El Morro...

It means “Fortress.” In Old San Juan, Puerto Rico there stood beyond rolling, green hills a tall, stout fortress. Its walls high and its image one of strength and might. People peppered all about with kites and chairs and food. Kids rolling down the inclines and playing round after round of hide-and-go-seek. Behind all the activity, stands a powerful image of warfare. Defense. Protection. Resolute resistance. Back in the 19th century there was no frolic or play, laughter was scare and fear intensified every moment of reprieve, stealing any potential lightheartedness. War colored everything. Land was the goal, ownership and power were the driving force of the time. As I walked through the rooms and looked out over the rough waves rolling in from the North, I began to wander into the spiritual world. Peter calls it a war over our souls. He goes on to say that the Devil prowls around like a lion, seeking to kill. He is subtle, crafty, pointed, fixed on a goal of destruction. Troops led under his fierce command are enraged with his imparted fury and nothing or no one gets in his way.

Except one.

There is a force unstoppable and in place, a ready shield. There is a power that stands high above the ocean, thick walls of barbaric stone unbreakable, unbeatable and guarded day and night. Nations rise up, people strategize attacks, evil is vigilant and harsh in its movement toward the Kingdom of God and all its followers. This is war. This is conflict and combat. With much precision and detailed method, our authorities advise, collect data, observe enemy patterns and set up for the ensuing battle. Bloodshed is necessary and expected. Losses are inevitable. All precautions must be taken for each and every individual. A Commander will instruct, but cannot demand his platoon to obey; he can give credible counsel and delegate necessary procedure, but he cannot make one engage in the fight. Or better said, he will not.

In this war where the platform is unseen and the enemy invisible, we must prepare with different strategy. As I walked through El Morro and turned in a full circle around me, walls bordered every side and canons were set up at each post, ready to blast out the enemy coming in at night, in secret, concealed in the loud rage of the ocean. They were hard to spot, and as they ventured in they hit a barrier of great might, and it still stands centuries later. It remains in tact and strong. The spiritual battle is altogether unconventional and yet vaguely familiar to those who have fought these historic battles for land and sea. New eyes, new senses, unique and distinct plans. Strange measures must be made. This is an exotic, raging war over the souls of all mankind. He prowls in wait. This enemy is real, his death wish is the warrant on our lives.

Towers of concrete and wide walls are not needed in this battle on this plane. Paul spells it out in Ephesians: “Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all the strategies of the devil.” The protection we are to wear is quite mismatched from the strong site I saw in old San Juan. Truth, Readiness, God’s righteousness, Peace, Faith, Salvation, and the Word of God. No guns, helmets, swords, or grenades; no arrows, spears, chain mail or tanks. Everything is different. And in no way more simple, or less scary. The fight is executed in a realm unseen by human eyes and it cuts with a sharp and steady blow. We are to be engaged and we are to be ready. We are all participants, those with the name of Christ written on their souls are to be cautiously prepared for dispatch.

That’s you. That’s me. Each of us who take a place in the Body of Christ. So when I stood, so small, at the base of such a monstrous palace of protection I knew that this was a shadow of one much bigger, wider, more steady, more solid, more sturdy and more sure than any earthly stronghold. Understanding the battle is foundational to preparing for it. Who is our enemy, how does he fight, what are his patterns, what are our fears, what makes us crawl back, what makes us motivated, what are the weapons fashioned against us, who is fighting alongside of us, and who ultimately has our back? What does it look like for me to be a part of this invisible, but very real, attack against the people of God and the reign of His Kingdom?


We are vulnerable. There are weapons forged against us. If we sit still and hope for an arrow to miss us, or for the enemy not to notice us in our secret spot, we will soon be overtaken. Our enemy is smarter than us. The tools and ammunition must never sit in the closet useless and rotting. Instead these means of defense must be employed and unlocked or we sit helpless on enemy ground. Many have learned, with little time, to use weaponry, to shoot a gun and dodge a bullet. But what about the use of Truth, or Peace...what does it mean to fight with the Spirit of God?

“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field.”

Work, labor, toil, sweat, seeking, engaging, listening, sitting, reading, memorizing, re-reading, studying... “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” ALL YOUR HEART. This battle is not for the faint of heart or the lazy, fearful and aimless. There is nothing about walking into a battle with a passive demeanor or response. There is clear direction. There is a means, a detailed and often painful process. Jesus called us to be a part of a Kingdom vision. It is not small.

So the weapons we fight with are not of this tangible world and yet we are to learn to engage them with vigor and hard work. He is the one to equip us and ready us; He is the one to send us out with supernatural aptitude and skill. He builds into us all of what we need. So arise, go ahead with confidence, tap into the potential that sits in full supply. Beware of the loss of shrinking back or forgetting the One who mounts His Horse with all authority. For you ride under His lead, you advance with His course of action, you are shielded by His wings. So, fear not. The Kingdom is within you. All that you need to fight, is all that you have already. Seek truth, righteousness, peace, salvation, and above all else, may His Word be our food.