“And you will hear of wars and rumours of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet.” (Matthew 24:6).
I dread to think how many wars have passed since this verse was written. Not to mention the millions of lives that have been brought to an abrupt end by the hands of sinful men. Thousands of years later and nothing has changed. The scripture still rings as true today as it did back then and there is no cause to be alarmed. God has not given us a spirit of fear (2Tim1:7).
Ultimately, whether it is 1940 or 2040, man will continue to commit acts of aggression upon his fellow man because he does not truly understand his own nature. True humanity is grasped through the knowledge that every single one of us, friend or foe, is made in the image of God. This truth forces a person to see that despite our many differences, we share a common ground and it’s this ground that should be the basis to all of our actions. Acknowledging who we are in God is vital, without it we cannot be said to properly fulfil the second of the two great commandments; to love our neighbour as ourselves.
A War Like No Other
When two nations are brought to the precipice of war, the inhabitants of those lands must feel an overwhelming sense of powerlessness. As Christians, we are partaking in a truly justified and necessary war, the battle for souls. If you too are feeling powerless, remind yourself of this truth – “greater is he that is within me, than he who is in this world” (1John4:4). Take heart, Christ the victor is on our side and he has promised to neither leave nor forsake us.
Throughout history, propaganda has been used to harness a warped sense of nationalistic pride, in order to compel soldiers into the battlefield. Our war is very different to this. There is to be no promotion of pride, instead we invoke the necessity of humility. Where they fight for power, resources or land, we fight for the sake of the truth and for righteousness.
They receive their mission statements from military leaders and heads of state but we get our great commission statement from the head of the church; King Jesus “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation” (Mark 16:15) . There is only one Lord to give us our marching orders and it’s not Kitchener. Rather than “your country needs you”, we proclaim that “all countries need Christ”.
Called Up
When we become Christians, we’re enlisted in the army of the Lord and are made soldiers of the most high God. There is no conscription involved here and nobody is called up against their will kicking and screaming. We are a chosen crew, made up of soldiers from all sorts of different backgrounds, languages and races.
Elected by God to serve, not because of anything good in us or because we impressed during basic selection but rather because by his grace, he has had mercy on us. From that moment on, we are in a spiritual war and we immediately see frontline service in what seems to us now to be, a foreign land – enemy occupied territory.
Upon the battleground of our hearts, Christ has already prevailed and has been crowned the Lord of our lives. As for our souls, which were once lost; being carried away as spoils by the enemy, they are now safely in the hands of their rightful owner.
The Fields Are Ripe
Though the war has been won, we are still expected to be engaged in the ongoing conflict. There are to be no conscientious objectors in this war. All soldiers must be prepared to do battle on two major fronts: on foreign fields for the cause of the gospel and on home soil, where there are several more personal battles to overcome.
Satan has caused many a man to batten down the hatches of his heart whenever he sees the gospel message advancing upon his position. He delights to watch as millions of people bank up the trenches of their souls with the sandbags of sin or to witness as their hearts become so cold, that they begin to suffer from a severe case of frostbite. However true this may be, we should not be discouraged. Ultimately, it’s the Lord who decides to open hearts and flood them with his mercy, just like he did to Lydia of Thyatira. The fields are ripe and we must pray that God would send his most bold and courageous soldiers behind enemy lines, armed with nothing more than the gospel of peace.
Fall In
Fighting can be seen as part of our reasonable service and we must remain vigilant and disciplined “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).
There is no fellowship between darkness and light, therefore there can be no camaraderie with the enemies of the cross. Satan longs to introduce us to those of his own battalion in order to lure us away from our comrades in Christ. Nevertheless, we are to love them just as Jesus did, being as harmless as a dove but as wise as a serpent.
This doesn’t mean we spend zero time with the unsaved (that would be silly) but there shouldn’t be a big imbalance of time spent with those who are of this world, since we who have been called up have also been called out from it through Christ. Thus, we must desire to keep more regular company with the soldiers of our own regiment. We are to fall in line and march forwards together, keeping in step with the spirit.
A War To Study
When I was first called to Christ, I had the knowledge necessary for salvation but lacked a deeper understanding of the faith that I had been given, this came later. It was as though I knew there was a war going on but hadn’t fully realised the reality of the war and my newfound role within it.
The soldier who fails to get a detailed enough lay of the land is in danger and the word of God provides us with every opportunity to learn from previous battles. The good and bad should both be studied, lessons are to be learnt from the triumphs and the tribulations.
For a good example of handling temptation, it would serve us well to look at Joseph and see how he dealt with the situation concerning Potiphar’s wife. For trusting in the power and provision of God, we needn’t look any further than the story of David and Goliath.
Before this famous encounter, King Saul is said to have dressed the young shepherd boy in his royal armour. Once David had strapped Saul’s sword around his waist and had begun to walk around, he said: “I cannot go with these, for I have not tested them” (1Sam.17:39). He wasn’t familiar with the King’s armour and wasn’t at all convinced that it would protect him as well as five smooth stones, a trusty staff and a strong faith in God could.
David stuck with what he knew best and believed that there was no greater protection than the armour of God. He fully trusted that the Lord would rescue him from the hands of the gigantic Philistine, who had dared to defy the armies of the living God. The terrain of life may be different now, the tactics may need to be tweaked but despite all this, we still fight the same adversary as they faced.
New Recruits
Unlike seasoned veterans, new recruits have very limited experience in the act of resisting. All things have become new and this includes being thrust into a spiritual war and being expected to hold your own. We are called to strive for holiness and to make forward progress in our sanctification. In time, knowledge and wisdom will increase, as will our ability to withstand temptation, resulting in sudden onslaughts being quelled more successfully.
As CS Lewis wisely said “Only those who try to resist temptation know how strong it is. You find out the strength of the wind by trying to walk against it, not by lying down. We never find out the strength of the evil impulse inside of us until we try to fight it.” This takes determination to the cause of holiness.
In the early days of our enlistment, we are still in our spiritual infancy and as a result we’re not particularly well drilled. All God’s armour and equipment is laid out for us but we’re a bit slow in getting it on. Added to that, our sense of self is still pretty strong and so we tend to trust in our own defences a little too much and wonder why they are easily breached.
Two things are quickly learned as a result: 1. the necessity of trusting and putting on the full armour of God and 2. that we should never underestimate the power of the enemy. Not an inch of ground should be given to him because he will certainly give us no quarter and show us no mercy “The thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy” (John 10:10).
Food For The Fight
I am grateful to God for the fact, that I was unemployed when he called me up because it meant that I had plenty of time to read the scriptures for myself. As babes in Christ, we are to crave spiritual milk before progressing onto something more substantial, once we’re able to keep the food down ok. They say ‘an army marches on it’s stomach’ and soldiers of the Lord cannot expect to cover much ground, if they continue to leave themselves spiritually malnourished.
It’s also important to develop a more discerning palate, so that whenever we chew over what we have heard, we will be able to taste the truth, “For the ear tests words as the palate tastes food” (Job34:3). Once our palates are fully informed, then our tastebuds will be ready to reject those, who with unclean hands try to spoon-feed us lies.
Like a freshly planted tree, it’s necessary to grow deeper roots and establish a strong foundation, so as not to be blown over by every wind of false doctrine.
Be On Your Guard
Unexpectedly, threats can present themselves from within our own ranks because some of the enemies number have crept in unnoticed (Jude4:4). At first, they may seem to be a legitimate part of our regiment, they appear to be wearing the same uniform as us, they speak highly of the commander-in-chief, but inwardly they are impostors. We ought not to be surprised by such wolfs who come dressed in sheep’s clothing, as Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light (2Cor.11:14). Whether they realise it or not, they are deceitful workers who will “go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived” (2Tim.3:13).
Many new recruits have been tripped up by these infidels who have infiltrated their way into the church and have ended up being caught, in a web of theological barbwire. Only a diligent study of the Bible will free us from becoming entangled in this way and if we are guided into all truth by the Holy Spirit then we will avoid all such injuries.
Persevere
Raising the white flag is not an option and neither is withdrawing our troops from the frontline whenever the going gets tough. Surrendering is out of the question altogether, we must stand our ground.
We will incur temporary injuries, the fiery darts will find their way through and sometimes we may have to pick each other up from off the battlefield and dress each others wounds with the healing words of Christ. In the end, it’s God’s spirit which renews our strength and the best salve for our sores has already been applied to us, the salvation of Jesus.
When battle scars appear, they will soon fade over night and be replaced with new mercies by the early morning light, with their memory only serving to ensure that we’ll be better prepared the next time around. At the earliest report of an incoming attack, we will already be suited and booted in the armour of God ready and willing to do battle.
Know Your Enemy
Thankfully, we do not come to know our enemy in the same way we come to know God. We develop our understanding of who God is by drawing near to him and by being intimate, with the enemy we learn more by our resistance to him, in putting up a fight. Besides, if we were privy to all of Satan’s demonic designs that would be a dreadful thing. So we are not to study his character in the same way we do with God but we should definitely be aware of the specific strategies he likes to deploy.
When we resist the Devils temptations he is said to flee from us (James4:7) but this is no cause to celebrate. In due course, he will regroup and mount another attack. Though it is impossible for the enemy to render a fatal blow to the saints of God, this by no means prevents him from trying to inflict as much damage as possible. In fact, with every loss, he redoubles his efforts and endeavours the next time round to make a more tactical approach, preferably an incognito one where he can fly in under the radar when we least expect it.
If the tempter gets his way and causes us to sin, then he will almost routinely command his artillery forces to fire round after round of accusations at us. He hopes that this will cause us to loosen our grip on the sword of the spirit and cripple us with doubt as to the prepared victory. He desires to pull our focus away from the leader and send us away with our heads down, wallowing in self pity. We must not listen to him, our chins must remain up with our eyes firmly fixed on the hills, from where our help shall come (Psalm 121:1).
The Sword Of The Spirit
Satan comes to rob us of our faith in Christ, not because he desires it for himself but because he hates its object. He already believes in God and trembles, but by the work of Christ he has been put to an open shame. He knows that it’s our faith in Jesus that overcomes the world and so he works continuously to try and disarm us of it, if only temporarily. Faith then, can be seen as not only the saints shield but also as his firm grip upon the sword of the spirit (the word of God) which we must cling to ever so tightly, as it contains all of his precious promises.
Sending a soldier out to battle with just the shield of faith will not suffice. Yes, on the whole he will be able to protect himself and repel the enemies arrows but he will not be well armed enough for the fight. In Ephesians chapter six, we are told to “put on the full armour of God” (6:11) so each piece of equipment is essential and no soldier worth his salt would leave his sword back at base camp. It’s our faith in the power of the sword which is our ultimate strength. Sword and shield must go together.
It’s through the sword of the spirit that we are given every piece of armour and this is the only sword by which it is safe to say, that we must live and die by it, to the glory of God. “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.” (Matt.10:34)
Every saint has received first-hand experience of the kind of power this sword possesses, being circumcised through the heart by it (Rom. 2:29). So we have seen and heard what it is capable of doing, understanding that it is “sharper than any two-edged sword, even penetrating as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Heb. 4:12).
It is also alive and active, much like every successful soldier and as Blake says in his famous poem, this sword shall not sleep in our hands.
When the Lord was tempted by the enemy, he chose to wield the sword on several different occasions using the words “it is written” to stave off the enemies attacks. In this intriguing encounter in the wilderness, we also see Satan using the word of God, albeit unskilfully. He had no right in handling the most Holy sword and because he is of an unclean spirit, it meant the Lord could knock it from out of his limp hands with ease “Again it is written, ‘you shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” (Matt.4:7).
We must learn to follow Christ’s example and through constant practice become more skilful swordsmen, ever trusting in it’s power to both save and destroy. The more familiar we are with the sword of the spirit, the stronger our grip of faith shall be. So hold fast to God and to the sufficiency of his word. There is nothing more powerful than it in the world. Neglect it at your peril.
Spiritual Discipline
An athlete must be put through a strict and often gruelling training regime to be fit enough for a marathon and a soldier likewise must be disciplined in order to learn how to fight the good fight of faith (1Tim.6:12). Paul writes in Hebrews “Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered” (5:8) and if we are shooting for Christ-likeness then we too must in some measure “share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus” (2Tim.2:3).
Obedience is the key to our spiritual health. A yes to God is a no to the enemy and it’s in Christ where all our yeses are found (2Cor.1:20). Do not suppose that there is some kind of spiritual ‘no mans land’ where a soldier can be found limping between two opinions (1Kin18:21), if this were the case then he would be nothing more than a sitting duck in the sights of Satan’s munitions. There isn’t any room for unstable men on the battlefield, you are either for Christ or against him. “Choose this day whom you will serve” (Josh.24:15).
Certain Victory
Jesus Christ took the bullet of sin for us. He did this wholly out of love, willingly choosing to lay down his mighty arms. He could have called a legion of angels to save him but he decided not to, being “obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Phil2:8). This was not done by way of surrender, but by way of sacrifice and it led him and shall lead all those who believe in him, to ultimate victory.
Though we may feel so utterly outnumbered in this spiritual war, do not be afraid, as Oliver Cromwell said almost 400 years ago “a few honest men are better than numbers”. The official statistics are not known and there is to be no record of enlistment kept on earth. Instead, we must concern ourselves with our main mission which is to see with our own eyes those names which have been listed in the Lamb’s book of life. This really is a co-mission; with God working in and through us by his Holy spirit, to call those whom he has chosen.
Perilous times shall surely come, but take courage beloved saints because “The battle is not your’s but God’s” (2.Chron20:15). Remember our two most powerful battle cries which are well known to send shivers through the enemy ranks: “It is finished” and “he is risen”.
“Now unto him who is able to keep you from stumbling and present you blameless before the presence of his glory” (Jude1:24) – Where on that day we shall all be gathered together, for that final victory parade. Until then, may you be given the grace to sing along with the following words, taken from the song below: “In every victory, let it be said of me, my source of strength, my source of hope, is Christ alone.”
