Super Soldier

 5/3/2022

John 14:26 "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Sumaria, and to the end of the earth."

If you have seen the Mavel Avengers movies - and most people have - you know what a hero looks like. My favorite character of the franchise is Captain America. I feel this way because he stands for truth even when those around him do not understand. As I was praying in my closet chapel this morning, I got an image of a warrior with a sword and shield. Now Cap doesn't use a sword, but he has one of the most recognizable shields in popular culture. 

In the first Captain America movie, Steve Rogers is just a scrawny young man who wants to enlist in the army during WWII. He is all heart and courage, but he is not physically up to the challenge. Because of his persistence, he is given the chance to be something more, much more. He has a procedure that changes him physically for battle, making him a super soldier. However, he maintains all of the characteristics that brought him to that enviable place. He has to submit to this happening and does so with gladness and expectation. During the procedure, he is placed into a capsule of sorts, and injected with a secret serum. When the door of the capsule opens, he is ready for battle in a different way than before. Initially he is all spirit, but now he has the strength to fight. 

So, as I was praying this morning - feeling willing, yet unprepared, for battle, as I often do - I thought of the transformation that occurs through the Holy Spirit. It is through a yielding to the Spirit's indwelling that I find my power and ability to fight. My prayer chapel is like Cap's capsule, and the Holy Spirit is my super soldier serum. That connection and indwelling is how I get my strength to battle. I envisioned a heavenly shield in one hand and the Godly sword (scripture) in the other. These are my weapons given to me by God. Like Cap, I have to be willing to submit to this transformation, but unlike his one and done injection, I have to submit daily to this regeneration. I have to seek out the strength I need each day to do God's will, to journey wherever He leads me.