In 1981, Christian music artist Steve Camp released a song that would later become both a favorite and a mainstay of my own ministry after I came to a saving faith in Christ. I've included a link a powerful video of that song (below) that came out much later, but let's start with the lyrics:

Here then is a very powerful (battle-focused) music video of Steve's song: " Run to the Battle!"

Steve's opening stanza is a quote from famed athlete-turned missionary C.T. Studd that I use often in my various speaking and mission outreach events. In short, Steve is exhorting believers (Christians as God defines it) to " run to the battle" and get in the fight versus sitting (hiding) on the sidelines.  So where are you today?  My hope and prayer is that this study will both exhort and encourage you to get off the proverbial sidelines (or even the "cheap seats") and join us behind Christ our Captain in the heat of "battle" in these dire last days. 

Steve's second stanza steers us to 1 Samuel 17 and David's battle with the feared and undefeated giant, Goliath of Gath. I've taught on this many times but, for purposes of this study, suffice it to say that while King Saul (perhaps then the most powerful warrior in all of Israel) and his army cowered on the sidelines, it was a scrawny, red-headed teen who stepped out in faith and empowered by the Lord of Hosts to take on and defeat an "impossible" enemy.  Looking again at v. 48, what did David do?  He " ran to the battle" (ran quickly to take on the giant)!  The central message in this passage is not that David defeated the enemy in his own power, but rather that he was willing to step out in faith and obedience to be used by God to take on and defeat evil. In fact, David would affirm this wonderfully in 2 Samuel 22:33 -- " God is my strength and power." AMEN!  Friends, David was " a man after God's own heart" who was victorious so long as he was obedient and acting in accordance with God's will and direction.  Is that you?

Camp's third stanza a reference to a passage of scripture I've also shared and taught on many times: Ephesians 6:10-20 --  Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.  Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.  Stand therefore,having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,  and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. I n all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;  and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,  praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,  and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel,  for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

Understand the context here. Paul, as he reveals in the final verse, was "in chains" -- a prisoner chained up in what was likely a dark, nasty prison cell -- when he wrote his letter to the Ephesian church. He could neither physically run or fight against a flesh and blood enemy, but make no mistake, he was VERY much in "the battle" (and he " boldly" exhorts us to do the same) despite his pain, trials and tribulations!  Are you?  

In the fourth stanza, Steve quotes Romans 8:37 (the " more than conquerors" verse). Let's look at this in context (context being everything):  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written,  "For your sake  we are being killed all the day long;  we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered." No , in all these things we are more than  conquerors through  him who loved us.  ( Romans 8:35-37 )

What is Paul referring to here? When he wrote his Holy Spirit-inspired (God-breathed) letter to the struggling, terrified Christians in Rome, they were (or soon would be) being tortured and slaughtered in the most horrendous of ways (I would encourage you to see the film, Paul - Apostle of Christ, to get a picture of what that was like). Here Paul also rightly quotes Psalm 44:22 (a prophetic psalm) that refers both to religious persecution and, more importantly, the sacrificial death of our Savior on the Cross. The gist, of course, is that it is a spiritual battle (warfare) we're to be fighting: a battle against sin, spiritual wickedness and evil in general. And the outcome?  Even if we (Christians) die for our faith, we still WIN!  That said, are these not also battles that we who serve in law enforcement are fighting on an all-too-real physical front that is being influenced by the forces of darkness?   Absolutely!  

Secondly, we need to understand that, aside from John (who still suffered horribly) and of course Judas, Paul and ALL of Christ's original disciples paid the ultimate price for "running to the battle" with the Gospel of Christ. With the understanding that we here in the U.S. are still unlikely to give our lives for our faith (at least for now), we who serve in law enforcement most certainly face being killed in the line of duty.  Accordingly, we can take heart in knowing that if we are truly born again in Christ (to paraphrase William Wallace in Braveheart), "they can take our lives, but they can never take our FREEDOM" ("freedom" here meaning being freed from the bonds and sin and ultimately the confidence that we are are born again "in Christ" will spend eternity with Him in ultimate freedom-- see  Luke 17:33). Is that you?

In his fifth stanza, Steve borrows from a most appropriate and biblical song that was written during the darkness of our American Civil War -- the Battle Hymn of the Republic. And "marching on our knees?" Here Bro. Camp points us to the importance of fervent prayer to our one true Commander in Chief.  Are you praying to be used in "the battle" and then stepping out in faith for the lost both here in our hurting nation and around the world as the Lord leads?  God help us, we must!

The rest of this worship song drives home the meaning of the first stanza in exhorting us to live boldly for Christ (living our faith "out loud" and "all in") while obediently "running code" (lights and siren) to carry out our Great Commission mission (a mandatory "call for service" and NOT the "Great Suggestion"). Sadly, it is estimated that perhaps only four to five percent of those who call themselves "Christians" (?) have ever shared their faith with others (to wit, backup of the eternal kind)!  God helps us, our brethren and folks in general are headed straight to hell in their sin while we refuse to provide cover (backup)!  

I'll close with this snippet from Steve Camp's own blog that he wrote in 2005 and is still so on target for us today: " ...unsound doctrine is spoken against, but not stood against; and politics continues to be touted as the great savior for a nation in moral and spiritual decline.  But the great hope for any generation, including ours, is the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ! He alone is the answer."  He then adds, " May the Lord open His heavens, wake us up from the lukewarm Laodicean sleep that plagues so much of evangelicalism and revive us again." (referring to the lukewarm "Christians" our Lord describes in Revelation 3:14-22). AMEN!

I'll put an exclamation mark on our study by encouraging you to further "sharpen your swords" through this short but biblically rich devotional message of the same title written by noted speaker and Bible teacher, Paul Washer:  Run to the Battle!

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