I am in the beginning of my journey as a spoken word artist. At the moment my art is majority expressed via independent videos posted to my social media as well as collaborative work done with a worship collective, WorshipMob.

This video is just one more step in direction God is leading me. After weeks of researching, praying, and receiving pieces of stanzas and lines, there was a time when I was able to sit and pull everything together to produce a piece that I believe shows the passion of Christ in that He struggled and fought for the opportunity for us to reconcile with Him and how similarly our struggle to emulate Christ comes with its own battles and wrestling.

This is by far one of my favorite passages of scripture. I actually learned in while in Sunday School where each peace was made tangible as if we were literally putting on each piece of the armor.

As I was preparing the poem, I was considering how difficult it is to carry the gospel to the world while still allowing it to minister to yourself. I know even in my own life, I find difficulties even after salvation.

Director, Writer, Producer, Videographer, Supporting Cast: Terrisha Buckley
Image for Poster: by Nik Shuliahin on Unsplash.com

Stand and Fight
By: Terrisha Buckley

Where are the martyrs?!?!
You know the images of the Saints
With their hands raised in worship
Cloaked in white
Or their heads bowed in prayer

I wonder what God sees
If He sees soldiers in an army
Willing and ready to die for a cause
Heads bowed as a salute to their Lord
Before drawing sword for a battle
To spread the Gospel

When I picture them,
I see militant forces
Infiltrating a kingdom of darkness
Carrying a light
Comprehended not
Yet drawing the tired, weary, and heavy laden
Much like themselves
Lives
Souls tormented by sin
Putting on the whole armor
They do everything to stand

In readiness for a battle
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood
Not people
Wrestling against the unseen

I wonder what Jeremiah’s battle looked like
The fight to overcome the fear of his youth
Of standing out
Of being a weeping voice
Bearing the words of God on his tongue
And the weight of a nation on his shoulders
A man who has seen affliction by the rod of God’s wrath
Then finds the strength to say
The Lord is good to those who wait for Him
To the soul that seeks Him
The Lord will not cast off forever
Was he tired?
Full of anxiety?

Or Moses
And his anger and despair
At the idolatry of a people God delivered
Yet the fortitude to specify
That God go with Us and not just himself

Or Joshua
Was Joshua plagued with panic attacks
At the thought of being the sequel
To the man for whom God parted the seas
And drowned armies
The same God that repeated “Do not be afraid”
Again...and again...and again

Or Paul
Having to reconcile being given in the ministry of grace
After being the cut and dry
Black or white
Former Pharisee named Saul
By the way
We still don’t know what his thorn was!!!

Jesus,
The greatest of all
The leader of our fight
Our Victor
Our Savior
When everything, literally EVERYTHING,
Told Him to abandon us
Yet He still strapped that cross to His back

The fight to the finish
The wrestle
Doing all we can to stand
Only to wrestle

Wielding the full armor,
I bring a knife to this fight
As my sword catches the light
Against depression
Discouragement
Fear
Hatred
Injustice
Inhumanity
Poverty
Prejudice
Rebellion
Vanity
Suicide

The same darkness that came
After Eden
Like Saul before Damascus
Fully consumed
In bitterness and scorn
Principalities
Powers
Rulers of Darkness
Spiritually wicked hospitality
With the torch I carry the light
That knocked man form horse
That nations tried to veil

I step onto the field
Into the ring

My fist grips the hilt
I hear the swish in the air
Before contact
The helmet of my opponent
Receives my sword screaming
“The joy of the Lord is my salvation”

With the tread of my feet
I trample every lie
Because Jesus is “the way, TRUTH, and life”
My faith protects from any fiery arrows of discouragement
Or despair

All of my hope in God
I will not fear what man can do
Not flesh and blood

My killing blow
Right into the chest of my enemy
The audacity
The privilege
To say “He bore my sin, so I may become His righteousness”

My enemy falls
I stand victorious
Blood-stained
Not my own
Blood-stained
Not my enemies
But the blood of my Savior
The true Victor
My General
The Lord of Hosts

Stand and fight