SOLDIERS OF CHRIST-BATTLE

SOLDIERS OF CHRIST AND THE BATTLE WE FACE

There is an idea among most Christians today that we are to consider ourselves to be “Soldiers of Christ.” However, this title can easily be misconstrued to bring many within the body of Christ to do things which God does not permit. Zeal becomes hatred, spreading the Word becomes useless berating, and the idea of Christianity to the non-believer, in turn, becomes all that we do not want it to be. The idea of this spiritual battle that we are facing is not something to take lightly. However, it is something that we should understand better as Christians to know who we are really against and how we should behave to those who do not believe. In order to better understand how we are “soldiers of Christ”, we need to understand the spiritual battle that we are facing, who is truly the enemy that we are against, and how Biblical examples are present to guide us to fight evil in a much more effective manner.

As Christians, we are fighting between good and evil, and, as we follow Christ, we need to understand the nature of this battle. According to Ephesians 6:12, “We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” The nature of the battle is not physical, but spiritual. Many people who claim to follow Christ use their false ideas of Christianity to justify evil behavior against those who do not follow Christ. Not only is there a problem with a lack of love in this behavior, but a different, underlying problem forms when we do not know exactly what this war is being fought over.

The idea of fighting for Christ can often find Christians misled, and their zealous efforts to bring people to Christianity, without proper spiritual support, will end up being in vain. When in an evangelical encounter, we cannot think that the person in front of us is part of the enemy that we should be against. This is counterproductive in our walk and we will ultimately fail to bring them to Christ. However, just as physical wars are fought over things like territory, resources, ideas, beliefs, and many other things, this spiritual battle is being fought over souls. More specifically, this war is being fought over whether the flesh (worldly desires, sinfulness, evil) or the Spirit (God-focused principle, wisdom, righteousness) will have a soul follow in its way. In Galatians 5:16-17, Paul writes, “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.” Just because someone has been tempted to walk the way of the world does not mean that they are necessarily the evil that we are against. Rather than seeing those who are overcome by sin as someone we are against, we can be like Christ, who was a perfect example in seeing those overcome by sin as  someone who simply needs saving. In the gospel account of John, Jesus was brought a woman who was found in the act of adultery. Christ knew that it would be better to give her the chance she needed to walk in the light, and that would be the best way to save a soul from the world. In the same way, we need to be that light that shines to those who are overcome by darkness and need Christ in their life. Instead of acting against those people who seem like they’re against Christ, understand that they need to know who He is now more than ever. Be compassionate and be the one that can bring someone to Christ

~Caden Conley