The LORD is a man of war; the LORD is his name. – Exodus 15:3
Jesus said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I have_ _given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing shall hurt you.” – Luke 10:18-19
Fight the good fight of the faith. – 1 Timothy 6:12
Jesus is called the “Prince of Peace,” and he calls humanity to peace with God and to peace with one another.
Yet he is also a warrior who came “not to bring peace, but a sword” (Matthew 10:34).
The reason is simple: Christ is engaged in a cosmic battle against the prince of this world, and peace with God demands freedom from the devil, a freedom that can only be gained and maintained by fighting.
Christ makes war to defeat our enemies and to protect us against them.
If we were living in constant peace, fathers would not need to be protectors.
But in our fallen world, all times and all places participate in the battle begun by Jesus.
This means that, in his imitation of Christ, a father needs to know how to fight. He needs to know where the real fight is, who the real enemy is, what his weapons are, and how to use them.
Nearly every man fights for something, most often for vanities.
The Christian father is distinctive since he fights the right fight, in the right way, with the right weapons, for the right purpose.
The Right Fight: “For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12).
Jesus came to win back humanity from the devil.
He always kept his eye on the real battle.
He didn’t waste his time fighting for himself, worldly power, wealth, or influence.
He fought where it counted.
He knew that his primary opponents were not men, but demons, and that the real fight was for invisible hearts and minds.
We need to embrace the same fight.
The Right Way: Jesus knew that the Achilles’ heel of the devil was his pride and that humility was like kryptonite to him.
Jesus attacked the devil mercilessly at this vulnerable point.
He came among us in poverty; he washed the feet of those he led; he refused to take a worldly road to power; he allowed himself to be captured, tortured, and put to death, even though he could have called on the Father for legions of angels.
And what was the result?
The complete overthrow of the devil’s kingdom.
The same stance of humility is the only way for us to win this battle.
The Right Weapons: “For though we live in the world we are not carrying on a worldly war, for the weapons of our warfare are not worldly but have divine power to destroy strongholds (2 Corinthians 10:3-4).
St. Paul often wrote of these spiritual weapons.
They include truth, righteousness, peace, and the Word of God (Ephesians 6); they require endurance, afflictions, hardships, purity, kindness, and truthful speech (2 Corinthians 6); they include godliness, love, steadfastness, and humility (2 Timothy 6).
These are the only sort of weapons that can destroy demonic strongholds.
The Right Purpose: Like Christ, the Christian father fights not for personal glory but for the good of his charges.
He is ready to be harmed, or even to die, if necessary, for those in his care.
His constant goal is to see the kingdom established in the lives of those for whom he is responsible, and he battles against anything that would put their souls in jeopardy.
St. Joseph’s protection of the Holy Family exemplifies what it means to be true fighters, and his aid can be counted on to impart deeper spiritual fatherhood to those who ask him.
Pray for his intercession today as you continue to protect those placed under your care.
