The war we find ourselves in today began before the creation of our world, as defiant angels [apostate heavenly beings] rose up in rebellion against God’s authority and instruction. While we may all be aware of this cosmic rebellion, we fail, as a collective body of believers in Jesus Christ, to prepare ourselves adequately for the battle being waged around us by those spiritual entities who have transgressed into the earthly realm in which we live.
Because of this we are subject to pain and suffering through our own disobedience to God, by walking outside of his love and protection. Furthermore, we must accept that part of our spiritual transformation will require testing of our faith through endurance and obedience, which contribute to our progressive sanctification as his sheep.
Yet, our flesh is weak and corruptible and totally dependent on the Lord to watch over us, just as a Shepherd is with his flock. We are the sheep and we must keep our eyes on him if we hope to remain in his care and protection. But, even though we might agree with this, we continue to pull away from him more times than we care to admit, seeking after our own desires instead of his. As a result, we not only put ourselves at risk but also the other sheep Jesus is leading along the narrow and hard path, as we open up areas for Satan to attack.
Although we each have our own personal responsibility as followers of Christ, we must not negate our accountability to help and encourage those who are also struggling in their own daily walk. We were not intended to walk out our Christian lives alone but to be blessed by encouraging one another through the difficulties we each face. We should be giving and receiving encouragement, instruction, and if necessary, rebuke, so that we not fall behind and become prey for our enemy. Instead we are to remain close to our Heavenly Father and our Shepherd, Jesus, who is leading us through the earthly devastation that entered through rebellion and disobedience and left behind bondage to sin and darkness.
While sin may have entered our world through Adam and Eve’s rebellion, when they were deceived by one of those defiant angels, it continues to corrupt our lives through every misstep, lack of discernment, and disobedient thought and action we allow into our own lives. So we must acknowledge our own sin and repent of it often, so that Satan and the demonic do not have opportunity to grasp hold and enter the vessel that you have been entrusted to protect and keep pure.
The same holds true when we see fellow followers of Jesus Christ, as well as those who oppose Christ. We must challenge the lies that have deceived them and communicate God’s truth to those who have ears to hear and hearts sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s conviction.
We must become comfortable confronting sin wherever it manifests, through increasing confidence in our understanding of God’s word, so that we are effective as spiritual soldiers for Jesus Christ.
Though we are called to be patient, kind, and meek, it does not imply that we endorse sin through complacency or lack of courage to confront it head on. While this does require thoughtfulness in our approach and allowing the Holy Spirit to instruct us with guidance, we must also ensure that we are not a stumbling block in the process of God using us to work in the lives of others.
With confidence in our identity in Christ Jesus, we must confront sin, no longer engaging in worthless small talk with one another and communicating all is well, when in fact we all know the struggles we each face daily through various sins and temptations that war against our flesh.
And so, we are called “to put on the whole armor of God, so that we can resist the flaming darts that Satan uses against us” (Ephesians 6:11, 16,The ESV Study Bible, 2008, Crossway). However, if we are honest with ourselves, we still struggle to apply this armor correctly, let alone wear it at all. And if this is true for yourself then you can be assured that others are also struggling, just as you are, to resist our adversary and the great weight of sinful oppression over them.
This also applies to those who claim their designated seat in the church pews every Sunday. There is an unsaid expectation that regular church attenders, and those functioning as elders and teachers, should not or do not require the confessing of sins to one another, or that personal struggles exist for the body of Christ to pray over. Instead, people enter, greet one another, worship together, listen to a sermon, and out the door they go, still crippled inside spiritually because the sin and the oppression were not confessed or addressed by waging war against the spiritual attacker in the unseen realm.
This happens week after week, year after year, and generation after generation. Why? Because we have learned to isolate ourselves and our problems from one another, thinking that no one else sins like we do. And through this shame, we remain alone in our Christian walk and lack the spiritual support, encouragement, and protection that is necessary in keeping everyone together as a flock on this journey with Jesus.
As we wrestle with sin, we must recognize our true identity as followers of Jesus Christ and that we have no master other than him. We serve him and his will over our lives. Our citizenship is in heaven, and our allegiance is to God alone. Therefore, the collective body of Christ must all follow the same patterns that scripture instructs us to exemplify as his servants, and then apply these attributes to one another through the love and compassion as Jesus taught us to do.
The hymn “Soldiers of Christ, Arise”, written by Charles Wesley in 1749, embodies the mindset we should tell ourselves everyday, if not more often. We must understand that the battle does not stop, even when we choose to no longer participate.
In this hymn the words read,
“Soldiers of Christ, arise And put your armor on,
Strong in the strength which God supplies Through His eternal Son;
Strong in the Lord of hosts, And in His mighty pow’r,
Who in the strength of Jesus trusts Is more than conqueror.
Stand then in His great might, With all His strength endued,
And take, to arm you for the fight, The panoply of God;
From strength to strength go on, Wrestle and fight and pray;
Tread all the pow’rs of darkness down, And win the well-fought day.
Leave no unguarded place, No weakness of the soul;
Take every virtue , every grace, And fortify the whole.
That having all things done, And all your conflicts past,
Ye may o’er-come through Christ alone, And stand complete at last.”
As we close, let us reflect on the Apostle Paul’s instruction and encouragement to each of us, as soldiers of Christ for the glory and purpose of God.
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.
In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.
To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak” (Ephesians 6:10-20, The ESV Study Bible, 2008, Crossway).
And for those interested, we have included a link to one artist’s rendition of the traditional hymn listed above, which captures the spirit behind the words we are to live out. We hope you enjoy this version by The Hymnodist, of “Soldiers of Christ, Arise,” produced in 2025 and available to hear free on YouTube.
In Christ.
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