There comes a time in one’s journey when the masculine heart learns to fight. Not necessarily physically—that may be a part of it, but fighting can take many forms. Regardless, once entered into, battle will always be a part of the masculine journey. As the warrior matures, he will enter later stages as well, but he remains a warrior till the end of his days.
The warrior stage is when the transferring of will takes place. The will of the parents diminishes (though in the spiritual realm, parents always retain special authority in the battle for their child’s heart), while the will of the young masculine heart takes on new force. More choices are to be exercised by the young warrior. In both the spiritual and natural realms, the burden of responsibility begins to transfer from parent to child. Mom and Dad cease to do for the warrior the things he must learn to do himself.
The transition from explorer to warrior is a critical one, and it can be a bit rough. Not handled well, it can produce a twenty-five-year-old who acts more like a whiny, entitled five-year-old than a grown man. On the other hand, what do you make of a fifteen-year-old who is responsible, hardworking, and wise beyond his years? He may still be a boy, but he’s well on the road to maturity in his character.
Ready or not, like it or not, we all come of age. We become old enough to be held to a standard of behavior, held responsible for our choices, even tried as an adult in a court of law. It falls on us to choose between right and wrong, practice morality, and fashion a character that has an impact for good or not good. This is the warrior stage. The questions now become
How do I discern between good and evil?
And in a dangerous world, how do I offer my strength for good?
