Do you like swords? Most men do. It’s very entertaining to watch men at our boot camps interact with the swords we have on display.
When men first see them their eyes open wide in wonder. Words like “awesome” and “cool” soon follow. Initially they stand back and look, circling the swords like they have discovered some kind of treasure in the woods. After drinking in the primal giddiness of the moment they will hesitantly and, sometimes boldly, pick one up.
Who knows what visions of grandeur, what dreams of well fought battles flood through their minds? For a time they are lost in wonder of the moment with a twinkle in their eye and a tingle in their heart…
I like swords. I have a collection, and have given some to my sons as well. We have been slowly collecting swords from various international travels and other sources over the last 10 years. We have a Katana and various Wakizashis from Japan; three Dha (pronounced ‘daab’) I bought in Thailand – made famous in the Ong Bak movie trilogy; three Wallace broadswords from the movie Braveheart; two British Basket-Hilted broadswords; a Roman cavalry Spatha; various Nepalese Gurkha Kukris; and a couple of Kirpans from India.
These are the swords we display at the boot camps. These are the swords that seem to connect and engage with men and stir thoughts of noble battles fought and won.
One sword I am missing is the Scottish Claymore. We saw William Wallace’s claymore on display in the Wallace monument in Stirling, Scotland. Wallace’s sword is five and a half feet long and weighs over six pounds. It is a massive sword. It is estimated that Wallace needed to be at least 6 feet 7 inches tall in order to wield the sword effectively.
There is an old Scottish proverb about swords:
“Never give a sword to a man who can’t dance.”
Any idea what that means? Here is what I think it means: If a man doesn’t know how to dance then he doesn’t know what he’s fighting for. A true warrior can’t love war; he must love peace because that’s what he’s fighting for. It’s about the freedom, not the fight.
Even though our lives are surrounded by a spiritual battle, it’s not about the battle. It’s about the life of God. It’s about the government of God – the heart of God – in us and through us to others in our sphere of influence and authority.
We fight so we can get hold of everything Jesus purchased for us through His death and resurrection. We fight so we can live in the righteousness, peace and joy of the Kingdom of God. We fight so we can overcome the strategy of the enemy to steal, kill and destroy and appropriate the abundant life Jesus promised us.
It’s not about the fight – it’s about the freedom. It’s not about the battle – it’s about the joy.
Never give a sword to a man who can’t dance because the joy of the Lord is our strength.
Do you know what the joy of the Lord is? You – you are the joy of the Lord.
He delights in you. Jesus, for the joy of seeing you set free from the chains of sin, death and enemy, endured the cross so that you could be born again into the family of God as a beloved son of our Heavenly Father. When we get hold of that truth deep in our hearts we experience the joy of the Lord.
When you know you are delighted in, you feel delightful! When you know you are the joy of the Lord, you are joyful!
It’s the joy of the love of our Lord that drives us forward. We fight so we can be free. We fight so we can apprehend that for which Jesus apprehended us. We fight to overcome the spiritual resistance of the enemy in order to work out the salvation Jesus bought for us.
If we will not fight, we will not apprehend the life God has for us. We must fight for our life, and for the life the Lord has for others through us.
Romans 14:17
“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,”
Romans 6:12
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
Nehemiah 8:10
“Nehemiah said, ‘Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’”
Psalm 34:7, 8 (The Message)
“God’s angel sets up a circle of protection around us while we pray. Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see how good God is. Blessed are you who run to him.”