I love this photo. The first time I saw the image was when a friend shared it in a Facebook post. The content of the post was so precious. The image...so powerful. As I looked at this warrior woman, there was an echo in my spirit of a truth it captured. There was something in this that resonated so deeply within me.
There is a very real spiritual war going on and we are all in it, whether we realize it or not. As women who love the Lord, we are called to daily take up arms to face the battles we will encounter by daily putting on the full armor of God so that we may stand firm against the schemes of the devil. We do not put on armor in case there will be battles. We put on armor BECAUSE there WILL be battles. These battles will vary in intensity from small skirmishes to bloody encounters, but whatever these spiritual battles are like, we will not get through them unscathed. We will not come through unchanged.
I love to think of what it must look like from the heavenly realm, when God's people are suited up for battle. We need to remember that it is warrior language being used in Ephesians 6 when Paul gave the command to put on the full armor of God. This was a command not just given to the men. It was given to all believers, men and women alike. I know we know this, but do we really know this and live like this?
There are wounds and
scars that come out of our individual journeys. There are sorrows and
losses that will come. There are trials and triumphs that will be
experienced. While these battles can leave us injured, and at times feeling broken, the Lord will use these battles and wounds to do a work in us. He will use these battles to draw us closer to Him. If we find our strength and wrestling against these battles in the Lord, if we allow Him to do a work in us as we walk through these times, if we rely on Him and put on the whole armor of God and remain steadfast in Him, there is a beauty that cannot be overwhelmed by these battles. Instead, there is a beauty that becomes something more than it was. There is a beauty that speaks volumes of the trials and struggles. There is a beauty that comes from being a warrior woman who loves the Lord and finds her hope and strength in Her God.
As I thought of warrior women who love the Lord, I was so filled with wonder when I realized a passage of scripture that I have read literally hundreds, if not thousands of times, said something far more profound, exciting, and encouraging than I could ever have imagined. It was actually one word that gave me such a sense of excitement. The passage is one of the most famous in Scripture. It is Proverbs 31. Most people have heard the description of the Proverbs 31 woman. It begins in Proverbs 31:10 with, "Who can find a virtuous woman?" However, "a virtuous woman" is not what the text should say.
The word translated in this verse as "virtuous" is the Hebrew word chayil. It is used 256 times in the Bible. Only three times it is translated as "virtuous." Each of those times, it is connected to a woman.The other 253 times this word is used in Scripture it is usually connected to battle and valor.
The meaning of chayil is strength, power, might. According to Strongs, chayil is "probably a force, whether of men, means or other resources; an army, wealth, virtue, valor, strength:—able, activity, army, band of men (soldiers), company, (great) forces, goods, host, might, power, riches, strength, strong, substance, train, valiant(-ly), valour, virtuous(-ly), war, worthy(-ily)."
When taken in the fullness of its meaning, this word is one full of military imagery. It is full of power and strength. It is a word full of action and bravery. It is a word that calls to mind armies, soldiers, and battles. This is the Hebrew word that is used to describe David's mighty men. It is the word used to describe God as a strong fortress in 2 Samuel 2:22. This is a word packed with power and military might in its meaning. This is the word in Proverbs 31:10.
It is a different picture that comes to mind when Proverbs 31:10 is translated using the correct meaning of the word. I love when the correct definition is applied. "A mighty woman..... a valiant woman...a strong woman....." Keep in mind, when it is using strong, mighty, valiant, it should be military imagery of one going to battle. The picture that comes to my mind is the warrior woman in the image above. I picture a Godly warrior woman girded up in the full armor of God doing battle through prayer and intercession. I picture a mighty woman of God standing fast with the sword of the Spirit as the attacks come and the battles get heated. I see a mighty woman of God relying on the shield of faith that deflects the flaming arrows of the enemy. I picture a strong woman with her feet girded in the peace of the gospel, bringing care, love, and good news to those in need. I see a valiant, mighty woman who is surrounded by other valiant, mighty women, who come alongside one another to do battle together in prayer and encouragement. Like David and his mighty men, these valiant women face spiritual battles together. What power in the strength of God there is when we join in battle with one another. What precious comfort there is in this truth.
There is something else to realize regarding Proverbs 31:10. Some Bible translations have the word ishshah translated as "wife" instead of "woman." I think the
reason it is translated as wife is because of verse 11. However,
this passage is not about one specific woman who is a wife. It is about a mighty woman. If she is married there are are a few verses in this passage that point out what kind of
impact this kind of woman has on her family. Verse 11 is one of them. You can
see this in Proverbs 31:11-12, 28. Proverbs 31 is not just for married women. It is for every chayil woman out there who fears the Lord. I feel such a surge of joy as I think on the truth that we are called to be mighty women of strength and valor whose trust and faith is in the Lord.
Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,
But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised. Proverbs 31:30
