABOUT IT:

How do you see yourself in light of God’s calling on your life?

Esau

A SKILLED HUNTER WHO MISSED THE MARK

The boys grew, and Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the ﬁeld, and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents.

GENESIS 25:27

A warrior mindset and the skills to match mean nothing if a man doesn’t have his heart fixed on the things of God. Sadly,

this describes Esau all too well.

Esau was a man’s man. He loved the outdoors. He was an avid hunter more at home in the wilderness than in the tents of his family. Even his looks told people that he was a force to be reckoned with. His skin was red, and he was nearly as hairy as the animals he hunted (Genesis 25:25).

On the other hand, Esau’s twin brother, Jacob, liked to stay home. He was more comfortable in the tents than in the fields. While Esau was hairy, Jacob’s skin was smooth (Genesis 27:11). While Esau was a skilled hunter, Jacob was a skilled trickster. But Jacob had one thing Esau did not: a heart that would do anything—absolutely anything—to get ahead in the world.

Because he was the firstborn son, Esau should have been the one to get the family blessing—and what a blessing it was! God had promised great things to Esau’s grandfather Abraham and his father, Isaac. Yet Esau sold his birthright—his rightful position as the head of the family—to Jacob for a single bowl of stew. For this, the New Testament calls Esau “godless” (Hebrews 12:16 niv). Despite all his skill and might, Esau missed what mattered most.

These days, there’s a lot of pressure to be tough. We’re told that young men should be powerful and courageous, brave and strong. And all of that is wonderful, part of God’s good design for being a man. But those things mean nothing if a guy doesn’t seek after God above all else.

THINK ABOUT IT:

What do you think it means to seek after God?

Samson

THE WARRIOR WHO USED A JAWBONE AS A WEAPON

He found a new jawbone of a donkey and stretched out his hand and took it and slew a thousand men with it.

JUDGES 15:15

A warrior doesn’t wait until everything is just right. When it’s time to act, he jumps in and uses what the Lord has given him. This was certainly true of Samson, who was anything but an ordinary Bible hero. Samson wasn’t very godly, and yet God chose him to deliver Israel from the heavy hand of their enemies, the Philistines. Samson didn’t always obey God’s commands, and yet the Spirit of God came upon him to do the work God called him to do. Samson is certainly not a role model, but his life is a reminder that God can use anyone to accomplish His purposes.

Samson was a Nazirite—someone dedicated to the Lord for a special purpose (see Numbers 6:1–21). As a Nazirite, he didn’t cut his hair, and God made Samson’s long hair the key to his incredible strength. As long as Samson’s hair grew free, he could overpower his enemies (Judges 16:17). Naturally, the Philistines wanted Samson dead, so they brought an army to the town of Lehi, demanding that Samson be tied up and handed over. The people of Judah were scared of the Philistines, so three thousand men went to find Samson (Judges 15:9–12).

Samson allowed his countrymen to tie him up. But as they took him toward the Philistines, he miraculously broke loose from the cords (Judges 15:14). Then Samson found a donkey’s jawbone on the ground and used it to slaughter a thousand of the enemy (Judges 15:15)!

Samson wasn’t a great guy. He was selfish and sinful in many ways. But he understood that God had raised him up to fight the Philistines, so when an opportunity came, he took it. He used what was available to him—a jawbone of a donkey—and fought with the strength of the Lord. There will be times when you don’t feel prepared for the spiritual battle God has called you to. But He will give you everything you need to succeed. It may be courage. It may be wisdom. It may be physical strength. Whatever you require, know this: The Lord always equips the warriors He calls!

THINK ABOUT IT:

How has the Lord gifted you for the spiritual battles you face?

Peter

THE GRUFF FISHERMAN WHO LEFT EVERYTHING TO FOLLOW JESUS

When they had brought their ships to land, they abandoned all and followed Him.

LUKE 5:11

No matter how tough someone is, he still needs Jesus. Just ask Peter, a rough-around-the-edges fisherman who became an apostle of Christ.

In ancient times, fishing was an extremely difficult job, much as it is now. A fisherman would often have to be out on the water all night. If he were experienced enough to know where to find the fish, hauling them in took strong muscles. On top of that, a storm could come up at any time, tossing the boat like a toy and leaving the fisherman fighting to survive. This job was not for the faint of heart.

Peter was a veteran fisherman who knew the Sea of Galilee well. But not even he could always find fish. That was the case one morning when Jesus came strolling by on the shore. Peter had worked all night and was exhausted. He was out of his boat, cleaning his nets, ready to call it a day. That’s when Jesus asked to use Peter’s boat like a floating pulpit to preach to the crowds (Luke 5:3). Peter agreed, taking Jesus out a little distance from shore. After Jesus finished preaching, He told Peter to take the boat into the deeper water and put his nets down for a catch (Luke 5:4).

Peter, the professional fisherman, knew better. It was too late and too hot to catch fish! Plus, he had already done the hard work of cleaning his nets; he didn’t want to have to do that again. But because he respected Jesus, he obeyed. And the fish appeared! The catch was so big that Peter’s nets broke, and he had to call over his fishing partners with their boat to help bring it in (Luke 5:6–7). After that, Peter knew he needed Jesus . . .and he gave up his life of fishing to follow Him (Luke 5:8–11).

It’s a good thing to be strong and hardworking. But a warrior will never know just how tough he is until he gives his strength to Jesus.

THINK ABOUT IT:

Have you given your everything to Jesus?

Paul

AN APOSTLE READY FOR BATTLE

Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

EPHESIANS

6:11

The great battle of our time is not against armies or terrorists in some far-off land. In fact, it’s not a war against any group or nation on Earth. Our battle is against dark spiritual forces in the unseen realm. The apostle Paul understood this truth. In his younger days, Paul mostly went by the name Saul. That was his Jewish name, and he was one of the rising stars among his people (Philippians 3:5). Saul was a proud Pharisee who had studied under one of the Jews’ greatest teachers (Acts 22:3). He was fired up about the Old Testament law and the nation of Israel. Saul was quickly working his way up the social ladder in Jerusalem. If he would have maintained his course, he probably would have become one of the top religious leaders in the city.

In those days, Saul believed that it was sometimes okay to use violence against one’s enemies. That’s why he had no problem entering the homes of Jesus’ followers and dragging them to prison (Acts 8:3). He didn’t mind watching the coats of an angry mob as they stoned Stephen, a bold Christian, to death (Acts 7:58; 8:1). But then Jesus appeared to Saul on the road to Damascus, and he became a disciple of the Lord (Acts 9:1–19).

As a Christian, Saul realized how wrong he’d been when he hated Jesus and Jesus’ followers. Now known as Paul, he discovered that the real battle to be fought was “not against flesh and blood” (Ephesians 6:12) but against spiritual forces of evil. The armor needed for the battle is spiritual in nature—a belt of

truth, a breastplate of righteousness, sandals ready to share the gospel, and a shield of faith (Ephesians 6:14–16). Add to those elements “the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17), and a Christian is dressed and ready to take a stand against the devil. Though people may oppose the goodness of God, they are never the enemy. Our battle is against Satan and his demons. We fight them by living a life of faith and prayer, taking hold of the Bible’s truth, and relying on God’s Holy Spirit.

THINK ABOUT IT:

How can you put on the armor of God each day?

Caleb

A SPY WHO BELIEVED GOD’S PROMISES

Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “Let us go up at once and possess it, for we are well able to overcome it.”

NUMBERS 13:30

Sometimes the greatest battle a warrior fights is keeping the faith when everyone else has lost theirs. Caleb is a great example of this. Long before Caleb’s time, God had promised the land of Canaan to Abraham’s descendants (Genesis 15:18–21). Centuries

later, God rescued Abraham’s family from slavery in Egypt, and God repeated His promise to give these people a home to call their own (Exodus 23:31). Then God brought them to the wilderness that borders Canaan so they could spy out the land. Twelve spies were chosen, one from each tribe of Israel. They were told to check out the land and the people who lived there. When the spies returned, ten of them confirmed the land was beautiful and filled with good things, just as God had promised. “Surely it flows with milk and honey,” they said (Numbers 13:27). But they also reported that the people of Canaan were extra large and scary: “We were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight” (Numbers 13:33).

That’s when Caleb, one of the spies, spoke up. He didn’t disagree with the facts of the report. The land was indeed good, just as the Lord had said. And the people who occupied Canaan were big and strong. The Canaanites would be tough enemies. Still, Caleb told everyone that they should waste no time in defeating the Canaanites and taking the land God had promised them.

Why did Caleb have a different perspective? Because he trusted that God would give His people the land, just as He had promised—no matter what! Believing in God’s promises gives us strength and confidence to do what He tells us to do. When even one person stands firm on God’s Word, good things can happen!

THINK ABOUT IT:

How can you keep the faith in what God has promised in His Word?

David

A WARRIOR WHO CHASED AFTER GOD’S GOOD HEART

David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, “What shall be done to the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the shame from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?”

1 SAMUEL 17:26

A warrior fights for God, trusting that God will give him the victory, no matter how large the enemy. David did this as well as anyone in history.

David was the youngest son of a man named Jesse, so while several of his older brothers were in the army serving under King Saul, David was back at home in Bethlehem, tending to his father’s sheep (1 Samuel 17:14–15). It wasn’t glamorous work, but David was faithful with the job he had been given. One day, Jesse sent David to the battle front to deliver a care package of food to David’s brothers and their commander.

Even though David went as an errand boy and not a soldier, he carried within him the heart of a warrior. He was brave and loyal to God above all others. So when he heard that the Philistine giant Goliath had been taunting the Israelites, David volunteered to fight the brute (1 Samuel 17:32–37). David wasn’t particularly big or strong, and at this point in his life he wasn’t experienced in combat. Still, David faced the giant because he knew that God is bigger than any enemy on the battlefield. What made David so confident? During those long hours tending to his father’s sheep, he spent time with God. David got to know the Lord. He worshipped God. David learned to trust

the Lord when danger came calling (1 Samuel 17:34–36). He was developing his warrior heart while no one was looking. So when Goliath defied the Lord, David stood tall—and the giant didn’t stand a chance (1 Samuel 17:48–51).

We all face “giants” in life, whether it’s a big bully on the playground, a hard class at school, or a sickness that’s affecting someone we love. But those giants aren’t anything compared to God. And remember this: There’s no limit to how God might use you, as long as your heart belongs to Him!

THINK ABOUT IT:

Are you being faithful where God has placed you today?

Hezekiah

THE KING WHO BATTLED ON HIS KNEES

Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it, and Hezekiah went up into the house of the LORD and spread it before the LORD.

2 KINGS 19:14

For a warrior in God’s kingdom, there is no such thing as a lost cause. Through prayer, we have the ear of the King of all, and nothing is too hard for Him. Just ask Hezekiah.

It seemed like King Hezekiah and his nation of Judah were in a hopeless situation. The Assyrian Empire was the world’s great superpower at the time, and it was coming for Judah. No one was able to resist it. City after city and king after king fell before the Assyrian war machine. Now, with Assyria ready to invade Jerusalem, it seemed Judah would suffer the same fate.

Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, sent messengers ahead of him to taunt Hezekiah. One of the Assyrian messages to Judah read, “Do not let your God in whom you trust deceive you. . . . Have the gods of the nations delivered those whom my fathers have destroyed?” (2 Kings 19:10, 12). The Assyrians were trying to scare Hezekiah and break his faith. But Hezekiah was a true warrior.

He hurried into the temple of the living God, spread out the letter before the Lord, and prayed for help (2 Kings 19:14–19). Hezekiah understood that no army, no matter how mean and violent, could break through Jerusalem’s wall without God’s permission. So he gave God the threatening letter and asked Him for protection. And God answered. That night, the angel of the Lord struck down 185,000 Assyrian soldiers (2 Kings 19:35)! The Assyrian king ran back home in fear. Jerusalem was saved without a single arrow being shot.

For a kingdom warrior, prayer is not a weapon of last resort. It should be our first thought, to cry out to the King of kings. Prayer is our first and best defense against whatever we face, no matter how tough or frightening.

THINK ABOUT IT:

Where do you go when trouble comes calling?