Women are called to be soldiers. We never know when we are going to be called up. Sometimes the battle descends on us without warning. Other times we march into the war zone for someone else–a husband, a friend or a child.
A woman’s theology can make all the difference in how well she fights the battles that are part of God’s plan for her. Sometimes theology is all we have in the war zone. When faith is stripped to the bone and all our props and crutches are gone, our knowledge of God–that He is good and still on His throne–is the only thing that keeps us going.
Our courage and determination in battle hang on our understanding of God’s character. Marching into battle with false and flimsy ideas of God is like going to war with a popgun tucked under your arm.
When fatigue hits and still the battle rages, it makes all the difference in the world to know that God’s plan is in place, even here. The thought that He has temporarily surrendered His sovereignty to someone else undermines our confidence, drains us of courage and weakens our hope.
None of us can afford a theology that cannot withstand the pressures of the war zone, that fits only within a world of comfort and pleasure. We are called to enter the war zone, to feel the heat of battle for ourselves and for one another, and to see God more clearly within the context of our struggles.
Carolyn Custis James is an author and international conference speaker.
