In the Army now

We are drafted in the heavenly armies when we submit our lives to Christ. We become soldiers in his army, as expressed by the apostle Paul in 2 Timothy 2:4:

No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs,
rather, they try to please their commanding officer.

So how are we soldiers? We fight battles with our natural selves (Romans 7:5-6, 8:4) and we fight in the unseen realm (Ephesians 6: 12). By nature, without Christ, we are lost. We are bound for hell, and there is no hope outside of Him. Once we are saved, He becomes our Commander-in-Chief. we are thrown into a battle for ourselves and for others the second we enlist. The enemy will stop at nothing to derail us from our missions. The flesh, money, power, comfort-all of these things are good when they honor God. But these become weapons against us if they become our focus instead of our Commander. He clothes us in heavenly armor so that we may stand against the enemy. Along the way, He grants us fellowship with others so His army can work as a unified front. Christ appoints the generals that we follow.

Our bishops, pastors, deacons, and priests are our generals. These people have been called and ordained by our Commander to lead us into battle. They have been following Christ for some time, perhaps years, and have proven loyal. They are worthy of our respect. They are accountable for us to the Lord. They are literally His shepherds here on earth. But before the battle starts, the generals call on the intercessors (or scouts).

The intercessors use prayer to "scout" the landscape and lift if up to the Commander. They report what they have seen or heard to the generals. Very often these briefings will include battle plans and tips from the Commander on who the enemy (be it a ruler, principality, or the like) is and where they are. They also decide how to defeat the enemy. Remember, unlike earthly battles, the Battle of the Ages has already won, and we're on the winning side. Before the battle begins, the generals and scouts have to train their units. The people appointed to this task are the teachers.

An army is only as good as its training. If a soldier is trained poorly, he or she can drag his or her unit down. The teacher's job is to train the soldier to withstand enemy attack and follow orders from those about him or her. They also foster a camaraderie in the ranks among the soldiers, so the unit learns to function as one. This is vital on the battle field, just as it is in the spiritual realm. As soldiers, we fight for the Truth which we have gained, sometimes to the death.

Sometimes, we get wounded in battle. This is where the "medics" come in. Soldiers are taught how to heal, but some have more of an anointing than others. These people either go out onto the field and retrieve the sick and wounded (apostles) or they are behind the scenes, evacuating and treating the hurt. Through the battle, the worship leaders raise the battle cry to keep the troops' morale up. They are the modern day drummer boys.

Each soldier is equipped with special gift(s), so they may glorify God. Our Commander-in-Chief lives to help us win our everyday battles against ourselves and our enemy.

Our battle cry: HE IS RISEN!
Our calling: SECURE.
The outcome: JESUS CHRIST IS LORD OF ALL!