"Heroes"

You couldn’t stop ‘em if you tried,

And those who claimed they did just lied,

I’m speaking of some men who died,

Because of witness bold.

Feared neither man nor demon beast,

Cared most about the lost and least,

Their sacrifice God’s cause increased,

They got the Good News told.

And not through man-made programs planned,

But by the Spirit’s fire they fanned,

The pow’r to fulfill God’s command,

Whatever pain it cost.

These heroes of the faith you see,

Inspiring us to always be,

Those who follow God’s decree,

To seek and save the lost.

Live with all our armor on,

Spirit’s sword to keep us strong,

Praying in the Spirit long,

Contested ground we claim.

Led by Jesus all the way,

Dying to ourselves each day,

And every dragon we will slay,

To glorify His name.

“Finally be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.” (Ephesians 6:10-11, NAS)

Those early heroes of the Christian faith were transformed into bold witnesses who were willing to give all they had for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They were, quite literally, unstoppable despite persecution, loss and even the threat of death. What they accomplished was made possible by the power of God’s Holy Spirit. They understood that the battles they were fighting were supernatural and it was only through being fully clothed in spiritual armor that they could prevail. The armor they wore was their true spiritual identity in Christ using faith as a shield and God’s word as a weapon. The same is true for us.

Lord, help us stand strong in the Spirit, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Shawn Cameron, used by permission. Thanks, Shawn, and God bless you.