May 18 – The Warrior’s Identity in Christ

 Galatians 2:20

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

SITREP:
Your past does not define you—Christ does. No matter what you have done or experienced, your identity is now found in Him, and He calls you redeemed.

Paul wrote these words to the believers in Galatia during a time of intense theological conflict. Many were being pulled back into old religious traditions, thinking that salvation depended on a mixture of faith and personal effort. Paul wasn’t having it. He draws the line and declares the truth in one of the boldest identity statements in Scripture: “The old me is dead. Christ lives in me now.”

For Paul, this wasn’t abstract doctrine—it was personal. He had blood on his hands. He’d hunted down believers, stood by while they were stoned, and led the charge against the very faith he now preached. If anyone had a past that should’ve haunted him, it was Paul. But here he is—standing in the full freedom of God, claiming a new identity not based on what he had done, but on what Jesus had done for him.

Breaking Down the Verse:

• “I have been crucified with Christ” – The person you were—the one shaped by war, trauma, sin, or shame—is no longer the one who stands before God. That version of you was nailed to the cross with Jesus. It’s dead and buried.
• “I no longer live, but Christ lives in me” – You are not trying to earn your way into new life. That new life already lives in you. Jesus doesn’t just forgive you—He takes over.
• “The life I now live… I live by faith” – You still breathe. You still walk. But now you operate under new orders—faith in the Son of God is your driving force, not fear, shame, or regret.
• “Who loved me and gave Himself for me” – This isn’t about religious duty. It’s about being loved deeply and sacrificially by the One who knew everything about you and still chose to die in your place.

How This Reshapes a Soldier’s Faith:

You’ve worn the uniform. You’ve walked through dark places. Maybe you’ve made choices in the heat of combat that you still think about today. Maybe you’ve wondered: Is this who I’ve become now? Is what I did the final word on who I am?

Here’s the answer from Galatians 2:20: No.
That part of you? Crucified.
Your identity? Redeemed.
Your story? Not erased, but rewritten.

• You are no longer defined by the worst moment of your life.
• You are not bound by what war took from you or made you do.
• You are not the man left behind on that battlefield, in that barracks, or in that silent struggle back home.

You are now someone in whom Christ lives. That doesn’t mean you forget what happened—but it does mean you don’t let it speak louder than the cross.

This is not about ignoring the past. It’s about refusing to let it chain you anymore. When Christ took your sin, shame, and failures to the cross, He buried them there. And when He rose, He didn’t leave you in that grave.

ENDEX:
Your past may have shaped you, but it does not own you. Galatians 2:20 is your call sign in Christ: That man is gone. The one who walks forward is alive in Jesus. You’re not dragging your identity behind you anymore—you’re walking with a Savior who lives inside you.

So square your shoulders. Lift your head. And keep moving forward—not as the man who was, but as the man who has been made new.

AAR (After Action Review):
Have you experienced a moment where God redefined your identity—where your past no longer held you hostage? Share your story. Another warrior might need to hear how Christ made you new so they can believe the same for themselves.

Make your voice count—share what you’ve lived.

Share your experiences in the comments below. Your words could encourage someone else walking a similar path.

If you're comfortable, include as much or as little personal detail as you’d like. We suggest:

• Name
• Veteran, Retired, Family Member etc.
• Service Branch
• Years of Service (or Deployment Dates and Locations)

Every story matters—and yours might be exactly what someone else needs to hear.