Winning the War

Losing some battles does not mean the war is lost.

In “Your Repentance Doesn’t Burden Jesus Christ; It Brightens His Joy“, Sister Tamara W. Runia states, “I testify that while God cares about our mistakes, He cares more about what happens after we make a mistake.” That sentiment carries with it a new perspective on what happens when we sin and fall short of our potential.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ tells us what will happen at the end of the earth’s temporal existence. Christ will overcome Satan, and every person will receive a glory commensurate with their choices on this earth. That means that Christ will win the war.

Winning Is a Choice

What does Christ’s winning the war mean for us? To me, it means that if we choose to follow Him, repent of our mistakes, and keep our covenants, we will be allowed to live with Christ and God. Our battles are the ones we wage against sin. Sometimes we win, and receive blessings as a result. Sometimes we lose these battles. However, losing some battles does NOT mean we lose the war. If we will repent, we can overcome the lost battle and still be on the Savior’s victorious side.

When I was 16, I played baseball in a Babe Ruth league. One game, I was on the pitcher’s mound when the batter hit a comebacker right at me. I didn’t have much time to react, and the ball struck me right on the snap of my pants. If you’ve never been hit by a moving baseball on the metal snap of the pants, let me tell you it hurts. I had a choice to make right then and there. Would I go down in pain and allow the batsman to reach first base safely, or would I pick up the ball and throw him out? I did the latter and then took inventory of whether I was really injured or just sore.

This is similar to when we sin. It feels like a baseball has hit us in the snap of our pants. We can succumb to that pain and give in to the thought that we can’t win, or we can pick ourselves up, continue walking the path, take stock of how to make things right, and repent.

Our Worth Never Changes

In her address, Sister Runia raised one hand high above her head. “Imagine that this hand represents worth.” For me, it was a poignant reminder that God values us above all. Sister Runia goes on to explain that at various points in our lives, our obedience leads us towards or away from this worth. Our obedience doesn’t change our worth; rather, it shows how close we are to what our Father in Heaven knows we can be.

If life were an equation, our worth would be a constant. It remains, regardless of the forces applied. Nothing can change our worth.

God knows our worth, and He wants us to live up to it. He has given us the commandments as “directions how you may act before me, that it may turn to you for your salvation” (Doctrine and Covenants 82:9).

As we keep the commandments, our covenants, and stay on the covenant path, we can be saved and exalted. We can win the war, even if we lose some battles. We can say even as Paul, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing” (2 Timothy 4:7-8)

Conclusion

I invite you not to surrender when you lose a battle. Repent, get up, fight the good fight! The end is already known. Jesus and God win! The Atonement of Jesus Christ has made it possible for us to be on that victorious side.