“Hey, learn to choose your battles, you don’t argue over every little thing and everyone.”
The Excalibur is a symbol of power and death. The Cross is a symbol of power, forgiveness, and eternal life.
“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. rulers of the dark world.” – Ephesians 6:12.
LEGENDARY are several, countless, admirable stories of Ancient Britain’s’ conquests. They waged wars against other nations, conquering to expand their territory and have the world around them submit to their authority and rulership.
Every war fought around the world today is just about nothing but one that tells a story of a desire for conquest, a fight to expand territory and span scopes and spheres of influence, to command fear and respect. During these wars, legends are made in the order of their wittiness with the sword or other battle weapons, their strength to beat up an opponent, their battle strategies, and their prowess. The ability to have gone into many battles, won them, and come alive, having fought through death and survived – that’s what makes legends (surviving through dangerous oppositions and coming out to tell the stories). Legends fight to stamp their names on the sands of time about their conquests over the best of warriors, winning battles and becoming champions for their lords, the kings. Countless sensible or senseless battles to conquer and build a strong fortress, a formidable and fearful empire that will command fear, terror, and respect in the minds of their subjects as well as seeming impending enemy nations.
While some of those battles were needless, a mere show of power, suppression, and oppression of the poor and weak. Needless the sense they only exerted power to extort land and property from the weak and powerless. As well, some were needful because they tell stories of defense, those who fought on this side of the battles, fought in defense against the invasion and extortion of their land and property.
In ancient Britain, a legendary sword, the Excalibur, belonging to King Arthur of Camelot was believed to possess certain magical powers to penetrate through the hardest of steels, and anyone who became the bearer of that sword was believed to be a great warrior and must have won battles. The bearer of the sword, the Excalibur was one known to possess the wherewithal and power to take human life at whim. The Excalibur is the mythical sword of King Arthur that was believed to have possessed magical powers or be associated with the rightful sovereignty of Britain.
To this day, the Excalibur is believed to be a symbol of power and death. We fight battles every day, battles for life and existence – battles to discover and find self-worth, and self-assertion to forge ahead. There’s so much against your life, as individuals and as a corporate body. So much standing against the reality of our existence. You need to stand firm, put up a fight, and be resilient against whatever is resisting, your desires and needs to live and enjoy freedom.
Many years ago, in Africa, a young leader of Ethiopian descent realized that too many promising destinies and good lives were being wasted through needless battles. He decided on a new approach to resolving those matters of disagreement without having to spill blood. So, he made a resolve to bring an end to the hostilities, and issues that would result in the loss of human life.
Born Tafari Makonnen, also known as Rastafari also known as Tarafi Makonnen served as regent for Zauditu from 1916 to 1930. After Zauditu’s death, he was crowned emperor of Ethiopia on November 2, 1930, and took the name Haile Selassie I meaning “Might of the Trinity” in Amharic, the official spoken language in Ethiopia during his reign as emperor.
Rastafari or Emperor Haile Sellase 1 chose to call for a truce between opposing generals, which he felt would be the best option to curb the menace of death and bloodshed in the land. So, he called them to a party he organized to welcome and draw into close ties, and alliance with him. Those who felt Tafari Makonnen did not deserve the seat of leadership he was occupying declined the offer.
One of the generals, who thought of himself more wiser and witty and stronger enough to outsmart Tafari Makonnen and topple the government agreed to honor the invitation. However, he already had strategized on how he would take over the government of Rastafari. he came out from where he was hiding and headed to the city, ensuring that he positioned his military everywhere to easily take over the government.
Unaware of the general, Tafari Makonnen already read his move. And so he ensured to send emissaries through a secret back door to convince the general’s soldiers to join the government army or be counter-rebels with their leader. While he had had his fill and left the palace. Outside the entrance gate of the city, he tried to signal to his army to commence the battle to round off and capture the city. He didn’t know Tafari Makonnen had coerced his forces into submission. The same strategy he deployed to win over opposing parties. They either agree to make a truce with him or face the wrath of their rebellion against the government. At some point, Tafari Makonnen, aka, Ras Tafari became an object of discussion amongst the Christian side because of his closeness with Muslims as a Christian. But Tafari Makonnen became the first emperor to travel outside Ethiopia to strike deals with some parts of the world.
We could say it was probably the same gameplay during the birth of Christ. So noble was the birth of this special child-king; heralded by angelic announcement. In the mind of the Roman government and Israeli faithful, “Finally, the time of reckoning has come. Deliverance from the oppressive, molestation of the Roman government is over.” Cognitive of the military might and formidable fortresses the Roman Empire wielded, Israel expected more than a Goliath for a king.
Israelites had suffered compulsory allegiance to Caesar and the Roman government, forced exorbitant payment of taxes. The oppressive leadership of the Roman Empire was so demanding that it was taking a toll on them. Israel didn’t know how to fight back against the oppression as they had tried many times but resolved to submission when fate smiled at them again.
For what it’s worth, the birth of Christ seems to have come with a curse, taking the lives of millions of Israeli children ages 2 and below. That season, the entire land of Israel screamed with cries of grieving families because of the loss of their children – a kind of mixed feelings in Israel, and Herod was set to wreak more havoc if Israel wouldn’t provide the boy-king.
Israel, I believe got disappointed when Christ finally emerged. Rather than appearing as the great warrior as was announced by the angels, exhibiting the fierce warrior disposition, showing off professional military strategies and prowess in the order of his predecessors: Samson, David and his men, Tachmonite, Ishbosheth, and Eleazar. Jesus was too nice and friendly to very poor and needy people.
The essence of this article is not to encourage and teach the art of war when faced with oppression but to help us understand life better, it seems to provide counsel so that whenever you’re faced with struggles in your life, to know what to do and how to know battles to fight and which ones to let go – choose your battles, right.
Daily, we are engaged in a battle of some sort. This battle is not against, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. rulers of the darkness world.” – Ephesians 6:12.
“Hey, folks, choose your battles, right? You can’t go about arguing over every little thing and with everyone.” You need to know what things are holding you back from making progress and succeeding in some or all of your endeavors.
As a people, we desire and yearn for the right strategies to know how to conduct ourselves, respond to those who confront us, and defend ourselves at home, in the Church, and in the workplace. We want to learn how to communicate our frustrations effectively and make others understand when they were wrong (because telling people they were wrong would mean a lot).
In essence, sometimes, we seek passive-aggressive tactics. However, what we receive could be a simple but profound piece of advice that seemingly since transformed our thinking: choose your battles.
In life, conflicts are as certain as the changing seasons because, without them, life would be boring. Whether they happen in personal relationships, professional environments, or broader societal contexts, conflicts can either be constructive or detrimental depending on how they are managed.
For me, many times, I have ‘coined’ the art of choosing my battles as being non-confrontational because people tend to understand what it means to avoid conflicts rather than choosing not to address them at that moment or in my case, yielding my sword before the battle begins.
The big issue here is to not just go about fighting everyone who confronts us but to understand that the best way to respond to such disturbance and distractions is to walk away, overlook, and ignore them. You need to maintain silence and quietitude over issues, and things said or done against you – because people won’t attack what they do not know.
Also, we must learn to practice empathy and compassion. Rather than respond to a personal attack with defensiveness or retaliation, make an effort to cultivate empathy and compassion. Try to understand where the attacker is coming from and what might be driving their behavior. This carefulness will give you the right plan and manner to deploy in dealing with the issue.
To win over the battles of life, you don’t go about fighting everyone who distracts you by the roadside.
Strategies to win the battles of life:
Identify your enemy: Knowing who is fighting you is the first step to your victory:
- Don’t be driven by emotion: Your strength and abilities are dependent on your mindset.
- Take your problems to God: Answers only come from God. Many of us tell our problems to people and they end up disappointing us.
- Admit you need help: Your problems will continue to mount up if you don’t recognize you have a problem in the first place. The moment you recognize your need for help, you’re halfway to solving it.
- Rely on God’s power: Believe in yourself, and the abilities you possess. But more in the capability (power) of God to bring you out of the predicament you’re in.
- Relax in faith: Faith is the substance of thibgs hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Faith is the currency that will help every believer to make or transact any business in the kingdom. Even with self, you need faith.
- Thank God in advance: Many people wait until they see the blessings then pray to God to receive them and become despondent when the blessings seem to be delayed. But a man or woman of faith will give thanks to God in advance even when they’ve not seen answers to their problems.
God assures us of his capacity not to fail us, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” – 2 Corinthians 12:9: It is in the strength of God that we fight our battles. There can be no success against God, there’s also no success without God! Proverbs 21:31 says, “The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but deliverance is of the LORD.” God can save His children without the help of armies but armies cannot save without Him.
The mighty army of Pharaoh consisting of numerous battle horses and chariots drowned in the Red Sea while pursuing God’s children (Exodus 14: 27-28). No battle was fought for defeating them. The fort of Jericho was brought down – no sort of warfare was applied in that undertaking, except praising God! King Jehoshaphat defeated the Moabites and Ammonites without fighting a battle. God said: “Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s” (2 Chronicles 20:15). He continues to say in Judges 7:17 “You will not have to fight this battle, see the deliverance the LORD will give you.” Hence God does not need an army to fight or win a battle for His people.
You don’t even have to fight anyone at all. People will try to hurt you, they will try to mess up your collectiveness. You should and must work hard to keep intact your salvation, working with fear and trembling to stay in tune with God for your salvation is at the corner.
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