The Christian Warfare

The Christian Warfare THE CHRISTIAN WARFARE
By JOHN T. HINDS
Christ and his apostles were accustomed to use as illustrations the simple everyday things with which their hearers were fully acquainted. They did this, no doubt, because such a method would enable the people to more easily understand what they said. Inanimate objects, animals and the various relationships of life were made to do service in explaining the great truths of the king­dom. When the church was called the household of faith, or the family of God, the matter of our close rela­tionship to God and each other wafc vividly set forth. When it was called the temple of God, the matter of worship was the main idea. ^But when- the Christian life is represented as a warfare and Christians as soldiers there is brought to view the defense of the truth, the necessity of “contending” earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.”

Some are very much opposed to fighting. A fighting preacher they can not endure. In fact, they do not believe in fighting, they say, but rather they propose to win the day simply by loving the sinner into the church and the devil out of existence. Of course, such conten­tion is popular but clearly out of harmony with the Bible teaching. Paul says, “Fight the good fight of faith.” When about to close his earthly labors he said, “I have fought a good fight.” Those who do not believe in fight­ing simply do not believe what the apostle says about the matter. Of course, no one with the proper consideration for the rights of others believes it a right thing to abuse people because of their teaching. But this and a cour­teous contention for the truth are two different matters entirely. A warfare without contention or fighting can not be. The very existence of war implies fighting on all proper occasions. For the sake of clearness I will divide the subject into the following sub-heads:

I. The Enemies We Must Encounter.
While some are. very much opposed to fighting along religious lines they are perfectly willing to engage in carnal warfare. They are ready to defend their country but not ready to defend the kingdom of Christ. It is not my purpose here to discuss the right of Christians to tak? part in carnal warfare. My subject is the Chris­tian Warfare. However, the language of the Master in John 18:36 is worthy of our most serious consideration. He said: “My kingdom is not of this world; if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but my kingdom is not from hence.” As has been well said we have the example of a soldier becoming a Christian, in the person of Cornelius, but not an example of a Chris­tian becoming a soldier. The kind of enemies we have to fight shows clearly the nature of warfare in which Christians are to be en­gaged. The same thing is indicated by the rebuke which Christ administered to Peter when he thought to defend his Master with the sword. The mob had just come to the garden to arrest the Lord. When they laid hands upon him Peter drew his sword and cut off the ear of the servant of the high priest. Then Jesus said: “Put up again thy sword in its place: for all they that take the sword shall perish by the sword.” If his kingdom had been a worldly one, he would have allowed his servants to defend him with the sword, as he said; but being a spiritual kingdom he refused to permit Peter to use it in his defense.

Paul has given us some very plain statements on this phase of the question. In 2 Corinthians 10:3-6 we find these words: “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh (for the weapons of our war­fare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the .casting down of strongholds), casting down imagina­tions, and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, aiid bringing every thought into cap­tivity to the obedience of Christ.” Substantially the same thing is found in his letter to the Ephesians. He there says: “For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12).

II. The Necessity of an Enlistment.
No nation accepts the service of any one in its army in the capacity of soldier without the regular enlistment. No difference how much ability or courage one may have, he must enter the army in the manner laid down by the government. This is not only the universal prac­tice of nations but it is a matter of plain common sense. Hence, as we would expect, Paul mentions this custom when he says: “No soldier on service entangleth him self with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath enrolled him as a soldier” (2 Timothy 2:4). There would be no occasion for Paul referring to this custom, if the same principle did not hold in the Christian war­fare. The use of carnal warfare as an illustration is not to endorse such warfare, but to show that the same prin­ciples hold and are necessary to success in the spiritual warfare. This plain fact fixes another matter for all time. Chris­tians are represented as soldiers, the Christian life as one continuous fight, and the church therefore must be understood as the army. This being true no one can figlrE for the Lord outside of the church. This is equiva­lent to saying that one must be in the church to be a Christian. This is not strange when we remember that no one can be a soldier outside of the army. Fighting out of the army is not legal; in fact, is criminal. Not only must soldiers be enlisted, but the government specifies the kind of men it is willing to accept as sol­diers, The qualifications have reference to physical fit­ness, proper age and mental capacity. Many prospective soldiers have been rejected because they are deficient in on or more of these points. Likewise there are qual­ifications for those who propose for the warfare is not against flesh and blood. No definite age limit is given because it is a matter of knowledge and not of years. One must be old enough to understand God’s will and render intelligent obedience to it. The conditions of entering the Christian army are mental and moral. Jesus him­self has fixed them. Sinners must believe in him, must repent of their sins and be baptized into him. These are definite requirements of the New Testament which I shall not stop here to quote. All will agree that when these have been obeyed the individual is in the church, he is a soldier in the Christian army.

III. The Arms To Be Used.
All nations try to provide their army with all the nec­essary equipment that it is possible to obtain. No difference how capable and courageous soldiers might be they would stand no show of gaining a victory unless they had the implements of warfare. This all recognize as the proper and safe course in carnal warfare. In pro­viding soldiers with armor two things are considered: one is the soldier’s own protection, the other is ample means to defeat the enemy. As much or more care is given to the protection of the soldier than is given to the means of defeating the enemy. It is recognized as a fact that a dead soldier is of no help in the army. And we may safely say that a Christian spiritually dead is of no help to the church.. A crippled soldier is even worse as a part of an army. The wounded soldier not only cannot fight but he requires the help of others phys­ically sound to care for him. The backsliding Christian not only fails to; render service to the church but his influence is positively harmful. The real live Christian soldiers have all the burdens to bear and have to fight to counteract the bad influence of those who do nothing for the church.

Paul exhorts us to put on the whole armor that we may be able to stand in the evil day, and reminds us of the fact that we are to stand against the wiles of the devil. His list of the armojr contains the following things: The girdle of truth, the breastplate of righteous­ness, feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith with which we shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one, hope as a helmet, and the sword of the Spirit, which he declares is the word of God. It will be seen by this list that all the armor is for the soldier’s own protection except one piece—the sword. God’s word is all we need to use in fighting the enemy, but we need all the rest to protect ourselves while we fight. In warfare the soldier is in constant danger of losing his own life. Untiring vigi­lance and watchfulness are necessary if he would escape all danger and fight safely to the end. This is no doubt the reason we have so many warnings in the Bible against unfaithfulness. It explains the statement of Jesus when he said: “He that enduretli to the. end the same shall be saved.” No soldier is safe till the war ends; no Christian can be safe without being faithful till death.

IV. Drilling is Necessary.
No nation ever thinks of sending untrained soldiers to the front to meet the enemy. Such a thing would be considered the extreme of folly. It will be remembered that when America went into the world war it was nec­essary to raise an army of several million men. The en­listing was a matter of a short time, but getting the men ready for- real service at the front was another matter. Training camps went up as if by magic; the most rigid training was used to prepare the soldiers as quickly as possible. If the United States had sent those boys straight to the front to meet the well-trained, seasoned German soldiers, the American fathers and mothers would have raised such a disturbance about it that all the world would have heard their cry. In fact, it would have been the same as sending them out to be slaughtered.

Generals, majors, captains and lieutenants come from the ranks by way of good service rendered. Preachers, elders, deacons and all church workers must come from the members of the church. It is by training—taking part in the exercises of church service—that we develop the ability and courage to do great things. Men cannot he qualified for leaders in religious work any other way. It is just this fact that shows the church to be so neces­sary, and proves the wisdom of God in providing local congregations where this training can he done. Time and experience have also shown the absolute necessity of congregational worship. Those who wish to be success­ful Christian soldiers cannot neglect this part of the religious life and win the victory. Soldiers must drill; the government will not accept excuses. Christians must have part in the worship of God; God demands it and our own salvation depends upon it.

Soldiers drill for efficiency, not for show or the enter­tainment of their fellows. War is a desperately serious business; human lives are at stake; nothing must be al­lowed to interfere with preparation. Fighting Satan is more serious; eternal life is to be lost or won. We must know how to fight him, and then do it. Men fight for their families, their property, their homes and their country, but how few fight for the salvation of their own souls! We want our country to be a good place to live. Do we want our families and friends to be saved in heaven? If so, why not fight for it? Why not drill till we know how to do it?

V. The Fighting.
There are a number of things said about the fighting, and that may be said about it. In this closing division of the subject I wish to dwell upon HOW this fighting should be done.

1. Paul tells us plainly that the. one who pleases as a soldier must not “entangle himself in the affairs of this life.” Anything in conflict with his duty as a soldier must be rejected if one is to please his government. What kind of treatment would a soldier receive, if he should say when called to duty that his private business was such that he could not come? Or, if he should say he did not feel inclined to come to such flimsy excuses would not be tolerated at all by any government. Many Christians do not hesitate to shirk divine obligations if it is the least inconvenient or their business or pleasure happen to be in the way. Any kind of business or social relationships that will in any way interfere with our service to God should be rejected or abandoned if we are already in them.

2. We must contend lawfully. Paul says that if a man “contend in the games, he is not crowned, except he have contended lawfully.” Even soldiers, though their business is fighting, are not allowed to do as they please. Military law is perhaps more strict than civil law. Soldiers are courtmartialed for their disobedience of military law. The one outstanding feature for which an army is noted is the strict requirement of obedience to constituted authority. It is far more important to be obedient to the “Captain or our salvation” than obedient to a superior officer in an earthly army. In the athletic games the contestant must work according to the rules or be put out of the game. All accept this as just and fair. Likewise all religious service must be rendered according to New Testament teaching or else the Lord will give us no credit for it. This eliminates putting into the service just anything that suits our fancy or pleases the people whether authorized by the word of God or not. God's Word also says that we are to “endure hardness as good soldiers.” The Revised Version says: “Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.” We are not only to endure hardness but we are to suffer it The Christian warfare requires suffering; all warfare does. Suffering is no new thing in war. The soldier who is not willing to suffer for the cause, does not love, the cause enough to be a good soldier. In the margin of the Revised it says, “Take thy part in suffering hardship.” This means that no one is to shirk his part in the hardships that come. Paul again says: “ You, and all that would live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution ” (2 Timothy 3:12).

3. Suppose some American soldier when told to go over the top in France had said to his commanding officer, “I do not feel very well, or I think it will ram, or I am afraid the Germans will shoot at me, so I think I will not go,” what would have been his reward? Then would he have stood with his home government? What does Christ think of his soldiers who allow' trivial and insignificant things to keep them away from the church service? Paul says “forsake not” the assembly. This is a command from our Captain through one of his chosen apostles. Should 'we ignore it? Can v7e afford to dis-obey it? Surely such neglectful Christian soldiers do not realize hovr disrespectful they are to Christ or they would act differently.

Some years ago when Russia and Japan were in war a call came to America for a certain per cent of the Japanese to come home and help defend their country. At a railway station turn men were watching a number of them as they were about to leave. Some were crying and some were laughing. One man remarked that it was too bad that some of them had been drafted to go to the front and were crying about it. The other man said: “You are mistaken; those laughing are going home to fight for their country and the others are crying because they did not get to go.” They love their country so well that they, consider it the highest honor to risk their lives in its defense. How different are many Christian soldiers ? Some are ready to cry if they are even asked to do anything. -Shame on the profession of any Christian when he will not do as much for the kingdom of the Lord as others do for their earthly kingdoms. Recently men worked untiringly both day and night to save Floyd Collins from death in a Kentucky cave. Every means known to the mining profession was used that could be with safety. The effort was not abandoned till they reached the place and found his dead body. All of this to save a physical life for a few years. All around us men are dying every day unprepared. They are lost spiritually. What are we doing to save them from eternal ruin?

4. In carnal warfare there are dress parade occasions. Passing in review before superior officers or any admiring crowd is one thing; meeting a real enemy in deadly conflict is entirely a different thing. Sham battles give a thrill, but risking life before shot and shell tests who is a real soldier. Protracted meetings are often a kind of dress parade occasion, when all the members are on display. Every day fighting tells the story of those upon whom the church depends for its success.

5. In armies there are sometimes cowards, who would rather see the cause go down than to fight for it. So there are cowardly Christians who are so afraid they will offend some one that they will not stand up for the gospel truth. They have no better standing with the Lord than cowards in an earthly army have with their officers. Then there are deserters in armies. They are men who for personal gain will sell their cause to the enemy by joining his ranks. So there are people in the church who, like Esau of old, are willing to sell their chance of heaven for a mess of pottage—the praise of men. They know the truth but will not confess it lest they be put out of the synagogue—lose the coveted position in society. Then there are traitors in armies sometimes. They not only desert the side they believe in but try to accomplish its ruin by helping the enemy to fight it. In earthly armies traitors are usually shot when caught. Their names go down in disgrace. Benedict Arnold, the arch-traitor of the American colonies, heads the list in this country. Judas Iscariot occupies the same place relative to Jesus Christ. Every Christian that goes to the enemy ranks and fights against the truth is following the example of Judas.

6. After a while the battles will all be fought, the victory lost or won, and the soldiers will be mustered out of service. To the Christian soldier this will not be till death. We do not enter the Lord's army on proba-tion, for two, three or five years, but for life. “Be thou faithful until death," is a command from heaven.

7. Year by year we see the old soldiers meet for a reunion, where they again build the camp fires, relate the stories of bravery, heroism and death. In God’s own good time the faithful in Christ will have a reunion about the throne of God, when they will receive an incorruptible crown and enter upon such eternal joys as are held in reservation for the good soldiers in Christ. May you be among that number.