This morning as I was contemplating this blog post, all that would go through my mind was a song. The band Downhere possesses an amazing talent for capturing spiritual concepts beautifully, concisely, and challengingly in a song, and their song “All at War” from the album Ending is Beginning is no exception.
The war we fight pulls at us constantly. Sometimes I feel the victory strongly. Other times I simply have to trust that the victory is assured because I definitely cannot see it reflected in my current battle. Then there are those times when I feel both strongly. The strength and victory of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ overwhelm me, but the battle rages violently even so.
The songs progresses through the struggle to a moment of great triumph and praise at the end. Even though the battle has not ended, the victory is assured. I stand on that assurance today!
All At War lyrics
I’m learning to stand the more that I fall down,
It’s the law of inversion, and it’s all turned around,
And I’m staggered by the clash inside my soul,
So purposed for good but inclined for evil
It’s justice and mercy the old dichotomies,
All along the front lines of my heart in both doubt and belief
The sinner and saint, the old arch enemies,
All at war, in me
I was born depraved, but created for the divine,
With death in my bones, in my heart eternal life,
I’d love for Eden, but I’d kill for Rome,
I’m native in a land that is not my home
You are the beginning, and you are the end,
Into your great reversal, I am born again,
A beautiful redemption, you leverage even sin
In me your final victory, I know you’ll win
Into light, from the shadows,
Into life, from the grave,
Into love, Into love
Not Quite Ordinary 