I Am Raising Warriors

I Am Raising Warriors

by Melanie Ballard

In the beginning there was a war—a civil war.  The battles were not of gun fire, cannons, or even sword.  Yet one-third died.  Ironically, those who died did not perish by combat, but by their own will and choice.

 This war has not ended.  We battle today against an army at its full height of power and strength.

            I am raising warriors.  This is a daunting task.  To raise valiant warriors I must help them first, know their enemy, second, know their strength lies in God, third, have the training needed to win, and last and most importantly—choose to live.

            I must train my sons and daughters to know their enemy and recognize his strategies.  They must know that the war began because Satan wanted power and glory, and that he does not care for the lives of his men.  They must understand that even in the appearance of victory, Satan and his army win only increased misery—for even when companioned with power and glory, wickedness is not, and never will be, happiness.  I must teach my children how to utilize the tremendous power of the Spirit to understand the opposition.  The Spirit will decode lies, reveal truth and detect a distant and camouflaged enemy.  The Spirit’s communication is subtle and understanding its messages requires a focused mind and heart.  By knowing our foe’s devices and using the Spirit to detect them, my sons and daughters will always know who and where the enemy is.

            My sons and daughters must know that Jesus Christ is the only true source of strength.  One of the greatest keys to unlock this strength is humility—the submission of one’s will to God.  If my children can learn to submit their wills to God, they can become unified with Him and thereby obtain greater power than they could have ever possessed on their own.  Humility requires unfaltering obedience, for God will not grant strength to those who veer from his plan.  The enemy may mock these methods by preaching of independence and individualism, but warriors who follow Christ’s strategy will develop the strength to win personal battles and ultimately win the war. 

            My sons and daughters need intense preparation and schooling to lead out in the battle field. As their parents, we will oversee each step of their training.  Our tactics and methods are different than the world’s, and we will not relinquish our children’s training to it.  My children must learn wisdom not just knowledge, truth not just facts, love and service not survival of the fittest.  They must learn to love all men, yet never allow a relationship to persuade them to lower their guard. Their training must be broad and thorough. They must understand God’s expectations and plans for them, reason through false theories and alert others to Satan’s lies.  They must be inspired to lead, yet understand the sacrifice and lonely road that accompanies leadership.  Just as young children would not be sent to war, I will not risk the life of my warriors by sending them into battle without the weapons and skills they need to survive.  Fight they must—and win they will—but only when they are prepared.

            The decision to follow God is the most important piece of their entire training—I want to inspire the desire to live. The best source of inspiration is my own preparation and expertise, so it is vital that I set the example of a great warrior.  When out in the world, my children’s allegiances will be tested to the core; they must have the opportunities to decide which army they want to fight for before hand to hand combat arrives.  Home is the best place to develop and solidify allegiance to God; for within the eternal bonds of the family, parents offer love, support, redirection and the chance to try again . . . and again . . . and again.   Just as walls and guards protect soldiers from their enemies, I will guard my home from worldly influences, to prevent incorrect and damaging information from entering my children’s training before they are ready see it for what it truly is.  No other place or institution can offer such an environment.  Of all the preparation my sons and daughters will ever receive—of all the choices they will ever make—this is the most important: they must choose to live with God.  Even if they lack other training, skills, and knowledge, if their allegiance to God is cemented—they have won!

            Even though the battle intensifies, there are many who don’t even see it.  Even those who know we are at war may not realize that the battle rages around them or who they are fighting for.  God needs warriors who know the enemy is real and why they must fight, who trust His strength and follow His orders, who have been carefully prepared and who desire to win.  I am raising warriors—warriors, who choose to live.


"Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives; yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that is they did not doubt, God would deliver them." -Alma 56:47