The news has been filled with pictures of soldiers making ready for war. We have been impressed with the protection they have against being killed and the weapons they have to succeed. And we have been impressed with the difficulty of their task – not knowing when combat will occur and preparing to fight in most unpleasant conditions.
It has always been thus for soldiers. The apostle Paul saw Roman soldiers all day every day during his imprisonment and could see in them the basis of an exhortation for the believers. The disciples of Christ also are prepared for combat, but it is not combat to conquer other nations or to defend one’s own homeland. Our combat is against sin in all its forms.
Like the soldier, our lives are at stake sometimes when we least expect it and sometimes under the most difficult of conditions. Like the soldier, we not only have to defend ourselves against the attacks of the enemy but we must also move forward, bringing victory to the honor of our leader and king.
To perform his role, the soldier required the right equipment and so do we. Clothed with the whole armour of God, the saint will have the equipment to be able “to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand” (Eph. 6:13).
The enemy
If we are to be effective soldiers of Christ, we must have a clear picture of the enemy in our minds. All around us, now more than ever in these last days, the armies of darkness rule the world. This world hates the army of light and all it stands for. So if we don’t fight with all our hearts, we will fall prey to the evil of man’s heart.
Human nature both within and without is the formidable enemy of us all. At one time, it could be said of the Ephesian brethren, “in time past ye walked according to the course of this world…in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by [following our] nature the children of wrath, even as others” (Eph. 2:2-3).
But now they were redeemed, forgiven of sin and heirs of the promises. They could stay that way, however, only if they put on the whole armor of God and used it effectively.
The girdle of Truth
This refers to a belt which held the soldier’s other articles of clothing in place. It prevented his equipment from slipping out of place and thereby giving the advantage to his enemy.
The same function is served by our conviction in the Truth of the gospel. When our conviction of the first principles is weak, we become highly vulnerable to enemy attacks. A strong conviction keeps us from being disturbed by the quandaries of life or being weakened in our walk by the mocking doubts of unbelievers. The world will say, “Come, walk with me, there’s nothing wrong with doing our own thing.” But if our buckle of truth is tightened securely about us, we will not be nearly as exposed to the advances of the enemy.
The breastplate of righteousness
“LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle…he that…speaketh the truth in his heart” (Psa. 15:1-2). God must abide in our hearts. His principles of uprightness and justice must be matters that we not just accede to but that we really love. We need to be imitators of God in this regard, “put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness…I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth: for in these things I delight” (Eph. 4:24; Jer. 9:24).
If we develop a real affection for righteousness, the appeals of sin will appear repulsive to us.
Feet shod with the gospel of peace
The Roman soldier was a warrior, a member of an army that conquered his world. But once an area was subdued, he became an instrument for ensuring social peace.
The soldier of Christ is involved in a much greater warfare – the conquest of sin and death. He brings with him a message of freedom from sin and peace with God. And as the Roman soldier could not remain sedentary in order to accomplish his task, neither can we. We must be swift in carrying the word of life to others and we must be running and fighting our way to the kingdom. Furthermore, we must be swift to ensure that once peace comes to a person or to an ecclesia, we do not let personal animosities or uncertain details of Bible exposition disrupt the harmony of an ecclesia.
The shield of faith
The Romans in Paul’s time supplied all soldiers with shields. They were large and of key importance in protecting the soldier from aerial attacks from javelins, arrows and flaming arrows.
They were designed to be effective when used in consort with a group of soldiers. As the soldier marched toward the enemy, the opposing archers would launch volleys of arrows that would rain down on the Roman formation. Many times flaming arrows were used which could cause panic in the advancing phalanx. The key to Roman success was the discipline of their units. As the rain of arrows was launched, the commander would order the ranks closed and all shields to be held aloft. Together the soldiers would hold up their shields, protecting themselves and their comrades as they formed a virtual roof of defense over the unit. After a volley had subsided, the force would move forward in unison, each man putting his fear aside for the sake of others.
In our walk in Christ, the same principle holds true. The unwavering faith of many united together serves to provide better protection than one person isolated by himself. While one person may be strong for an attack from one direction, another may be strong in a different area. By strengthening and protecting one another we become stronger as a community than we would as disparate individuals.
The helmet of salvation
Salvation means deliverance and preservation from the moral and spiritual evils of the world around us and protection from eternal death. Our minds need to be filled with the word of God that we might cleanse our way from sin. And we need to remember the gracious forgiveness we have in Christ lest we be overcome by despair when we fall into sin.
Without such protection, we are vulnerable to fatal blows from enticement to sin and from the feeling of hopelessness.
The sword of the spirit
Without his sword, the Roman soldier would have to turn tail and run. He needed to be able to smite the enemy when opportunity arose.
Christ was able to do so in the wilderness temptation by using his intimate grasp of the Word of God. He later said to his disciples, “He that is of God heareth God’s words” (John 8:47). The way for us to hear God is by reading His message to us. If we do not have this sword of the word, we are unarmed soldiers of Christ.
Furthermore, we must be masters of our weapon as was our Lord. It is important to remember that most of our battles are within us. That means waging our warfare will be painful because we must strike at the source of evil that is found in our own hearts. Actually we can test ourselves as to whether or not we are really in the army of Christ: When we strike the enemy down with the sword, is the pain felt in our own being? Does our heart feel as though it is the one that has been struck?
If the law of our mind makes peace and establishes a truce with the desires of our flesh and of our mind, we will no longer have conflict but we will have lost the battle and the war.
Communication with the leader
Praying is how we as soldiers can keep in touch with our high command. There must always be a communication link between ourselves and the Father.
If we ask, seek and knock, our commander will help us wage the war He has directed us to fight. If we put our armor on, learn the use of the sword, keep in close touch with Him and follow His commands, we will prevail.
We will go on from strength to strength, tread down the powers of darkness and win the well-fought day. Then, having done all things well and with our conflicts past, we will overcome, through Christ alone, and stand complete at last (from Hymn 283).
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One