I’m certain that most folks who consider themselves to be “Christians” are familiar with that venerable old hymn, “Onward Christian Soldiers” (1871), with those inspiring words by Rev. Sabine Baring-Gould (1834-1924) and the great music by Arthur Sullivan (1842-1900); (yes, the same Sullivan of “Gilbert & Sullivan” operettas fame). There was a time in America—a time that seems to have just about disappeared—when Christians loved to sing hymns with a “military” theme. Most of us know them: Stand Up For Jesus, You Soldiers of the Cross; or Soldiers of Christ Arise. Sadly, many modern hymn books no longer contain hymns like these that portray Christians as “soldiers of the Cross” (“too violent”). In fact, in some denominations and in some other nations, the singing of “Onward Christian Soldiers” has been forbidden by the wimps of their dying Christian (in name only) churches as “too militant”, “too unloving”, “too un-Christ-like”, “too judgmental”.
In recent years in our nation, as we Christians have been constitutionally brainwashed by forked-tongued politicians and our theology confused by our “Abandonment Theology” pastors and by the Satanic corruptions of our degenerating culture, the image of Christians as “soldiers” is rapidly diminishing as we retreat in fear or uncaring from engaging God’s enemies. Many Christians still love to sing these hymns, assuming they are in their church’s hymnbooks at all, but then we do nothing to abide by their teaching. In my Bible (the 1599 Geneva Bible--my main study Bible--the Bible of the Pilgrims)-- along with my early edition New International Version Bible—which I use to compare translations)—there are many verses that exhort Christians to be good “soldiers”. For example, Paul’s advise to Timothy, in 11 Timothy 2:3: “You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ”. Or one we all know, Ephesians 6:10-17, where Paul exhorts Christ’s followers to “Put on the whole armor of God…”, or another verse not so well known, Philippians 2:25: “But I supposed it necessary to send my brother Epaphroditus unto you my companion in labor, and fellow soldier,…”.
So, are we “soldiers” fighting the ‘good fight’, or are we cringing in the back ranks, hoping that we won’t have to fight—hoping that we can continue to give lip service to fool our pastor and our brethren and—our- selves? Many Christians today seem to have forgotten (if they ever learned) that each follower of our LORD Jesus is commanded to fight! It is not a ‘suggestion’ that the Creator has given us—it is an order from Him. Who are we supposed to fight? It should be obvious that Christians are to battle God’s enemies (not necessarily our enemies, who we are commanded to forgive), of which there is now and always has been an abundance.
Unfortunately, for much of the past century, and continuing into this 21st century, Christians seem to have determined that it is easier to battle other Christians rather than the real enemies of the God of Scripture, who are usually predisposed to fight back. After all, do we really want to associate with “those people” who believe that “baptism” is necessary to be “saved”; who believe only in baptism by “immersion” (or by “sprinkling”)? Can we really live in unity with “those people” who believe that God has everything under control; or that some are “predestined” to be saved and some are “predestined” to not be saved; or who believe that “whosoever will” will be saved; or who believe that “speaking in tongues” is a sign of Christian salvation? What about Christian “unity” with “those people” who firmly believe we are living in “the last days”, so why bother trying to change or save our nation from the forces of Satan, since it is “almost over”; or who believe that the “cultural mandate” is the most important thing for Christians to concentrate on? (Genesis 1:28: God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”)
Lest I give the impression that I’ve always been in the front ranks of the fight, let me plead “guilty” to a fair degree of indifference, apathy, and timidity—interspersed with periods of religious and political fervor-- over much of my adult life. For far too long I shirked my duty to my LORD and to my nation, and devoted only “lukewarm” service to both. I believed I was being a constitutional warrior and a faithful servant of God, but I wasn’t. What about you? Will you join with me in singing the “new authorized version” of that great old hymn—you know—the version that seems to now be much more fashionable for far too many of God’s people who call themselves “Christian Soldiers”, but aren’t?
BACKWARD, CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS
Backward, Christian soldiers, running from the war;
With the cross of Jesus nowhere in the fore.
Christ, our sometimes Master, would lead against the foe;
Backwards, away from battle, see His banners go!
Backward, Christian soldiers, marching from the war,
With the cross of Jesus nowhere in the fore.
There’s no sign of triumph, or Satan’s hosts in flight;
Back then, Christian soldiers, run you from the fight.
Hell’s foundations strengthen at the meekness of our praise;
We have stilled our voices, no anthems do we raise!
Backward, Christian soldiers, marching from the war,
With the cross of Jesus nowhere in the fore.
Like a mighty army was once the Church of God;
Brothers, we are treading now where we’ve always trod!
We are all divided, not one body we;
Confused in hope and doctrine, one in apathy!
Backward, Christian soldiers, marching from the war,
With the cross of Jesus NOWHERE IN THE FORE!
Sounds pretty gloomy, doesn’t it? Perhaps I’ve even offended some of you. But you’ll get no apology from me if I have, for the hour is late, and the enemies of God and country are at the gates. No—let’s be honest—the enemies of God and country are already INSIDE the gates, and have been for much longer than most Christians realize, or will admit! That long dead “wise possum”, Pogo, proclaimed reality when he said so truthfully: “We have met the enemy—and he is us!” Or as the old saying goes: “We are our own worst enemies”!
So now that I’ve upset and/or offended some of you, let me continue. As I have said many times before in the pages of this august journal of truth, the problems facing our American nation must, for the most part, be laid at the doorstep of those of us who call ourselves Christians, most especially at the feet of those who are supposed to be “shepherds of their flocks”. We can’t really blame the Anti-Christian Liberties Union (ACLU), or the leftwing, anti-Christian Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), the now dominant secular progressive crowd, all of our sinister and/or ignorant socialist fellow citizens, the now “in our face” threat of authoritarian government, the disgusting Hollywood “woke”, “politically correct” crowd, or even the proudly declared Marxists and fascists in our midst, for all of our problems. They are only doing what their father, SATAN, has told them to do, and in far too many instances, these enemies of God and country and free people are obeying their father much more faithfully than we, who call ourselves Christians, are obeying OUR Heavenly Father! How sad! How tragic! How embarrassing! How “unsoldierly”!
May our Creator—our LORD and Savior—forgive us for our sloth. We who call ourselves Christians (and other people of faith) and Christian patriots have neglected to honor our heritage of living as free men and women. We seem to have forgotten how America, as a nation, got started, and Who it was that was the force and the inspiration for our erstwhile greatness. WE, MY CHRISTIAN BRETHREN—AND YOU OF THE JEWISH FAITH—ALL OF US—are the people who stand guilty for allowing God’s enemies to take over and almost destroy this once God-honoring nation called the United States of America. And please spare me your denials that each one of us is guilty of the charge, above. Your sanctimonious excuses won’t cut it, anymore. Neither will mine!
Back in the early 2000’s, Judge Roy Moore wrote a poem that caused me to cringe when I read it again recently:
“America the Beautiful, or so you used to be.
Land of the Pilgrims’ pride, I’m glad they’ll never see:
Babies piled in dumpsters, abortion on demand;
Oh, sweet land of liberty; your home is on the sand.
Our children wander aimlessly, poisoned by cocaine,
Choosing to indulge their lusts, when God has said “abstain”.
From sea to shining sea, our Nation turns away,
From the teaching of God’s love, and a need to always pray.
We’ve kept God in our temples, how callous we have grown,
When earth is but His footstool, and Heaven is His throne!
We’ve voted in a government that’s rotting at the core,
Appointing Godless judges who throw reason out the door.
Too soft to place a killer in a well-deserved tomb,
But brave enough to kill a baby before he leaves the womb.
You think that God’s not angry that our land’s a moral slum?
How much longer will He wait before His judgment comes?”
That’s the real question, isn’t it? How much longer will the Creator wait before He “washes His hands” of all of us? Today? Tomorrow? This year? Next year? In one-hundred or one-thousand years? Only He knows, my friends. But as Thomas Jefferson said so wisely long ago: “I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that His justice cannot sleep forever.” Mr. Jefferson should be alive today. He’d see some real reasons to “tremble for his country”! We ALL should be trembling, and that’s the truth!