We’ve all heard the term “happy warrior” to describe people who fight for their causes in a upbeat way. These are people who don’t seem to get down about defeats or setbacks. It’s a good label, but “happy” isn’t a term I would want to use because happiness is based on circumstances. The Lord calls us to something higher and better.

As Christians, we are called to be joyful as we advance the Kingdom. It would be far more accurate to say we are called to be “joyful warriors” each day.

This has been important for me to reflect on because over the past couple of weeks I’ve been overwhelmed at times by the depths of evil we are facing as it has become steadily exposed. (I don’t think most people fully fathom it yet, to be perfectly honest.) I had a long post mostly written I was going to publish last week and I felt compelled to set it aside. If you follow my forums, you know that my posting there has dropped off quite a bit the past few weeks. I probably have 100+ things bookmarked to add. But I haven’t because it is all so overwhelming. I’ve kept my Telegram feed updated and that’s about it for sharing current events.

I asked a few people this weekend where my responsibility begins and ends in terms of trying to spread the truth and share what I perceive. I do what I do because I care about people. I care about every person who reads my blog or is led here for some reason. I don’t get everything right and I certainly miss some things. I’m human. But I have also been encouraged by many other Christians over the years that this is a gift I have and so I feel a need to use it for the good of the Body of Christ. Lately I haven’t been certain where to draw the line between being a truthful warrior and being a joyful warrior. Sorting out the truth is exhausting. It doesn’t leave me un-joyful, but it definitely leaves me emotionally worn out.

I believe that in the weeks ahead a great deal of evil is going to become obvious to anyone who is remotely paying attention. In fact, I think it will be unavoidable. Only those living in denial or who are unwilling to face the truth will not see it.

I shared news sources a few weeks ago in a post called Finding Better News and Information Sources. That post includes a variety of places to look for what is happening. Do those sources always get it right? Of course not. They are human, too. But they will provide you with much more real-time information than you will get from any MSM source. When Facebook, Instagram, etc. went down last week, I was fully up-to-date on what was happening. I’ve already sourced other places for news. Gab and Telegram were flooded with new users. Gab didn’t slow at all even though traffic skyrocketed. Telegram slowed a tad as it added 70 million new users that day. I am profoundly thankful for the freedom to have access to other platforms filled with joyful warriors who seek the truth.

I am also thankful I ditched Facebook long before all this accelerated. I cannot imagine going through these events depending on platforms that systematically censor, distort, and otherwise hide the truth. When you are active on uncensored platforms, you realize how widespread and insidious the censorship is on Big Tech. It is mind boggling the important information they have deliberately kept from people. When people finally realize the truth, I believe we will see rage that we’ve never witnessed in our lifetimes. I think we will also see unbelievable levels of despair. I have to not think about it or it will make me weep.

In the end, I decided to focus on being a joyful warrior right now. I’ve been warning, admonishing, exhorting, and challenging folks here for a number of years. There isn’t much else I can say at this point. Either someone has taken to heart what I’ve said or she hasn’t. There aren’t any more posts I can write that will convince someone to make changes or learn the truth. I’ve done my best to convey the truth as best as I understand it. That’s all I can do. I leave the results to the Lord.

Now it’s time to focus on being a joyful warrior in the midst of what is going to unfold. We are going to need joy and our loved ones are going to need us to lead by example in showing the joy that can only come from Christ.

A joyful warrior needs her armor each day. I know from personal experience that being in the Word and in prayer makes a huge difference. If that is the case in normal times, it is even more imperative in these extraordinary times in which we are currently living.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can make your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world’s darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Therefore take up the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you will be able to stand your ground, and having done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness arrayed, and with your feet fitted with the readiness of the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Ephesians 6:10-17

If you missed some of the other recent posts I wrote, you might want to read them as you consider what it means to be a joyful warrior in the midst of evil.

• Living A Life Of Faithfulness Before God
• Shining Your Light in a Dark World
• Bucking Up For The Sake Of Your Loved Ones
• Choosing Joy in the Midst of Change You Can’t Control
• Finding Refuge Under His Wings – Psalm 91

Berean Standard Bible