At the first sign of war a commander gathered his troops, giving them the choice of whether they would be first or last to go into battle. As the men looked on in astonishment, one came forward and asked to be one of the last to be dispatched. For this the commander signaled to his leutenant to shoot him on the spot. The stunned troops waited, as the commander questioned a second soldier, to which came the hasty reply, "I will be the first to fight". At the commander's word he was also shot down. The troops froze in silence as a third soldier was questioned. With hesitance the soldier finally responded, "What is thy bidding"? Ammazingly, the commander himself drew his weapon and killed the third soldier. Everyone including the leutenant was puzzled as the platoon jeered with paranoia. Suddenly an older, stern looking man approached the commander and spoke. "I will die for you" he said. Immediately, he was promoted and taken off to battle. The remainder of the army was told they would be questioned later. Thus, the commander retreated to his tent. Bewilderment overcame the troops. Even to the leutenant, the day's event was a riddle. As the afternoon passed, this mystery still haunted the leutenant and against his judgement he approached the commander's tent seeking answers.
"At ease" said the expecting commander. "No doubt you come seeking explanation; here is the reason for today's happenings: The 1st soldier was afraid of death. That is why he wished to remain behind.
The 2nd soldier was also afraid; that is why he made such haste attempting to avoid the same fate as the 1st."The leutenant's blank face bagan to show intrigue as the commander continued..."I suppose you're wondering about the 3rd man who asked my bidding be done." "Yes sir, was he not sincere?" asked the leutenant.
The commander replied,"Yes, a sincere soldier he was. But sincerety does not win a war. This man was trained for years for a specific purpose, and yet when his time comes, how is it that he should ask, 'What is thy bidding?' He should have known my bidding- to do that which he was trained for.
A man such as this who is blind or unsure of his purpose will not win a war; nor the likes of the first two who are afraid of death. But concerning the last soldier- these will lead us to victory. Find more of these!
"And they overcame him [the enemy] by the blood of the Lamb, and the word of their testimony; AND THEY LOVED NOT THEIR LIVES UNTO DEATH." (see Revelation 12)
When we become sure of the word of our testimony & unafraid of its consequences, then we will win the war. These characteristics must be ours before we win(they are not optional); and it can be apprehended through the blood of the Lamb.
The opposition you face is ordained to give you opportunity to win!
