What Are You Fighting For? - Joan Of Arc - The One Year Women in Christian History Devotional

1412–31

You probably know some of the story of Joan of Arc. This French teenager donned armor to lead her nation to stunning victories. When the enemy captured her, they falsely convicted her of heresy and burned her at the stake.

It’s an inspirational story, but it’s not always clear what it should inspire us to do.

Joan, a simple village girl, had religious visions supporting King Charles VII of France, who was being defeated by English armies and by a French faction that disputed his claim to the throne. Her vision-stoked fervor compelled her to seek a meeting with the king, though this was very difficult for a simple village girl. After going through several intermediaries, she finally met the king and spoke of her visions. Then she rallied the French to get behind their king and drive out the English. Wearing custom-made armor and waving a banner (she wasn’t fond of weapons), she stormed into battle again and again, leading the troops to a number of surprise victories. Despite being wounded a few times, she succeeded in regaining French territory and seeing Charles officially crowned.

Then it all fell apart. She was captured by the French rebels, who sold her to the English; they conducted a sham heresy trial. (Her biggest crime, it seems, was wearing pants.) Pause a moment to consider that all the parties in this dispute were ostensibly “Christian,” which is why her enemies had to twist the church law to subdue her. Years later, she was officially exonerated and even sainted.

But what are we to do with Joan? Consider the power of paying attention to God and following his call. The idea of divine visions might be off-putting to some, but God leads people in all sorts of ways. How is he leading you? Are you paying attention?

And then, what are you willing to risk in order to follow God’s call? Don’t start making excuses—that you’re not smart enough, rich enough, talented enough. Joan was just a country kid, but she was paying attention and following through. What does God want you to fight for, and how will you do that?

We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments.

2 Corinthians 10:3-4