Way of The Warrior- A Daily Devotional

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross. – Philippians 2:5-8 BSB

Warrior;
We are called to be like Jesus. This is what is meant in John 6:14, Jesus says, ““I am the way and the truth and the life”. Jesus was sent as our Redeemer, our Savior, Our High Priest, our Daysman, our Defense Attorney, and He is also our example- Jesus is our role model. To quote the Black Exposition on this verse, “Jesus is saying, ‘Watch me. What you see me doing, you do’! Because we model Jesus, He gives us permission to live differently in this world. Because of that, the second half of John 6:14 says, “No one comes to the Father except through me”. It makes sense this way, “The only way to God the Father is through the Heart, Mind and Acts of His Son, our Savior- Jesus the Christ. It was LOVE that kept Jesus on the cross. What Jesus did for LOVE, was HE SURRENDERED HIS WILL to the Father’s Will. Hear the Word of the Lord, “The reason the Father loves Me is that I lay down My life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of My own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from My Father.” (John 10:17-18)

Leader, Jesus gives us clear instructions that we are to FOLLOW, His lead. We are called to be about The Fathers business and NOT our own business. We are called to SURRENDER to His Will, to His Word, to His Truth, to HIS WAY. It is written; Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 16:24-25) Many people have ‘HAPPY’ as their outcome in life. Cries of, ‘Don’t tell me what to do with my body’, ‘If you don’t make me happy, I will find someone that does’, ‘my life- my choice’. Those statements and belief systems are inerrant if you are a CHILD OF GOD. Those feelings, those beliefs, those statements are only true if you have a FOS (Flesh Operating System). If you have a GOS (God Operating System) then those are words and feelings that are offensive to Jesus! Hear the Word of the Lord, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” As children of God, we are called to do the Fathers will, not ours. It is written: “He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee and began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. Then He said to them, “My soul is consumed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with Me.” (Matthew 26:37-38) And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. (Luke 22:41-44) Jesus did NOT want to die a painful death on the cross- BUT GOD- however, Jesus DID want to HONOR The FATHER, and DO HIS WILL- not His own!

Conduit, if you are a CHILD OF GOD, then you are called to be OPEN to SURRENDER, you are called to DENY YOURSELF and you are called to TAKE UP YOUR CROSS and FOLLOW HIM. It won’t FEEL GREAT all the time. It won’t be NORMAL, and it won’t be POPULAR! Remember how Jesus was treated when He did this: He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. (Isaiah 53:3) The TIME IS NOW to SURRENDER. Jesus calls us to: Surrender our Burdens, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28) Surrender our Aspirations, “Then he said to them all, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will save it.” (Luke 9:23-24) Surrender our Priorities, “The one who loves a father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; the one who loves a son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” (Matthew 10:37) Surrender our Body, “Don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought at a price. So glorify God with your body.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) Surrender our Reputation, “But everything that was a gain to me, I have considered to be a loss because of Christ. More than that, I also consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of him I have suffered the loss of all things and consider them as dung, so that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own from the law, but one that is through faith in Christ—the righteousness from God based on faith.” (Philippians 3:7–9) Only when we SURRENDER to our CREATOR, our REASON WHY- can we truly realize WHO WE ARE and surrendered our IDENTITY, “I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20) Surrendering to WHOSE we are, will then allow us to LIVE OUT Matthew 6:34; “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Surrender your fear, doubt, will and way– and REMEMBER, DO NOT FEAR! We must GIVE UP, to GET UP! Let go of what you are holding onto, so you can take HOLD OF what God has for you!