The Battlefield

I have much respect for the Late Lady Margaret Thatcher. She was quite the one to deal with naysayers (and journalists for that matter!). I recently read a quote of hers – “you might have to fight a battle more than once to win it.” I’m not sure as to what political context it fitted into – crisis in Europe, or with the Trade Unions on her home turf or the Falkland Islands. Nonetheless the quote definitely has wider application to our daily lives.

While it would be great to nail an issue or win a battle in one go in life it often takes several if not numerous attempts before victory is won. Your mind may be your battlefield – fighting off thoughts of negativity or failure. Maybe it is the insidious nature of fear that seems to clutch at your heart at random and unsolicited times. Perhaps it is thwarting temptation. And let’s face it, the enemy is not one to give up so easily and seeks to ensnare and destroy us. But we have God on our side! God who is always with us and assures us of victory.

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)

“The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the LORD.” (Proverbs 21:31)

So to quote another admirable English Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, if you find yourself in the middle of a battle, growing weary, “Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never—in nothing, great or small, large or petty—never give in, except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.”   

The victory belongs to the Lord!