I Am A Soldier

We’re In The Army Now
Sermon by John Isaacs

March 13, 2011
An online dictionary gives the following definitions for the word “church.”
1. A building used for Christian worship.
2. A religious service being held at a designated time.
3. Comprised of all Christian believers.
4. A denomination or group of congregations organized around specific doctrinal beliefs.
5. Christians assembled in a local congregation.
The Greek word translated as “church” 113 times in the New Testament is Ekklesia.
The meaning of “ekklesia” is simply, “called out.” The New Testament meaning of the usage of
“ekklesia” is to describe all individuals “called out” under the banner of Jesus Christ.
The Church in the New Testament did not have a name.

The Church in the New Testament did not have a building.
The Church in the New Testament was about the people who called Jesus Christ their Lord and
Savior.
1 Corinthians 1:2
To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints
together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their
Lord and ours:
Paul the Apostle is writing to the “church” in Corinth. He is writing to the ekklesia (called out ones)
living in the city of Corinth.
Jesus and the New Testament writers didn’t give the Church a name. Names were important
because they gave definition to the thing being named. Instead of a name, they used a very common
word to describe the believers who were meeting together in a city or region – the ekklesia. A generic
term to describe all those called out by God who acknowledged Jesus Christ to be their Lord.
Therefore, since the Church did not have a definitive name giving it definition, the New Testament
writers used various metaphors to describe what the Church was supposed to be like:
 A “Body” with Christ as our head

 A “Bride” with Christ as our bridegroom
 A “Family” with God as our father
 A “Temple” filled by the Holy Spirit
 A “Vine” with Christ as our vinedresser
 A “Flock” with Christ as our shepherd
 An “Army” with Christ as our commander
In one of the above metaphors the Church is described as being like an Army of soldiers. You might
recognize the words of this old hymn:
Onward, Christian soldiers, Marching as to war, With the cross of Jesus, Going on before.
Christ, the Royal Master, Leads against the Foe; Forward into battle, See His banners go!
Onward, Christian soldiers, Marching as to war, With the cross of Jesus, Going on before!
Here are some key passages of Scripture that use the “Army” metaphor to describe the Church.
Ephesians 6:10-17
10
A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on all of God’s armor so
that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 12 For we are not fighting
against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world,
against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
13
Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the
time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. 14 Stand your ground, putting on
the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. 15 For shoes, put on the peace
that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. 16 In addition to all of these,
hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. 17 Put on salvation as your
helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
2 Corinthians 10:3-6
3
We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. 4We use God’s mighty weapons,
not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy
false arguments. 5 We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God.
We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ. 6 And after you have
become fully obedient, we will punish everyone who remains disobedient.
1 Timothy 6:11-14
11
But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue
righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and
gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to
which God has called you, which you have confessed so well before many
witnesses. 13 And I charge you before God, who gives life to all, and before Christ Jesus,
who gave a good testimony before Pontius Pilate, 14 that you obey this command without
wavering. Then no one can find fault with you from now until our Lord Jesus Christ comes
again.
Philippians 2:25
Meanwhile, I thought I should send Epaphroditus back to you. He is a true brother, co-
worker, and fellow soldier. And he was your messenger to help me in my need.
Philemon 1:2
And to our sister Apphia, and to our fellow soldier Archippus, and to the church that
meets in your house.
The Church is like an “Army.” To better understand what the Church is supposed to be like we
should look at what an Army does.
1. An Army Recruits -- The Church evangelizes the lost.

2. An Army Trains -- The Church disciples new believers.
3. An Army Deploys -- The Church sends out missionaries and church members to serve.
4. An Army Engages an Enemy -- The Church has an enemy and his name is Satan.
5. An Army Fights Battles -- The Church does spiritual warfare and fights spiritual battles.
6. An Army Has Weapons -- The Church has weapons but they aren’t man-made.
7. An Army Has Officers -- The Church has a commander and His name is Jesus.
Timothy 2:3-4
Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 Soldiers don’t get tied up in the affairs of
3
civilian life, for then they cannot please the officer who enlisted them.
In this passage of Scripture we have the Apostle Paul encouraging his disciple Timothy to live his
Christian life like a “good soldier.” Paul then gives us three important ingredients that go into making
a person a “good soldier:”
1. Endure hardship: Soldiering isn’t an easy profession. A good soldier is trained to endure
suffering and hardship so he or she will not give up or lose heart in performing their duties.
I’ve heard people describe the Church as a battleship at war with her soldiers on high alert.
I’ve also heard the analogy used that describes the American Church not as a battleship but as
a cruise ship. When you are vacationing on a cruise ship you aren’t expecting to endure
hardship. If you are inconvenienced in any way at all, then you call for the cabin steward to
come and fix the problem.
2. Don’t get entangled in the affairs of normal life: A good soldier is always ready to heed the
call to arms. When an emergency arrives and they are called to duty, they drop everything
and report for service. There isn’t anything wrong with going to a sporting event or to see a
good movie. Nothing wrong with having a hobby or enjoying skiing and going camping. It’s
alright to watch television or to go on a Harley Davidson ride with your wife. However, a “good
soldier” doesn’t get so entangled in these things that they are prevented from responding when
“called to duty.”
3. Please the officer who enlisted you: A good soldier wants to respond to his or her officers in
such a way that the officer finds it a joy to lead them. I recently watched an old John Wayne
movie about the early WW2 Army Air Corps, called “The Leathernecks.” John Wayne was an
Army commander of a unit of pilots that were the first to provide air support to ground troops.
There were some soldiers under his command that tried his patience and constantly
challenged his skills as a leader. Then there were the “good soldiers” that embodied all that a
commander could dream of having in a subordinate. It was apparent that they brought the
character John Wayne was portraying great joy to command. Their quick response to his
commands and their great attitudes in following his leadership created great pleasure for him.
The moment you surrender your life to the Lordship of Jesus Christ is the moment you become
enlisted in God’s Army. The military metaphors should only be carried up to a point and not taken
beyond. Unfortunately, over the history of Christianity the comparison of the Church to an Army
has given opportunity for awful atrocities to occur. The Holy Land Crusades of the Middle Ages,
The Conquistadors of the Spanish expansion into the New World, the militant response to blowing
up abortion clinics and other radical reactions in our present day have been justified by the misuse
of the military metaphor in Scripture. The New Testament makes it absolutely clear that our
enemy is not “flesh and blood” but are spiritual hierarchies and that our weapons are not “carnal”
but are spiritual. We can’t carry out a metaphor beyond the boundaries of what other Scriptures
provide.
However, when we keep Biblical balance in our understanding and application of the militant
metaphors of Scripture they can be very helpful in encouraging us to be “good soldiers.”
Here is a description of being a “good soldier” in God’s Army by an unknown author.

I AM A SOLDIER
I AM A SOLDIER IN THE ARMY OF MY GOD!
I promise to support and defend the Word of God against all enemies. The Lord Jesus
Christ is my Commander in Chief. The Holy Bible is my Code of Conduct. Faith, Prayer
and the Word are my weapons of warfare! I have been taught by the Holy Spirit,
trained by experience, tried by adversity, and tested by fire!
I AM A VOLUNTEER IN THIS ARMY, AND AM ENLISTED FOR ETERNITY!
I will not get out, sell out, be talked out, or pushed out! I am faithful, reliable, capable,
and dependable! If my God needs me, I am there! If He needs me in Sunday School
to teach children, work with youth, help adults or just sit and learn, He can use me
because I am there!
I AM A SOLDIER!
I am not a baby! I do not need to be pampered, petted, primed up, pumped up, picked
or pepped up!
I AM A SOLDIER!
No one has to call me, remind me, write me, visit me, entice me, or lure me!
I AM A SOLDIER!
I am not a wimp! I am in place saluting my King. Obeying His orders, praising His
name and building His Kingdom! No one has to send me flowers, gifts, food, cards,
candy, or give me handouts! I do not need to be cuddled, cradled, cared for, or catered
to!
I AM COMMITTED!
I cannot have my feelings hurt bad enough to turn me around! I cannot be discouraged
enough to cause me to quit! When Jesus called me into this Army, I had nothing! If I
end up with nothing, I will still come out even! I will win! My God will supply all my
needs! I am more than a conqueror!
I WILL ALWAYS TRIUMPH! I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST!
Devils cannot defeat me! People cannot disillusion me! Weather cannot weary me!
Sickness cannot stop me! Battles cannot defeat me! Money cannot buy me!
Governments cannot silence me and the demons hate me!
I AM A SOLDIER!
Even death cannot destroy me! For when my Commander calls me from this
battlefield, He will promote me to Captain and then bring me back to rule this world
with Him!
I AM A SOLDIER IN GOD’S ARMY
and I am marching, claiming victory! I will not give up! I will not turn around!
I AM A SOLDIER!
I’m marching Heaven-bound! Here I stand!
WILL YOU STAND WITH ME?
(author unknown)

I Am A Soldier

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

I Am A Soldier

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

I Am A Soldier

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

We’re In The Army Now

Sermon by John Isaacs

The Church in the New Testament did not have a name.

 A “Body” with Christ as our head

1. An Army Recruits -- The Church evangelizes the lost.

Here is a description of being a “good soldier” in God’s Army by an unknown author.

You might also like