Blind

If I feel the leather-wrapped handle of a longsword in my hand;

If warm blood drips down my right arm;

If vultures circle above and the enemy rushes toward me;

Certainly, there is no doubt:

I stand on a battlefield!

But what if the enemy does not charge me with shields and spears?

What if cuts and bruises are not what bring me to my knees?

What if I hear neither the whistling of arrows nor the clashing of iron?

Would I still recognize that I stand on a battlefield, or would I be blind, unaware of the danger surrounding me?

No spears, no cuts, no iron…

This is the battle within us.

This is the spiritual war.

And these battles do not commence on hills and fields but in the silence of our hearts.

War cries are replaced by enticing whispers.

Convictions and determination are softened by gentle touches.

‘There is no battle’, voices persuade us.

Image bearers of Elohim, we are created to be.

But the passion He bestowed upon us has been twisted and turned against us.

And so we battle our flesh, denying ourselves – or at least that which is left of us.

But it is not merely the flesh that we oppose.

We stand against the powers of darkness.

We fight the spiritual forces of evil.

And alone, I am weak, stripped of all I am called to be.

So I cry to my Lord Yahweh from the depths of my lungs and see myself fitted with His armor.

No longer am I blind.

No longer do I stand defenseless, waiting to be a vulture's next meal.

I stand as the image of Elohim with Yahweh’s sword in my hand.

Author’s note: This poem is inspired by the words of Paul in his letter to the Ephesians (6:10-17):

‘Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.’

'Pull' - training in Austria