The Daily Grace - Last Line of Defense

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, was the site of a battle that turned the tide of America's Civil War. One of the focal points of the conflict was a rocky knoll called Little Round Top where Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain and the men of the 20th Maine Infantry stood their ground. Had the Confederate troops gotten past Chamberlain's men, some historians believe the Union army would have been surrounded - possibly leading to the loss of the war. The "20th Maine" was the last line of defense.

Followers of Christ are also engaged in a vital war. As we battle "the wiles of the devil" (Eph. 6:11), we are called to wear the armor of God and to stand firm in the conflict (vv. 10-18). And like Gettysburg soldiers, we have a "last line of defense". For us, though, this defense is greater than any human force.

In Romans 8:31-39, Paul says that our ultimate confidence is in the undying love of Christ. So complete is our protection that nothing can "separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (v. 39). When the enemy seems overwhelming and all seems lost, remember, we have an unbeatable last line of defense: "We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us" (v. 37). God's plan always leads to victory.