“Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.”
Whether we know it or not we are in a life and death battle. Those who claim to believe the truth must recognize the literal, horrific war that we are in. We need to understand what this great conflict is all about, and understand what it means to be one of God’s warriors.
There are only two sides in this war. No one is forced to serve one commander or the other, but like it or not, if we are not helping one then we are helping the other. We are either on one side or the other, there is no middle ground. If we try to “sit on the fence” by not choosing a side then we choose the side of the enemy by default because if we are not helping Jesus then we are against Him and helping His enemy instead.
Our Commander, Jesus Christ, wants us to live and be happy, but there is an enemy that has attacked Him. Because this enemy cannot touch Jesus he wants to hurt and kill us.
“Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.”
When we enlist in the Army of Jesus we have a responsibility to be true, loyal soldiers, and as such we need to meet the requirements found in the Soldier’s Handbook, the Holy Bible. We have been assigned a mission to enlist everyone to become soldiers for Jesus, and as Christian warriors it is our duty to do things as efficiently and effectively as possible.
“There must be a complete surrender of the passions, will, and ways to the will of the Master.”
In the US Army you are trained to take care of your body. You can be court marshaled for even getting a sunburn that keeps you from doing your duty. In the Army of Jesus you will need to take care of your body too. You need to be able to hear, see, feel, smell, and even taste as well as possible so as to protect yourself and those around you.
Even your passions must be controlled. If you “love” the person in bed with you so much that you are not fighting for their freedom then you both will be killed by the enemy of Jesus. To be most effective there cannot be anything that dulls your senses. Your duty to Jesus comes first.
In the US Army you are trained to listen and obey even if u don’t understand. You must be willing to trust your leader. (That trust in him is built up over time from stories of his past and from your own personal experience.) As Christian warriors faith and trust grow in our Leader too. From the stories we hear and from the personal time we spend with Jesus we come to love and trust Him. We learn that we can obey Him even when we don’t understand any of what He is asking us to do because we know that what He is asking us to do is in our best interest.
Jesus tells everyone what the goal of this battle is, but the details may be seen only as the war progresses. In an earthly army the soldiers are not privileged to hear the whole battle plan. That information is secret with the leader. In the Army of Jesus we may not know every details of His battle plan either, but He gives us our “marching orders” and trusts us to faithfully do exactly what He has asked us to do.
The way we do things must be guided by our desire to do exactly what He asks us to do. Even our own personal desires have to be controlled because we know that if self comes before duty then we are not totally surrendering ourselves to Him as Commander in Chief; we are not ready to be trusted in His Army. We are not on the side of Jesus if we are concerned about getting what’s due to us rather than being concerned about His honor.
In the US Army you are taught that personal hygiene and the way you care for your clothes, even the way you wear them are extremely important. You are a representative of the United States Army. Your fingernails are expected to be cut short and kept clean. Even the line created by your shirt and the zipper on your pants must line up.
As soldiers in the Army of Christ we represent Him. The clothes we wear tell others about our commitment to our Commander in Chief. If we wear clothes that are not clean or appear to have been thrown in the corner of our room the night before then we are telling others that we really don’t care about how others see Jesus and His army. We are also telling them that Jesus doesn’t really care about us.
In an earthly army we are told plainly that there are things that will happen that will hurt and may even kill some of us, but we are reminded of the reasons for the war. Jesus openly tells us ahead of time of the costs of enlisting in His Army. He tells us that it will be hard and that some of us will die, but He also reminds us of the goals and the outcome. He promises us that He will make everything new again, and He promises us a full life that will never end. He even goes so far as to prove to us that what He is telling us is true.
“Don’t be afraid of what you are about to suffer. The devil will throw some of you into prison to test you. You will suffer .... But if you remain faithful even when facing death, I will give you the crown of life.”
“Our work is to obey the orders of the mighty General of armies. A strong and active bodily organization is to be maintained. The senses must be enlightened as to perfect obedience; duties are to be done which cannot always be seen as essential; but now comes in the necessity of faith in a higher wisdom and power than your own. Have faith in God, unshaken faith in the skill and ability and fidelity of your Commander, who knows the plan of the battle.” - The Upward Look
d
———
The Christian Soldier's Creed
I am a soldier in the army of Jesus Christ. I choose Jesus as my Commander in Chief. His entire creation is being attacked.
I am a soldier, and I am making it my duty to do everything I can to assist Jesus. He wants to give us a life that never ends, real freedom, and happiness that will grow continuously forever, but all of that is under attack.
I am a soldier, and I choose to fight against our enemy (the evil one, the devil). The devil pretends to give us a fun-filled life, but I have seen that in the end he will actually make up miserable and then kill us. The devil pretends to give us liberty, but I have seen that his form of liberty is actually like a ball and chain, inside a dark, cold, suffocating prison. The devil pretends to want give us happiness, but I have seen that his version of happiness ends in nothing but misery and death.
I am a soldier, and I will care for my body. My life, and the lives of those around me, depends on it. I will eat and drink only what tends to make me healthier. I will exercise both my body and my mind in the fresh air and natural sunlight, and I will rest when I am told. I will even work to perfect my senses, skills and talents so that I will better be able to fight for Jesus and ward off the attacks of our enemy.
I am a soldier in the army of Jesus, and that means that how I dress and even my personal hygiene will tell others what I think of Jesus.
My weapons in the fight are:
a) The truth about God. (It's like a belt that encompasses everything else.)
b) God’s righteousness. (It’s like my body armor-His righteousness is what saves me, not mine.)
c) The peacefulness of soul that comes from studying the Word of God. (It's like protective shoes that help me go everywhere.)
d) Faith in God. (I can trust Him, He is my shield.)
e) Knowing that Jesus has saved me. (It's like putting on a helmet for protection.)
f) My sword is God’s Holy Word. (It’s super sharp on both edges, sharper than a razor blade.)
I am a warrior in the army of Jesus Christ! I am His!
Jesus, help me to be loyal to You. You have given me a mission to do, help me to accomplish it perfectly. I want to bring honor to YOU!
