Christianity Is Warfare

Some years ago a traditional church dropped “Onward Christian Soldiers” from their song index because it made reference to war. That’s understandable for people who have never been born again. War is the last thing on their minds. They are “peacemakers” meeting in a building which they think is the “church.” They are not born of the Sprit, so they live in a natural world. They are spiritually insensitive because they are spiritually dead.

“If the average church made as much noise about God on Monday as it makes about God on Sunday, we would certainly see revival.”

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The world may think there is peace between man and God, but the Bible makes it clear that unregenerate man is an enemy of God in his mind through wicked works and that anyone who is a friend of the world is an enemy of God (see Colossians 1:21, Romans 5:10, Romans 8:7, James 4:4). Many within the Church have lost sight of this important truth, something evident by their passive lifestyle.

We have become like the Dead Sea. It is dead because it has water flowing into it but has no outlet. The water has become so salty that a human being can’t sink into it. Nothing lives in it, and no one can penetrate it…just like the contemporary Church. If the average church made as much noise about God on Monday as it makes about God on Sunday, we would certainly see revival.

Useless though it seems, the Dead Sea contains very valuable minerals, which are waiting to be harvested. So does the modern Church. It is a field which is white unto harvest, both for souls and for laborers.

Backward Christian Soldiers

Perhaps much of the Church needs to consider dropping “Onward Christian Soldiers” and replacing it with something more appropriate:

Backward Christian soldiers, fleeing from the fight
With the Cross of Jesus nearly out of sight.
Christ our rightful master, stands against the foe
But forward into battle, we are loathe to go.
Like a mighty tortoise moves the Church of God
Brothers we are treading where we’ve always trod.
We are much divided, many bodies we
Having many doctrines, not much charity.
Crowns and thorns may perish, kingdoms rise and wane,
But the Church of Jesus hidden does remain.
Gates of Hell should never ‘gainst the Church prevail
We have Christ’s own promise, but think that it will fail.
Sit here then ye people, join our useless throng
Blend with ours your voices in a feeble song
Blessings, ease and comfort, ask from Christ the King
With our modern thinking, we don’t do a thing.

(Anonymous)

“True Christianity is not a pleasure-cruiser on its way to Heaven. True Christianity is a battleship stationed at the very gates of Hell.”

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Commissioned Soldiers or Indifferent Survivors?

Are we hot for God? Can we say that we have witnessed to more than 12 people in the last 12 months? Do we have the testimony “to live means opportunities for Christ”? Is there a zeal to witness burning in our bones? It doesn’t matter how much we pray, tithe, and sacrifice. Sure, those things are basics of the Christian faith, but if we are not sharing that faith, we are not fulfilling our commission. We are like survivors of the Titanic singing songs as we polish brass in the lifeboat when there is room for many who are drowning around us. There is nothing wrong with polishing brass…but not while people are drowning around us. We are commissioned soldiers. True Christianity is not a pleasure-cruiser on its way to Heaven. True Christianity is a battleship stationed at the very gates of Hell.

This article was excerpted from How to Win Souls and Influence People by Ray Comfort.