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By William Van Zyl
Published on 23 February 2026
The aluminium dinghy rocked violently against the grey waters near Gallipoli. Bullets sliced through the air like angry hornets, ricocheting off the camouflaged metal hull. Smoke blurred the horizon. Young soldiers lay flat, faces pressed against cold steel, aluminium and wood, praying the next shot would not find them. Among them was John Bennet. His right hand trembled over the small Bible tucked into the left upper pocket of his khaki shirt.
“God help us. Fight for us. Release Your angels to protect us. Take us safely to the beach so we can defeat the enemy.”
All hell had broken loose. Yet even as chaos roared, heaven listened.
John Bennet was spared. He lived to fight another day.
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I share my artwork with you titled: “The Battle Belongs To The Lord.”
Don’t miss the video at the end – the final crescendo.
Assemblage Artwork Description and Symbolism:
MILITARY PREPARATION:An old framed photograph of a New Zealand World War II Amphibious Craft. This represents the “Battles” which we face from time to time. However, our fight is not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers in the air (spiritual). The picture references the battle at Gallipoli (Turkey, World War 1) and spiritual battles. See the assemblage later in this post.
IMAGE: A landing party approaches the shore at Gallipoli (steam and row boats). CREDIT: Photo – Alexander Turnbull Library Ref: PA1-o-471-20-2. New Zealand.
PERSONAL PREPARATION FOR BATTLE (SMALL WOODEN BOX MOUNTED TO THE LARGE BOARD): Small wooden box with a vintage electrical shaver, shaving soap container, arms of glasses, stamps from an old letter (vintage stamp on the envelope), and a small rusted tin that flips open. Old stained wallpaper in the background.
AGED ELEMENTS OF A BATTLE THAT HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR SOME TIME (WIND, RAIN, SNOW, AND HAIL): Large rusted corrugated sheet metal as the background of the entire ART ASSEMBLY.
VINTAGE WOODEN FOLDING RULER: In battle, making calculations and making appropriate decisions.
LARGE NUMBER 39 MOUNTED ON THE CORRUGATED SHEET: Signifying the year of the start of the Second World War. However, spiritual war can be released at any time.
MEDAL WITH BURLAP RIBBON (ATTACHED TO THE SIDE OF THE WOODEN BOX: Symbolism – medal awarded to John Bennet (fictitious WW1 character) for his courage, faith and tenacity in getting safely onto the beach at Gallipoli (Turkey – ANZAC forces WW 1). The intro paragraph is based on an actual event at Gallipoli. Please note that John Bennet is a fictional soldier created by the author to add suspense.
ABOUT THE SPECIFIC DAY THE ANZACS ACTUALLY ATTACKED FROM THE SEA: The landings at Gallipoli, where ANZAC forces (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) landed on the Gallipoli Peninsula in Turkey, began on 25 April 1915. This date is commemorated annually as ANZAC Day, marking the start of an eight-month campaign that lasted until the final evacuation in January 1916
ORGANIC MATERIAL (DRIFTWOOD, GREEN DRY LEAVES, BLACK SAND GRANULES): A large piece of dry grass, driftwood, and sand from the beach attached to the main board- RESEMBLING THE BEACHES WHERE SOLDIERS HAVE BATTLED ON – from landing crafts (diesel powered boats) onto the beaches.
DETAILS OF THE LANDING SHIP:
World War II Amphibious Landing Craft
- “LCT 4001” is very likely the identification number of the Landing Craft, Tank Carrier — a type of amphibious landing craft used by Allied forces in World War II to land tanks, vehicles and troops directly onto beaches.
- These vessels were not large warships such as cruisers or battleships, but small assault craft built to support amphibious invasions (e.g., the Normandy/D-Day and Pacific landings).
- The designation “LCT” stands for Landing Craft, Tank and was standard Allied nomenclature for these vessels. Reference an authentic photograph of a New Zealand vessel.
In summary, interpreting the symbolism of the assemblage:
How Do I Groom Myself With Scriptures To Wage War Against The Wiles Of The Enemy (Satan)? I Only Have To Use My Words To Conquer Satan. Because God Will Despatch His Angel Armies (Hosts Of Heaven) To Destroy The Evil Forces Of Hell.
Opening Paragraph: Gallipoli Context (WW 1 – New Zealand landing at Gallipoli during WW 1) refers to a physical battle (not spiritual).
ART IMAGES: The assemblage – “The Battle Belongs To The Lord.”
VINTAGE PHOTO: Image of the NZ landing ship and some manufacturing details listed below: Based on available historical records, the amphibious Landing Craft (LCT 4001) was not manufactured in New Zealand. See details below the next image.
IMAGE: Close-up of the Landing Craft Tank with some tanks and men on the craft.
According to records from uboat.net and naval history resources:
- Manufacturer: LCT 4001 was built by Stockton Construction (Thornaby, U.K.).
- Laid Down: March 11, 1945.
- Launched: July 27, 1945.
- Commissioned: 1945.
LCT 4001 was part of the Mark 8 Landing Craft Tank series designed for the Royal Navy, with construction focused in British shipyards.
ABOVE – VINTAGE PHOTO: Landing Craft, Tank (LCT 4001) — World War II Amphibious Craft.
IMAGE: Burlap decoration with rusted “medal” over the “sackcloth,” awarded to a WW1 soldier. It could also represent a victory in a spiritual battle won.
The Battle Is Not What It Seems
My assemblage artwork, composed of vintage memorabilia, speaks to this tension — visible warfare and invisible conflict. At the centre of the piece is an old photograph of a New Zealand Landing Craft, used from the 1945s to the 1960s. A silent vessel on turbulent seas. It represents the battles we face — sometimes loud and violent. Taking the battle from sea to land. Taking the battle from us to the warrior angels of God. The hosts of heaven fight for us.
Yet Scripture reminds us:
“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” — Ephesians 6:12 (KJV)
The Landing Craft becomes symbolic. The real war is not merely geopolitical. It is spiritual. The apostle Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 10:3–4:
“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)”
The battle belongs to the Lord.
Military Preparation: Calculations Before Combat
Mounted onto the large rusted corrugated sheet — weathered by wind, rain, snow, and hail — is a vintage wooden folding ruler. A tool of measurement. In war, calculations determine survival. Strategy matters.
Likewise, spiritual warfare demands discernment.
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” — 1 Peter 5:8 (KJV)
The large metal number 39 fixed to the corrugated background signifies 1939 — the beginning of the Second World War. A reminder that some battles last longer than expected. Some wars stretch across generations.
The rusted corrugated iron tells its own story. Time has passed. Storms have beaten upon it. Yet it remains standing. The aged metal becomes a metaphor for enduring faith:
“Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.” — 2 Timothy 2:3 (KJV)
Personal Preparation: Grooming Before the Front Line
In contrast to military hardware, a small wooden box sits within the assemblage. Inside:
- A vintage electrical shaver
- A shaving soap container
- The arms of old spectacles
- Stamps from an aged envelope
- A small rusted tin that flips open
- Stained wallpaper as backdrop
These are intimate objects. Personal. Quiet.
Before battle, a soldier grooms himself. He prepares his face, his vision, his presentation. Spiritually, I ask: How do I groom my soul?
With Scripture.
“Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” — Ephesians 6:11 (KJV)
The spectacles represent clarity of vision.
The stamps from an old letter remind me that messages matter — words travel.
The small tin suggests something precious hidden within.
The wallpaper, stained by time, speaks of history — generational struggles.
Our preparation is not merely outward. It is inward.
“Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” — Psalm 119:11 (KJV)
Organic Remnants: The Beaches of Conflict
Driftwood. Green dry leaves. Black sand granules. A long piece of dry beach grass.
These materials resemble the very shores where soldiers once stormed ashore amid gunfire. From vessel to beach in a Landing Craft, and fragile small boats and dinghies. The movement from water to land is symbolic — from uncertainty into confrontation.
Yet Scripture declares:
“The Lord is a man of war: the Lord is his name.” — Exodus 15:3 (KJV)
And again:
“The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.” — Exodus 14:14 (KJV)
The black sand feels like residue from explosions. The driftwood appears battered but not destroyed. Nature itself testifies: storms do not have the final word.
The Word: My Only Weapon
When John Bennet lay in that dinghy praying, he had no artillery in his hands. Only words. Only faith.
When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, He did not raise a sword. He spoke Scripture:
“It is written…” — Matthew 4:4 (KJV)
Three times, He answered Satan with the Word.
My assemblage ultimately asks:
How do I groom myself with Scripture to wage war against the wiles of the enemy?
The answer is disarmingly simple:
I speak.
“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony.” — Revelation 12:11 (KJV)
The battle belongs to the Lord. I do not defeat Satan through physical strength, intellectual brilliance, or military might. God dispatches His angelic hosts:
“The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.” — Psalm 34:7 (KJV)
Heaven fights. I stand.
Conclusion: Rust, Wind, and Victory
The rusted corrugated iron, the Landing Craft photograph, the ruler, the number 39, the grooming artefacts, the beach remnants — all these elements converge into a single declaration:
Battles rage. Storms beat down. Time corrodes.
But the Lord reigns.
Like the soldiers at Gallipoli, lying low under fire, we pray:
“God help us. Fight for us. Release Your angels.”
And He does.
“The battle is the Lord’s.” — 1 Samuel 17:47 (KJV)
In the end, my assemblage is not about war.
It is about trust and faith.
The landing craft may shake.
The dinghy might be punctured.
The bullets may fly.
But heaven’s armies move unseen in the Spiritual Realm.
And victory belongs to our God.
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Dear reader, I include this video as the conclusion to SPIRITUAL WARFARE for you. A must-watch!
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Copyright © 2026 by William Van Zyl
The Battle Belongs To The Lord.
All rights reserved. This eBook/article or any portion
thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner
without the publisher’s permission, except for using brief quotations in a book review.
Published by Five House Publishing (New Zealand)
First Publishing, February 2026
More eBooks and articles are available at https://fivehousepublishing.com/
More about the author at http://williamvanzyl.com/
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Hi there. Thanks for your kind response. I appreciate your positive comment and feedback. Glad you are enjoying the posts. Regards. William Van Zyl