We Have a Warrior God

I saw "War Room" this past weekend with friends, and it inspired me to become more disciplined about praying for loved ones. Here's my review.

This movie is produced by the Kendrick brothers, the writers who gave us "Facing the Giants," "Fireproof," and "Courage." I've seen all these movies, and the messages are always good and on target. However, the actors (not well-knowns, other than Kirk Cameron) have not been stellar, and this always trips me up a bit.

I understand that Affirm Pictures (the Kendrick brothers company) is a small outfit. (Hollywood doesn't, in general, produce movies with a Christian message.) But, I support them. I'm going to see every movie they produce, because that's how they will grow and bring in revenue and at some point draw the bigger names. I get that making movies is about money. I hate it, but I get it.

Having said that, I loved "War Room." It's the best yet from the Kendrick brothers. The actress who plays the leading character, Elizabeth, is very good and the 10-year old daughter, Danielle, is played by the most beautiful child I think I've ever seen on screen. Miss Clara, the elderly star (although the actress who plays her is much younger) is a firecracker of fun. Good role models, all these female characters.

The 'war room' is a closet in Miss Clara's house where she prays - and fights for - her loved ones. The ones who aren't interested in God, the ones who openly mock Him, the ones who don't know they need Him, the ones who don't want to need Him, and the ones who love Him and try to serve Him, but keep messing up. Don't we all fall into one of those categories? The 'war room' is where Miss Clara, on her knees, cries out to God to fight for her loved ones.

It's a beautiful premise, God fighting for us. Fighting for us in this dirty world where we are so easily swayed by beauty and money and pleasure and power. We are like sheep, blindly following what the world offers, thinking we must get our share. We then cling to it like it's going to last - which it isn't.

We can be so deceived.

The husband in "War Room" is Tony, a successful business man, who gets everything he wants professionally. But, then, due to worldly temptations, he loses it all. He gets too big for his britches (scripture calls that pride) and soon all he has are a praying wife and a sweet daughter, who then teaches him how to double-dutch jump rope because he has nothing else to do.

Seeing the guy humbled and on his knees before God....whew...it's a powerful scene. (And very attractive. If men understood how attractive a praying man is, they would seek God and get His guidance every day. Women want Godly men.)

The movie has a satisfying ending, not perfect, but satisfying. Like life - we don't get everything we want, but we get enough.

The message of the movie is that God is a warrior on our behalf. He will fight our battles, if we ask him to. He is bigger than our self-reliance and our fear. He's bigger than our weaknesses and our addictions and our vices. He is paramount to healthy relationships (we really don't know how to love one another without His influence.) With a mighty sword, He will fight on our behalf.

He can slay all our dragons, if we ask Him to. And then get out of the way. Because things are going to fall.

Check out "War Room" and see if you aren't inspired to call on God as a warrior in your life.

(p.s. This post is not sponsored by the Kendrick brothers. They don't even know I exist.)