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[Note: <\/strong>This MS is available in larger font on our Brief Articles 1\u00a0<\/strong> page.]<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>The radicals and liberals in our society have put the term militant<\/em> in bad company for many of us. In their militant campaigns on college campuses and in street demonstrations, their nasty and noisy tactics, usually resulting in bloodshed, they have caused saner souls to shrink from anything that resembles their temperament. However, it is never right to use the abuse of a principle to deny the principle itself. As a matter of fact, the New Testament is loaded with military figures and terms designed to inspire Christians to be militant servants of Christ. Perhaps a brief study of them will increase our courage and valor.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The Christian life is compared to a war in which we seek to overthrow spiritual, rather than material fortresses (2 Cor. 10:3\u20134). Timothy is urged to \u201cwar the good warfare (1 Tim. 1:18.) One of the great enemies we face is \u201cfleshly lusts, which war against the soul\u201d (1 Pet. 2:11).<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Combatants in warfare are \u201csoldiers<\/strong>,\u201d who must be willing to suffer for the cause for which they contend; a \u201cgood soldier\u201d <\/strong>will suffer hardship for Christ Jesus (2 Tim. 2:3). An honorable soldier seeks to obey his Commander and denies himself any entangling alliances that would hinder this purpose (2 Tim. 2:4). Paul considered himself a \u201csoldier\u201d<\/strong> of Christ and named Epaphroditus and Archippus as \u201cfellow soldiers<\/strong>.\u201d (Phi. 2:25; Phm. 2).<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 We are not participants in mock battles, but the \u201cfight\u201d <\/strong>is real. The Christian \u201csoldier\u201d<\/strong> is on the side of all things good and true and must \u201cfight the good fight of the faith\u201d<\/strong> (1 Tim. 6:12). Paul, ever the one to practice what he preached, could say at the close of his life, \u201cI have fought the good fight<\/strong>\u201d (2 Tim. 4:7). If we fail to \u201cresist the devil<\/strong>\u201d (Jam 4:7), we will become part of his \u201cspoils<\/strong>\u201d (military booty) of war (1 Cor. 2:8).<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Our \u201cCommander in Chief\u201d <\/strong>(1 Tim. 6:14\u201316) has equipped His army very well. We have \u201cweapons<\/strong>\u201d (2 Cor. 10:4; 1 Pet. 4:1) and \u201carmor<\/strong>\u201d (Rom. 13:12, 2 Cor. 10:6:7; Eph. 6:11). Our \u201carmor<\/strong>\u201d includes \u201ctruth<\/strong>,\u201d \u201crighteousness,\u201d the Gospel of peace,\u201d \u201cfaith,\u201d \u201chope\u201d<\/strong> and \u201cprayer\u201d<\/strong> (1 The. 5:8; Eph 6:13\u201318). This is the \u201cwhole armor of God,<\/strong>\u201d and we cannot dispense with any part of it if we hope to \u201cstand<\/strong>\u201d (Eph. 6:11). Our mighty offensive weapon is the all-sufficient \u201csword of the Spirit<\/strong>,\u201d the Word of God (Eph. 6:17; 2 Tim. 3:16\u201317).<\/span><\/p>\n [Note:<\/strong> I wrote this article for, and it was published in the October 13, 1977, edition of the Granbury Gospel, <\/em>weekly bulletin of the Granbury Church of Christ, Granbury, Texas, of which I was editor.<\/span><\/p>\n Attribution:<\/strong> From thescripturecache.com<\/em>; Dub McClish, owner and administrator.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Views: 0[Note: This MS is available in larger font on our Brief Articles 1\u00a0 page.] \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The radicals and liberals in our society have put the term militant in bad company for many of us. In their militant campaigns on college campuses and in street…<\/p>\n