Ours is not to reason why

A certain quote has been on my mind recently. As I have been going throughout my days, there seems to be an increase in the bait and temptation of the enemy to give into self-pity, the desire for down-time, and to just stop, put down my spiritual sword, and quit for a while. I mean, everyone needs a break, don’t they? I have found the thought, Jesus, what You have called me to is just plain hard…present itself to me numerous times. That’s when this quote has been in my arsenal:

“Ours is not to reason why. Ours is but to do and die.”

I first heard this quote in the amazing devotional book, Streams in the Desert. So, whenever those thoughts and temptations to just set down my sword, stop fighting, or to give into the self-pity of a hard battle come, this quote is what I proclaim.

As soldiers of the cross, we do not have the luxury of sitting around, whining about how hard the battle is. We are in a battle! It’s going to be hard. It’s going to be grueling. It’s going to be difficult. But that’s also where I have found great joy!  When I realize the utter and complete impossibility of the task that He has assigned me and how utterly, completely, laughably weak I am, it causes me to lean all the more upon the strong, right arm of my Beloved. I cannot even lift up my sword to slay the enemy in my own strength. However, He has already defeated the enemy! I go out to battle against a defeated foe—I just stand upon His Word and His promise. I go out with His strength and His victory!

“Strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness.” Colossians 1: 11

This is why we are to be constantly engaged in the battle—we have His very strength to do so. A very real spiritual battle is being fought for the souls of those around us. We cannot afford to set down our swords, for when our swords are lowered is when the enemy will attack. We must rise up, as true soldiers endued with the almighty grace of God, and FIGHT!

We do not get “down-time” as many people would call it. A soldier who is the in midst of a battle can’t just sit down for a while in order to take a break. He must continue to fight. We do not let our minds go numb in front of a television or whatever else may be posed to distract us. We are constantly engaged. Dear friends, this is only by His grace!

A friend of mine said this in an email recently, “Let us stand firmly in the gap, as the Church of Jesus Christ, ready to battle against the forces of the Enemy, and volunteer for the front lines, without looking back.”

I loved how she said that we are to volunteer for the front lines. We, as Christians, are to be the first ones to risk our lives and stand to fight against the forces of the enemy! On our watch, the enemy will gain no ground!

Fellow Christians, ours is not to reason why God has called us to what He has or where He has. Our duty and focus is to simply charge into the front lines of battle and spill and spend our lives for that which is valuable in His sight!