An Army of Lovers

^{Psalm 18 (NCV)}

³⁴ He trains my hands for battle
       so my arms can bend a bronze bow.
 ³⁵ You protect me with your saving shield.
       You support me with your right hand.
       You have stooped to make me great.
 ³⁶ You give me a better way to live,
       so I live as you want me to.
 ³⁷ I chased my enemies and caught them.
       I did not quit until they were destroyed.
 ³⁸ I crushed them so they couldn't rise up again.
       They fell beneath my feet.
 ³⁹ You gave me strength in battle.

Psalm 18 has meant much to me over the past year. I knew that God was indeed training me for battle – but I honestly had no idea what that meant. Even now I would not claim complete understanding but I can look back and see how circumstances were used by God to put me through that training.

Two things have become increasingly clear.

First, the body of Christ is entering a season when we must do battle to advance the Kingdom of God. We can no longer take a passive posture waiting to be attacked by the enemy. Instead, it is time to assemble together and storm the gates of hell.

Second, we will storm the gates of hell only by allowing God to transform us into an army of lovers. The kingdom of hell shudders when the body of Christ walks in the power of pure, Christ-like love.

Read verse 36 again. Compare it with the very last verse in 1 Corinthians chapter 12 “And now I will show you the best way of all.” What follows is typically known as the “love chapter”. Paul tells us that even though we have all the gifts to build the body of Christ and advance the Kingdom of God, the best way to live is to love. Love never fails!!

God is calling His children to train for war by teaching them to love deeply!  This is not the conditional, convenience based, limited love we’ve come to know from the world. It is a fierce love that never waivers. It is a love that does not seek the giver’s interest, but seeks the KING’S interest by committing to love others as HE does.

Be assured no person can love like this in his or her own strength – it is not “of the flesh”.  This love can only be found at the cross. It is only when we lay down our lives that we can walk in the resurrection power to love beyond our limitations – to love as our Lord loves!

We cannot love as Christ calls us to love without travelling the Way of the cross.

We cannot advance the Kingdom of God without loving as HE does

Kingdom advancement will only happen to the extent that we are willing to endure the brutal and absolute surrender found at the cross.