Onward Christian
Soldiers
By Dale V.
Nobbman
As we begin yet
another new
year, it is a
great time for
every Christian
to once again
report for
active duty in
God’s service as
“a good soldier
of Jesus Christ”
(2 Timothy 2:3).
However,
the length of
active service
needs to be, at
the very
minimum, a
year-long
commitment and
not just another
one of those New
Year
resolutions,
which fall by
the wayside
after just a few
days.
The year 2014
will be another
year when
Christianity and
American
liberties will
be relentlessly
and increasingly
attacked by
Satan’s earthly
and demonic
forces.
This New
Year will also
be a very
important
election year
when Americans,
especially
Christian
Americans, will
have the
opportunity to
positively
affect the
governmental
leadership and
course of our
country over the
next two years.
At this critical
point in the
direction and
life of our
nation,
Christians
cannot afford to
remain silent
societal
bystanders, and
church members
cannot remain
inactive
benchwarmers.
God does
not need
reservist in our
escalating
battle against
evil.
All
Christians need
to become active
this year, not
only at the
voting booths in
May and
November, but in
every aspect of
daily life in
America.
The Bible tells
us that people
cannot serve two
masters, because
we will either
take a stand
with and for
Jesus Christ, or
else we will
have chosen
directly or
indirectly to
serve the cause
of Satan.
There is
no middle
ground!
The Word
of God as found
in the Bible
draws a line in
the sand, so to
speak, between
the only two
possible masters
in your life.
So, which
side of the line
are you on?
If you
are on the side
of Jesus Christ,
then you should
want to be “a
good soldier of
Jesus Christ.”
Sabine
Baring-Gould
wrote the words
to his hymn
titled, “Onward,
Christian
Soldiers” toward
the end of the
American Civil
War. The first
verse and
refrain are as
follows:
Onward,
Christian
soldiers,
marching as to
war, with the
cross of Jesus,
going on before.
Christ, the
royal Master,
leads against
the foe: forward
into battle, see
His banners go!
Onward,
Christian
soldiers,
marching as to
war, with the
cross of Jesus,
going on before.
Baring-Gould was
not calling for
Christians to
grab their guns
and physically
confront the
enemy on a
battlefield.
On the
contrary, he had
spiritual
warfare in mind,
as described in
Ephesians 6 of
the New
Testament, and
in the biblical
second letter of
Paul to Timothy.
The famous hymn
writer, Charles
Wesley, also had
Ephesians 6 in
mind when he
wrote the
following words
to his hymn,
“Soldiers of
Christ, Arise”:
Soldiers of
Christ, arise,
and put your
armor on.
Strong in the
strength which
God supplies
through His
eternal Son.
Strong in the
Lord of hosts,
and in His
mighty power.
Ephesians 6
speaks of
Christians
putting on the
full armor of
God, enabling us
to stand firm
against the
schemes of the
devil.
For our
struggle is not
against flesh
and blood, but
against the
rulers, against
the powers,
against the
world forces of
darkness, and
against the
spiritual forces
of wickedness.
The full armor
as described in
Ephesians 6
consists of:
1.Girding your
loins with
truth.
2. Putting on
the breastplate
of
righteousness.
3.Shoeing your
feet with the
preparation of
the
gospel.
4.Taking up the
shield of
faith.
5.Putting on the
helmet of
salvation.
6. Grasping the
sword of the
Spirit (the
Word of God).
7. Prayer
at all times.
In the book of
Timothy, the
apostle Paul
speaks about the
call, character,
caution, charge,
and comfort of
Christ’s
soldiers.
The first is a
call to have
courage:
“Do not
be ashamed of
the testimony of
our Lord…who has
saved us, and
called us with a
holy calling,
not according to
our works, but
according to His
own purpose and
grace which was
granted us in
Christ Jesus
from all
eternity, and
now has been
revealed by the
appearing of our
Savior Christ
Jesus, who
abolished death,
and brought life
and immortality
to light through
the Gospel” (2
Timothy 1:
8-10).
The second is a
call to
faithfulness:
Retain
the standard of
sound words
which you have
heard from me,
in the faith and
love which are
in Christ Jesus
(2 Timothy
1:13).
The character of
a soldier of
Christ is to be
strong,
single-minded,
strict, secure,
sound in faith,
sanctified, and
servant like (2
Timothy 2:1-26).
The caution for
a soldier of
Christ is the
peril of, and
protection from,
apostasy (2
Timothy 3:117).
The charge to a
soldier of
Christ is to
preach the word;
be ready in
season and out
of season;
reprove, rebuke,
exhort, with
great patience
and instruction
(2 Timothy
4:1-2).
The comfort of a
soldier of
Christ is being
able to say at
the end of this
life that we
have fought the
good fight,
finished the
course, and have
kept the faith,
and therefore
can find comfort
in knowing we
have a good
future after
this life, with
eternal rewards
in heaven (2
Timothy 4:6-8).
So, onward
Christian
soldiers. Fight
the good fight
and be good
soldiers of
Christ Jesus
this year!
“For whatever is
born of God
overcomes the
world; and this
is the victory
that has
overcome the
world—our
faith. And
who is the one
who overcomes
the world,
[anyone] who
believes that
Jesus is the Son
of God” (1 John
5:4-5, emphasis
added).