Unlikely Warriors

History is full of people who rose up and succeeded where no one thought that they could.  Those are the compelling stories.  After all if we here about a child that grew up with a silver spoon in their mouth, was dynamic, loved, good looking and then went on to do great things..... where's the story.  We like to root for the under dog.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was one such leader.  Here is how he was described in time magazine in 1964...

King is in many ways the unlikely leader of an unlikely organization -- the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, a loose alliance of 100 or so church-oriented groups. King has neither the quiet brilliance nor the sharp administrative capabilities of the N.A.A.C.P.'s Roy Wilkins. He has none of the sophistication of the National Urban League's Whitney Young Jr., lacks Young's experience in dealing with high echelons of the U.S. business community. He has neither the inventiveness of CORE's James Farmer nor the raw militancy of SNICK's John Lewis nor the bristling wit of Author James Baldwin. He did not make his mark in the entertainment field, where talented Negroes have long been prominent, or in the sciences and professions where Negroes have, almost unnoticed, been coming into their own. He earns no more money than some plumbers ($10,000 a year), and possesses little in the way of material things.

He presents an unimposing figure: he is 5 ft. 7 in., weighs a heavy-chested 173 lbs., dresses with funereal conservatism (five of six suits are black, as are most of his neckties). He has very little sense of humor. He never heard of Y.A. Tittle or George Shearing, but he can discourse by the hour about Thoreau, Hegel, Kant and Gandhi.

God raises up unlikely people at the right time.  We can't say that the civil rights movement was lucky to have Dr. King.  We can say that Dr. King had God's anointing and that made the difference.

The story of David and Goliath is so well known that it's almost cliche.  David is the ultimate example of an unlikely warrior.  A boy that couldn't fit in the armor and couldn't lift a sword became the champion of a nation.  How could a boy beat a great warrior?  The answer is he can't.  It's impossible.  And that's where God comes in.

So what battles are you fighting?  In life there are many trials that seem insurmountable.  But God equips us to fight the battles that we are called to face.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.  Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,  and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. - Ephesians 6:10-18