Onward Christian Soldiers

 Romans 8:35-37 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

 Charles Spurgeon said in his book entitled "The Hand Of God In The History Of A Man," from October 10, 1875, “…It is a warfare, brethren, for all these reasons, and yet more so because we must always be upon the watch against danger. In a battle no man is safe. Where bullets fly, who can reckon upon life a moment? Brethren, the age is peculiarly dangerous. Perhaps every preacher before me has said as much, and every preacher after me will say the same for his times — yet still, I say, in this peculiar age there are a thousand perils for the soul, from superstition on the one hand and skepticism on the other; from rude self-reliance and indolent trust in others, from a wicked world and an apostate church. You must not wonder that it is so, for war is raging. The enemy has not laid down his weapons, the war drum is still beaten; therefore do not lay down your arms, but fight manfully for your King and country — for Christ and for his church.”

What was true in 1875 is all the more relevant today. The year 1875 may sound long ago but it isn’t. My paternal great grandmother, Sarah Elizabeth Mize, was born that year. A mere three generations ahead of me. Another three have come: me, my children and my grandchildren, the youngest born in 2011. Doesn’t sound so long ago anymore, does it?

The enemy of our souls is still at war today and has more access to get into our heads via all the instant technology available to us with the touch of a button, the push of a key: instruments of war, none the less. We would have no trouble recognizing the blatant signs of attack of the enemy: a bomb makes a lot of noise while it is being destructive. There are the hidden bombs in the roadways that destroy lives just as much. Morality takes a beating everyday on TV and in movie theaters; its victims include little children. Just as a bomb going off, it is deadly and sneakier as it anesthetizes us more every year to the point we find violence, immoral sexual behavior, foul language and breaking the law to be entertainment.  

Every day in unseen ways the enemy is out to get us. We need to be alert at all times for his subterfuge and deception come disguised in many seemingly benign applications. Yesterday, for instance, my ortho doctor told me I have a tear of the tendon in my right elbow. This tear was causing the acute pain in my hand, which was the issue I was concerned over. It seems the elbow tear was causing a small tear where the tendon goes over my hand as it tried to compensate for the elbow injury. That was not good news but the really bad news was that he said I had to stop writing for a couple of weeks to let the tendon try to heal with the help of a cortisone shot. There are unpleasant consequences down the road if I don’t. I recognized this as an attack of the enemy trying to stop my work writing for the Lord. This isn’t the first or even second attack on my hands. Off the top of my head I can count five; “subterfuge and deception come disguised in many seemingly benign applications.” My weapon(s) is obeying the call of the Lord to write this blog, for one.

Yes, I must use wisdom in treating my arm, the damage is done and pretending it doesn’t exist is just ignorant. First line of action…prayer. Second…following the orders of one more medically knowledgeable than me, my sweet doctor. Third…more prayer. Forth…putting my right arm in a sling to support it and keep me from typing with it. This is being written with God’s help and my left hand, as will be all the blogs coming in the next couple of weeks. 

We have to recognize our enemy, reevaluate our strengths, defer to the only true Commander in Chief, take up our arms and march on into battle. This is war, Friends, and we cannot tread lightly or in intimidation. We are more than conquers! Remember, the enemy has read the last chapter, too. He knows he is defeated.