SOLDIERS OF CHRIST ARISE

Ephesians 6:10-20

“Soldiers of Christ Arise” doesn't mean being dust bunny soldiers or feather duster Christians.

There are three types of people today:
1. Those who have no idea there is a battle and so ill prepared to enter it.
2. Those who have some idea of some kind of battle but not prepared for the true battle at hand.
3. Those who have a serious understanding of the true battle and are prepared as instructed by the Lord.

We have seen all three kinds of people in scripture.
1. Judas was totally oblivious to the true battle and lost out.
2. Peter in the garden was prepared with a sword but not really understanding the circumstances. Saul of Tarsus was involved in the wrong battle while persecuting the church.
3. Paul after conversion was prepared and fought the good fight of faith.

Today it is frustrating to see modern Christianity being ill prepared.
· Those who have no idea there is a battle loose out and are picked off quickly.
· Those who have a small understanding there is a battle and equipped superficially are like soldiers with feather dusters and are only prepared to face off dust bunnies! These are the religious who have a sort of a message but have no idea they are fighting the wrong battle. They get in the way and make the others look foolish in their wrong-headed ill-conceived "battles" that have no idea. They have zeal with no knowledge while setting for themselves a righteousness of their own.
· Those prepared to the hilt as standing strong in the Lord and in His mighty power understand.


We must understand the true pageant of the battle.
a. The battle is between our ears.
i. Sometimes it takes us fighting with our own thoughts, emotions, volition, actions, and reactions.
ii. We are inclined to do one thing while the Lord wants us to do the opposite [i.e. we want to save our lives while the Lord wants to loose our lives for His sake]
b. The battle is a spiritual fight.
i. The battlefront is unseen.
ii. The battle is against an invisible foe.
iii. The battle is in the realm of God and beyond human ability to fight on his own.

We must understand the true protagonist at hand.
a. The enemy is not flesh and blood--not a human battle.
i. Not a political fight.
ii. Not a fight for control in the church or elsewhere
iii. Not a fight for rights, or environmentalism.
iv. Not a fight of human purpose.
b. The enemy is spiritual using spiritual means to achieve is goals.
i. A matter of salvation vs. condemnation.
ii. A matter between Heaven and Hell.
iii. A matter between the good and evil.
iv. A matter of true vs. falsehood.

We must understand the true preparation for the fight (the whole armor of God).
a. The Belt of Truth = integrity vs. lies
b. The Breastplate of Righteousness = purity vs. temptation
c. The Shoes of Peace = Tranquility vs. chaos
d. The Shield of Faith = certainty vs. doubt
e. The Helmet of Salvation = believer's sanity vs. the craziness of the world
f. The Sword of the Spirit = the Word of God vs. human philosophy

We must understand the true posture in the battle.
a. We are to stand -- vs. 10
b. We are empowered with the Word of God
c. We have the provision of prayer -- vs. 18

Thomas L. Reed, II
Nevada, MO

SCRIPTURES WHICH POINT TO:

The Distinctive and Exclusive Nature of the Church

“I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for except ye believe that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.” — Jesus (Jn 8:24, ASV)

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life: no one cometh unto the Father, but by* me.” — Jesus (Jn 14:6, ASV) [*or, through]

“And in none other is there salvation: for neither is there any other name under heaven, that is given among men, wherein we must be saved.” — Peter (Ac 4:12, ASV) [NOTE: This is about Jesus Christ, cf. vs. 10]

“Beloved, while I was giving all diligence to write unto you of our common salvation, I was constrained to write unto you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered unto the saints.” — Jude (Jd 3, ASV)

“There is one body, and one Spirit, even as also ye were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in all.” — Paul (Eph. 4:4-6, ASV)

“...the church, which is his body…” (Eph. 1:22b, 23a, ASV) = “...the body, the church…” (Col. 1:18, ASV)

“And the Lord added to them* day by day those that were saved.” — Luke (Ac 2:47, ASV) [NOTE: *the church, KJV]

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” — Paul (Rom. 1:16, ASV)

“For the word of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us who are saved it is the power of God.” — Paul (1 Cor. 1:18, ASV)

In light of the previous list of verses it is clear that salvation is connected not only to Jesus but also to His church. The church is identified first and foremost by what it teaches and practices with regard to the Gospel Plan of Salvation.

Jesus is the Savior, but the church is the collection of those who are saved. If you would like to know more about this, feel free to contact us.