There are so many heroes throughout Biblical history. Heroes that fought to see God’s kingdom set up here on earth. Heroes that fought real, literal battles for the glory of God. Battles with sweat, and blood, and bravery. These heroes fought for lands, for countries, for thrones.

This was in the Old testament when the battles were physical. Now that Jesus has come and finished his work on the cross, our battles are spiritual. They are internal battles for the throne of hearts. You see, Satan has already set up his kingdom here. He sits on the throne of the world. He is called the “prince of the power of the air” in Ephesians 2:2 and the “ruler of this world” in John 12:31. He is rocking this world to sleep in his evil arms with his lullaby of lies. And while God is still sovereign, Satan has blinded the minds of unbelievers and keeps them in the darkness of sin so they can not see the light of the gospel. He is on the throne in their lives and he doesn’t give up his crown without a fight.

Our duty as Christians is to join the army of believers called to see to it that God is sitting on the throne of hearts– to shine the light of the gospel into the dark corners of this world. Those dark corners are not only in the African jungles or the slums of South America. Those dark corners are in every heart we come in contact with on a daily basis here at home. Our calling is open our mouths and speak the truth of God’s word– even if that means persecution.

In today’s day and age, we have literally been bullied into believing that Christians need to keep their mouths closed and simply “love” people the way they are. We are not allowed to say what God says about sin without being called judgmental or hypocritical. The world says that God is not allowed to be set on the throne of our hearts or if he is, we should NOT “judge” those who have others on their throne. How are we supposed to win the battles over sin with closed lips and fearful hearts? How will we obey God and keep peace with the world at the same time? The answer is simple- we can’t.

There are so many battles to fight. The battle against pornography, the battle against sex trafficking, the battle against homosexuality, the battle against abortion, the battle against greed, the battle for godly homes, the battle against every lie that Satan is telling, and the battle to put God back on the throne. We are called to fight them. We are called to open our mouths and proclaim the truth- that God’s way is the only way that works. It is the only way that satisfies. It is the only way that is perfect.

What if Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, the Apostle Paul, King David, Moses, Joshua, Deborah, Samuel, Abraham– what if they had refused to fight? What if they believed the lies and allowed fear to rule their lives instead of faith? We would not have heroes of the faith. We would not have the Bible. We would not have these amazing examples of what God can do with willing hearts and hands. We may not even be here today.

Believe me when I say that all these heroes were just like you and I. They have the same amount of time in their day and the same amount of the Holy Spirit in their lives. They were not the select few who were “anointed.” Every single Christian is anointed by Christ’s blood to carry his cross into the world.

So what is the difference between them and us? They believed something that we have long forgotten. They believed with every ounce of their hearts that our God doesn’t lose battles. Every battle that God has commanded, he has already given the victory for. We are never alone. “We are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.” Romans 8:37 Our commander in chief goes before us to fight the battles with our hands and with our mouths. We can know with absolute confidence that when we are on His side, we can not lose.

What battle is God calling you to fight? What cause are you willing to be the champion of? What stronghold do you have in your own life that you need to allow God to conquer? What truth are you willing to stand up and proclaim? Where are the true followers of Christ willing to go beyond average and to do anything to see God glorified on earth? Where are the heroes?

God has called us all to put on the armor of God, and it’s not just for defense. We were made to be heroes. You have the stuff of legends. It is all there waiting to be awakened by those who are brave enough to put God on the throne of their life, rise up, and join the army to see God placed on the thrones of hearts around the world. I know the battles seem hard, and they are. You will have to fight all your life, but the war is already won, the battles are always worth it, and if God is for us, who can be against?