"Off With The Weight!"

History records that as the army of Alexander the Great was advancing on Persia, it appeared that his troops might be defeated. The soldiers had taken so much plunder from their previous campaigns that they had become weighted down and were losing their effectiveness in combat.

Alexander commanded that all the spoils be thrown into a heap and burned. The men complained bitterly but soon saw the wisdom of the order. A historian later wrote, “It was as if wings had been given to them — they walked lightly again.”

Victory was assured.

As soldiers of Christ, we must rid ourselves of anything that hinders us in the conflict with our spiritual enemy (1 Peter 5:8). To fight the battle effectively, we must be clad only with the armor of God (Ephesians 6:11-17).

The New Testament also likens Christians to runners (1 Corinthians 9:24-27; cf. Galations 2:2; Galations 5:7; Philippians 2:16). To win the race, we must “lay aside every weight” that would drag us down and rob us of our strength and endurance (Hebrews 12:1). This weight may be an excessive desire for possessions, the captivating love of money, an endless pursuit of pleasure, slavery to sinful passions, or a burdensome legalism.

Yes, if we are to fight the good fight of faith and run the spiritual race with endurance, the watchword must be — “Off with the weight!”

—Mike Riley, Gospel Snippets