7 Spiritual Weapons Needed for War: Being a Soldier for God

“I may never march in the infantry

Ride in the cavalry

Shoot the artillery

I may never fly o’er the enemy

But I’m in the Lord’s army!

Yes Sir!”

I’m in the Lord’s Army is a children’s Sunday school song. I highly doubt that most children know the true relevance of such a song considering that many Christian adults don’t have a clue about what it takes to be a soldier in the Lord’s army.

Some find it hard enough to stay on the straight and narrow path because they may not realize that simply being a devout follower of Jesus Christ puts you in the direct line of enemy fire. There is a 24/7 battle that rages against Christians. For all intent and purposes, Christians are soldiers standing on the front lines of the Lord’s army-especially while living in a world that goes out of its way to constantly search for methods to repudiate and personally attack Christians. According to Webster’s dictionary, a soldier is one engaged in military service and especially in the army-a skilled warrior. In the Bible, Apostle Paul examines the qualifications of a good soldier for Jesus Christ:

  • The ability to endure hardships.
  • Does not entangle himself with the affairs of this life, so that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.
  • Like an athlete realizes that he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules (2nd Tim 2:3-5).

When facing increased pressure from the world to compromise, Christians must remain steadfastly strong in faith and be wisely prepared for the intensified hostile attacks on our faith in Jesus Christ. Apostle Paul warned believers, “Be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (Romans 12:2 KJV)” Christians who compromise their beliefs lose the opportunity to impact the world with the true teachings of Jesus Christ, which should be our foremost purpose.

It’s challenging for Christians not to be influenced by the world’s “morals”; one can easily go with the majority vs. calling attention to oneself by pointing out the blatant sin that society deems acceptable. Lately, the message of the world to Christians appears to be “Shut-up and conform!” And when Christians refuse to do so, a target is placed immediately on their backs. Before you think about caving into the world’s pressure, remember Apostle Paul’s warning, “Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. (James 4:4 NKJV)

It is critical that Christians do not compromise, for the moment they do, they are taking the beginning steps to opposing God and His commandments. Not to mention, Christians are faced with the task of standing on the battlefield in this world as proud representatives of Jesus Christ. More so, during the Last Days they must equip themselves with the necessary armor and weapons for war in order to survive the constant spiritual attacks from Satan, the ruler of this world. In order to triumph in battle, Christians must have the following:

  • A waist girded by the truth.
  • The breastplate of righteousness.
  • Shoes covered with the preparation of the gospel of peace.
  • The shield of faith.
  • The helmet of salvation.
  • The sword of the Spirit (Word of God).
  • Most importantly, having done all, just STAND (Ephesians 6:13-17).

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. (1st Peter 5:8-9 NKJV)”

Unequivocally, we are living in the Last Days. The prophet Daniel warned that one of Satan’s main objectives is to wear out the saints serving the Lord (Daniel 7:25). All though pressure will be coming from all directions, Christians must remember Apostle Paul’s words and just STAND!

  • Stand your ground for righteousness and against accepted sin.
  • Stand firmly in the commandments of the Word of God,
  • Stand strong in faith- for without it, it’s impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6)

As you stand, know that although you may never “ride in the cavalry or shoot the artillery,” you are in the Lord’s army proudly standing up for Truth and righteousness. Don’t violate your values to please the world; nothing spiritually can be gained from doing so. Believers must be comforted in knowing that we are not of this world. Our true citizenship is in heaven. (Philippians 3:20)