Onward Christian Soldiers

MELVIN M. NEWLAND, MINISTER RIDGE CHAPEL, KANSAS, OK

TEXT: Ephesians 6:11-12; 17:6; Mark 16:16

INTRO. We sometimes sing the hymn that begins with these words: "Onward Christian Soldiers, marching as to war." It's a good hymn, but for many of us it probably doesn't really represent our attitude as Christians. I mean, do you really think of yourself as a Christian soldier involved in fighting a war?

But that is exactly what the Bible portrays. In fact, God's Word frequently uses the imagery of soldiers in a conflict to describe Christians.

Ephesians 6:11 & 12 (NIrV) says, “Put on all of God’s armor. Then you can remain strong against the devil’s evil plans. Our fight is not against human beings. It is against the rulers, the authorities and the powers of this dark world. It is against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly world.”

That passage goes on to tell Christians to put on the breastplate of righteousness, the helmet of salvation, & the shield of faith, & to take the sword of the spirit, which is the Word of God, & go forth to war.

I. WE ARE IN A WAR

You see, we are in a war between God & Satan; the God of peace & light versus the prince of darkness.

Now some people might snicker at a statement like that, but it is true. Battles are taking place in the hearts & minds of people all across this world. And in our country it became more obvious in 2016 with Colin Kaepernick, a football player, taking the knee in protest to the singing of our national anthem.

With what seemed to be the whole-hearted support of our major news outlets his protest quickly spread, being echoed in nearly every major sport. And it soon spread to include outright opposition to Christianity & the part it played in the founding principles of our country.

Then, with the tragic death of George Floyd in 2020, once again with the aid of the major news outlets, the war assumed a racial character, & gained even more momentum in the attack on our nation, & upon Christianity.

It would appear that for many people, they suddenly became aware of the battle that had been going on for a long time in our nation, its educational institutions, & even in some of its churches.

The apostle Paul was right, there is a battle going on even today for the hearts of men & women, between Christianity & “the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly world.” And frankly, it would seem that Christians today are losing many of the battles.

Christian values are being eroded. We're being driven back by moral perversions, the breakdown of the family, & soaring crime rates.

ILL. A few years ago, Charles Colson told about a letter that appeared in Ann Lander's column from a young man brimming with indignation. His girlfriend, after discontinuing her birth control pills without his knowledge, had gotten pregnant. "Some women cannot be trusted," he concluded angrily.

"As I read his letter I shook my head," Colson wrote. "Sadly, so many consider sex outside of marriage an unquestioned right. Maybe, I thought, Ann Lander would set him straight.

"But her answer virtually endorsed his attitude. She wrote, 'Your letter should be discussed in all high school classrooms. ... It makes abundantly clear that a conniving or careless girl can make a tremendous difference in a man's life.'

Colson commented, "I almost crumpled the paper. There was no mention of moral right or wrong, just sympathy, & the suggestion that all high schools should teach how to be promiscuous safely."

Sadly, Ann Landers suggestion that school systems should teach about sex & morals has prevailed, & now our nation is reaping the results.

SUM. Let's admit right now, despite the fact that a majority of the people of the U.S. call themselves Christians, we are losing the battle for the hearts & minds of many people.

II. SOME CHRISTIANS ARE FIGHTING BACK

Yet, in the face of all that which has happened, there are signs that Christians are fighting back & that, as the 3rd verse of the hymn, “Onward Christian Soldiers” says, “Like a mighty army moves the church of God.”

ILL. Did you notice these news items on the internet this last week?

#1. The first one was about Deion Sanders who was one of my favorites when he was a star player with the Dallas Cowboy football team. Fox News reported, “Hall of Fame cornerback & Univ. of Colorado head football coach Deion Sanders, praised the name of Jesus during multiple postgame interviews on Saturday (Sept. 2) after defeating the No. 17 ranked TCU Horned Frogs 45-42.”

Despite calls not to hire Sanders last year because of his outspoken faith in Jesus, Sanders doesn’t hide his faith. “Just last week he told his 1.6 million social media followers, ‘Are u ready? If God gave you what you want right now could you handle and maintain the blessing? This ain’t about anybody else or anything else, it’s about you. If you ain’t ready please get ready.”