ARMY OF THE LORD

                                    ARMY OF THE LORD

    There are always wars going on somewhere in the world, and in recent
years there are wars of one kind or another ranging on all the continents.
Some are political, while others are social or economic. The Old Testament
tells us all about wars prior to Christianity. We need to begin our study of
wars way back in Joshua. We should begin there because that's where we
meet the Lord's Commander in Chief. See Joshua 5:14.

    Ministries often use a slogan to "join God's army" to fight the never-ending
spiritual battle. We do not actually see the spiritual battles, which leads us to
keep these battles anywhere except in the present material world. It's difficult
to fight a battle you can't see. The spiritual battle is on-going, and we must
acquaint ourselves with understanding the opposing forces and the continuing
skirmishes that are taking place.

    While those of us who have served in the military have a fairly good 
understanding of how wars are conducted, most Americans today have
virtually no understanding. In fact, I believe military tactics and strategy have
changed very much in the past 20 years, and our military leaders have a lot
of catching up to do. If you study military history, you know the armies that
win wars are those the best trained and prepared. The American army in
World War II was superbly prepared, partly by training, and partly by the
experiences of soldiers in civilian life. There were many solutions achieved
by the use of "baling wire" or similar temporary fix its. American soldiers
knew quite a lot about engines, farm equipment and such, which served them
well in the field.

    Fighting spiritual battles is more difficult because they are fought with our
minds rather than our hands--excepting prayer, of course. We need to pay
special attention to Eph. 6:12, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood,
but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness
of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." Both Satan and God
have high-powered, armies. These are well organized and disciplined
"troops". They have a chain of command. There are privates and generals.
Although you don't see them, they are on constant duty. You will note in
scripture the difficult tasks of angels battling Satan's soldiers.

    The Devil's work began in Genesis and continues through Revelation. We need
to go to the various scripture that tells of specific instances to understand the battles
that are being waged while we usually are unaware. Satan's ability to enlist followers 
is told us in Rev.12:4, "And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did
cast them to the earth."  The stars, of course, were angels.

    Man-made wars differ from spiritual wars only in our minds. We understand that
our earthly wars require continuing training and vigilance. If you get careless or lazy
in your responsibility, you and others may die or be seriously injured. The loosely
committed Christian (carnal man) does not realize the spiritual battles are also
continuing. When you are saved, you are called to duty. That means 24 hours a
day, every day. One of the reasons the Devil's troops are so nasty is because he
never lets them rest. 

    The carnal Christian who repeats the sinner's prayer, may or may not receive
salvation, depending on following actions. The Lord's army requires the same
action as man's army. In the human army, we are disciplined and taught by leaders.
Once we take the oath to support our Constitution, we belong to the nation, all the
way to death, if necessary. Our service is the evidence that proves our loyalty.

    When you state the sinner's prayer, you are taking an oath to support our Savior,
Jesus Christ, and God. Now that you claim salvation, we will look for evidence that
you belong to Christ. We, in America, don't presently face that "to the death" in our
commitment, but Christians in many foreign nations do face that possibility. We talk
about the loss of freedom, but these voices are mostly politically driven, and do not
have documented support, and lack understanding.

    Evidence of the carnal man's commitment requires knowledge of scripture, 
knowledge of Christ's teaching, the actions of the early church members, and
the Eleventh Commandment, which was given us by Christ, Himself. Most carnal
Christians don't follow this commandment at all. It requires that you really care
about your fellowman. Rather than face death, American Christians are permitted
to take the easy road by following Christ's scriptural teaching, choosing to accept
the teaching they favor, while ignoring the remainder.

    When Christ taught thousands in outdoor gatherings, He fed them all--the
rich, poor, and anyone who wanted the Word, which is the truth, not some
politician's or apostate teacher's lies. Note well that He did not separate people
by any man-made rules. These were carnal listeners, many of whom understood
Him, and were responsible for the early church growth. They were truly God's
army. Before Christians became part of God's army, angels carried the load. The
battles were difficult, as evidenced in Dan. 10:12-14. Satan's ruler in Persia was
so strong God's messenger to Daniel was delayed three weeks, and reinforcement
in the form of the angel Michael was necessary. If we have grown from carnal (new)
Christians to fully committed Christians, this is the opposition we face.

    Examine yourself and your church. Do you think a couple of hours a week and a
smug look make you a soldier in God's army? The spiritual war continues every
minute of every day. In addition to studying scripture, you need to fulfill the
directions of the Commandments, especially the one Christ gave us. A member
of God's army cares, and must be prepared to sacrifice for the fulfillment of His
plan. We don't face death yet, but many of our actions clearly show that we are
not willing to make material sacrifices. In fact, greed has largely taken over the
dwindling ranks of committed Christians because carnal man is just using the
freely given salvation to build empires on earth.

     Your acceptance of salvation through Christ is your oath of acceptance into
the Lord's army. You should not expect to "coast" to the rapture. Fighting Satan
is nasty work, and unless you study scripture carefully, you will not be prepared
when the time comes for your battle responsibility. Carnal man follows the material
ways of the world. Soldiers in the army of the Lord will be better prepared, and
they will win the final battle. Don't be AWOL when the commander of the Lord's
army taps your shoulder.  (AWOL -absent without leave)

Rev. Walbear