The Real War Is Not Out There
by Donavon L Riley

When the battle tightens its grip and the weight feels like it’s crushing your very bones, that’s when you step back. There’s a hard truth here, one that most of us avoid: we are helpless on our own. Feel it, don’t run from it. Let that helplessness settle in—not as failure, but as clarity. This fight was never meant to be yours alone.

The world tells you to keep swinging, keep clawing forward, but there’s a deeper wisdom at play: without God, you’ll be swallowed whole. It’s not your strength that wins this war. But with God? The impossible becomes nothing more than air, the insurmountable crumbles at your feet. So you must cry out—not from some safe place of politeness, but from that raw, desperate place deep inside: “Arise for our help, and redeem us for Thy mercies’ sake!” (Psalm 44:26).

This isn’t weakness; this is a man’s true strength. To know when to surrender his pride and lean on the only force greater than the darkness around him.

Think of the soldier, caught in the chaos of war, surrounded on every side, losing ground with every step. There’s no shame in calling out for help. “Fight against those who fight against me. Take hold of shield and buckler, and rise up for my help” (Psalm 35:1-2).

These are not empty words; they are the battle cry of someone who knows the fight is not just with flesh and blood. This is the ancient war, older than any civilization. The forces that rise against you—they are not just men, not just circumstances—they are the manifestation of something darker, something powerful and unseen. But you, you are not alone in this. The Spirit of God moves through you like wind in the trees, quiet but powerful, pushing you forward when your legs can no longer carry you. And there is more—your guardian angel hovers close, wings outstretched, deflecting the arrows aimed at your heart, sword in hand, cutting down the forces that seek your ruin.

This is no small skirmish; this is the great war of the soul. Every step you take in prayer, every time you gather yourself and turn back to God, you’re not retreating—you’re launching an assault right at the heart of the enemy. The real war is not out there in the world’s noise and chaos—it’s here, in the quiet struggle of the heart, in the moments where you choose to keep fighting by falling into God’s hands.

By Donovan Riley

Donavon Riley is a Lutheran pastor, conference speaker, author, and contributing writer for 1517. He is also a co-host of Banned Books and Warrior Priest podcasts. He is the author of the book, "Crucifying Religion” and “The Withertongue Emails.” He is also a contributing author to "The Sinner/Saint Devotional: 60 Days in the Psalms" and "Theology of the Cross".

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