“The Lord is a warrior; The Lord is His name.” – Exodus 15:3

The people of Israel are trapped against the Red Sea with nowhere to go, and the Egyptian army is moving in. God divides the waters and the people of Israel pass through on dry ground. The army of Egypt rushes in after them only to drown when God causes the waters to come back together. As the people of Israel are celebrating the victory that God gave them, they sing together, “The Lord is a warrior; the Lord is His name.”

When we read the Old Testament, we see this same story play out over and over again. The Israelites are powerless in the face of imminent danger, and God comes through. God makes the walls of Jericho crumble and delivers the city into the hands of the Israelites. He uses Gideon and an army of 300 to defeat the entire army of Midian. He brings fire down from the sky and consumes Elijah’s sacrifice on Mt. Carmel in front of 800 prophets of Baal and Asherah, proving that He is the one, true God. He blinds the entire army of Aram as they rush into Dothan to capture Elisha, forcing them to leave the city. The Lord is a warrior!

We see this attribute of God most clearly when we look at Jesus. Isaiah 42:13 prophesies about the death of Jesus when it says, “He will march out like a mighty man, like a warrior he will stir up his zeal; with a shout he will raise the battle cry and will triumph over his enemies.” You see, when Jesus died on the cross for our sins, He did not hang His head and cry quietly. Scripture tells us that He stirred up His zeal like a warrior does for battle. That He raised a battle cry as He went to His death. And that as He died, He triumphed over His enemies. That is the picture of Jesus: He is a warrior.

I have had the amazing privilege of serving in a ministry that engages 300-400 children each week during the summer. God has been doing incredible things, and I am blown away by how many kids have placed faith in Him! I am continually realizing that He is after the hearts of His people. God pursues us and fights for us that we may know Him, and He continues to fight for our hearts in our everyday lives.

I have been learning that we must see God as He truly is… Powerful, untamed, mighty to save. A warrior in our midst (Zeph. 3:17). If we do not, then we trade the very character of God for something safe. Something that we can control. Our view of God will affect how we live our lives in a profound way. If we see Him as a warrior, then we, as His image-bearers must live with that same zeal. The Lord is a warrior!