Christian Soldiers

When you accepted Christ as your Savior, you joined His army!

All Christians are Soldiers: “Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.  No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.  (2 Timothy 2:3-4).  “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  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 6:11-12).

Satan hates that you accepted Christ.  From the moment of salvation to the end of our lives, we will be battling against Satan, the world, and the flesh.  It can be a blessed and victorious battle.  Get armed for the fight!

We will be in combat with him when we witness verbally and by our lives: When Peter and the apostles were commanded not to teach in Jesus’ name, and were accused of filling Jerusalem with the doctrine of Jesus, he answered, ”We ought to obey God rather than men.  The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.  Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.  And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.  (Acts 5:29-32).

Peter instructed the early Christians, “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.  For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.”  (1 Peter 3:15-17)

Jesus commissioned Paul  “To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.  (Acts 26:18)

We are to fight against evil: Paul and Silas planted a new church in Thessalonica.  Later, they received a report on the results of their ministry.  “For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; (1 Thessalonians 1:9).

Paul taught the Thessalonian Christians, “For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication.  That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God: That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter, because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified.  For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.  (1 Thessalonians 4:4-7.) Christians are to be different and leave behind their old immoral practices.

We are to be diligent in our defense of the faith.  There are many warnings throughout the New Testament about false teachers.  Don’t be gullible and follow any good-sounding preacher or teacher.  Check them out to see if they are faithful to the Word of God.  Jude writes, “It was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.  For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness (lawlessness, wantonness, immorality), and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Jude 3-4).

Be eager to promote goodness, righteousness, high moral standards, and love.  “And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.  The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.  Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.  But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.  (Romans 13:11-14)

In all the battles, speak the truth in love.  (Ephesians 4:15).

This old hymn expresses it well:

Am I a Soldier of the cross, A follower of the Lamb?
And shall I fear to own His cause, or blush to speak His name?

Must I be carried to the skies On flow-‘ry beds of ease
While others fought to win the prize, And sailed thro’ bloody seas?

Are there no foes for me to face?  Must I not stem the flood?
Is this vile world a friend to grace, To help me on to God?

Sure I must fight, if I would reign; Increase my courage Lord;
I’ll bear the toil, endure the pain, Supported by Thy Word.

The words are from “Am I a Soldier of the Cross” by Isaac Watts in 1709.
Click here to listen to this grand old hymn.