Pastor Jim Jackson

Richmond Hill Presbyterian Church

Chances are you won’t find it in many Christian hymn books these days. Some editors have chosen to exclude it because of the military metaphor it employs. Yet you’ll find mention of believers as soldiers in the New Testament. 

Believers are encouraged to “put on the whole armor of God that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11). That armor encourages Christians to put on the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith, and the sword of the Spirit.

It becomes obvious that our battle is more pernicious (subversive) than war against human beings. For the scriptures testify the we “wrestle not with flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12). Thus our greatest enemies cannot be easily seen with the naked eye and cannot be defeated with the armaments of traditional warfare.

Unfortunately we sometimes mistake our greatest enemies for our fellow citizens of this world, sometimes even neighbors or friends.

But I believe there’s more to it than that. These days, for sure, there seems be a subversive evil force masquerading behind human faces, and exposing itself in all kinds of malevolent behaviors. The Ephesian writer spoke if it as “the wiles of the devil.” As some have dismissed the song Onward Christian Soldiers, some have also dismissed the concept of evil being personified as the devil. Seems to me that whether one calls it the devil or a malevolent force, it’s real. It’s at war with all that’s good in our world.

Accounts of robbery, rape, assault, and murder fill the pages of our newspapers and are voiced in daily television programs.

Whether it’s a gun, knife, bomb, or spear, it isn’t activated and manifested but through humans. It is only partially true that we are our own worst enemies. We have plenty malevolent help from behind what’s apparent to the eye. So how shall we engage in war against such an enemy?

Paul mentions the sword of the Spirit. When the Spirit rules our heart, He, like a sword, cuts away at evil behavior. Galatians 5:22-23: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness,. goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.” Could it be that our real enemy wishes to take up residence in our heart? If so, let’s engage the “whole armor of God” with the leadership of His Spirit, all the while singing: “Onward Christian Soldiers.”