I don't know why it seems to catch me by surprise when I find myself typing, saying, or thinking the word "battle" lately. Especially knowing that one BIG quote God placed in my life earlier this year, "Be brave, you were made for this". I suppose I tend to think of battle as being something that involves blood, weapons, fatalities, men, and destruction. I even tend to think of a battle as being more like something seen in "Braveheart" rather than war movies. A more "intimate" confrontation, if you will, that is handled face-to-face rather than from a distance with the aide of firearms and other machinery defenses.

Why am I stuck on this word lately? It is because I recently have come to terms and admitted that I am at battle. In the battle I am in there are no fatalities or bloodshed. However, there is brokenness and injury that is not seen by the naked eye...only the All Seeing Eye. There aren't any visible weapons or destruction either...they are also unseen by the naked eye. The All Seeing Eye sees differently though.

Who am I at battle against? satan and his many principalities. It's not that satan has never shown his face in my life before, trust me, he's had his fair share of "fun" in my life just as he has in yours. Over the past year, however, he has done to this battle what Emeril likes to do to his recipes..."Kick it up a notch!" I've been in full force battle, but looking back I believe I've been living in denial of this. Or is it that I knew the battle had become more intense so I decided to kick it up a notch with my own will and determination?

Over the past week God has finally convinced me to allow Him to be the General of this battle rather than myself. To release all of my...well, there really isn't anything to release other than God's Power! I thought I was the general of this battle...MY battle. However, I lack knowledge and understanding on how to use the weapons God has equipped me with. I did not understand the language of the orders given to me to win this battle...or perhaps I chose not to read them just as I tend to skip reading "how to put this together" directions to the latest and greatest toys my kids get at Christmas.

This morning as I pulled out a winter jacket to wear to church (yes, winter weather has finally arrived), I put my hands into my pockets. Isn't that always fun to do at the beginning of each winter? You just never know what you will find! I found notes from Wednesday night church, January 30, 2008. The title of this teaching, "Courage to Face Your Giants: Portraits of Courage".  I knew I needed to take time later to review these notes, and so I did. It wasn't until I saw the very last note on this page which I had written down ten months ago that I realized God made sure that I preserved this paper for this day. What was that final note that struck me so significantly?

"The battle belongs to the Lord."