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In the protestant theology, there are two states of the present church: the church militant and the church triumphant.
[2 Timothy 2:1-7 KJV] “Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully. The husbandman that laboureth must be first partaker of the fruits. Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things”.
The church militant is the present church which we belong to that is struggling as soldiers of Christ against sin, devils, and the world. This is the living church that is alive now to do the work of evangelism and soul-winning and the service of our God.
The church triumphant is the church that has passed into glory. The spirits of saints made perfect. This is the church that has passed before us into glory. This is the cloud of witnesses that is cheering us on in our race.
The truth, therefore, is God is building us into the militant church as soldiers of Christ to carry out His will on earth. We must;
Become a son:
You must strive to become a son or a daughter to gain a legal and divine right to the spiritual legacy of your pastor. Sons and daughters are forever. Don’t just be a visitor to the church. Decide to be loyally committed to the church and to its doctrine.
Decide to be loyal and faithful:
Only loyal and faithful people will be given access to certain levels of divine truth and grace. God will not give that which is precious to pigs. You must be faithful to receive the precious things of God. You are called to be faithful a steward of the manifold blessings of God and the mysteries of the kingdom must be found faithful. It is important to make all that precious decision to be faithful. Faithfulness and loyalty in all endeavours is a decision. You must decide.
Be strong in the grace of the Lord:
Without strength, we cannot win the battle against sin, the world, and devils. We need to be strong and of good courage to be able to carry out the assignment. There are times when you may be afraid or down but you must always psyche yourself and focus on the cross to regain your conviction.
Endure hardness as good soldiers:
A good soldier endures hardness, a good soldier does not retreat or surrender under pressure. You shall soar above every storm and not be surprised. You must thicken your skin and develop stamina. You must survive under pressure. There are times when you may be pressed beyond measure but you must not give up or give in to the will of the enemy.
Strive to please the One who chose us to be soldiers:
The Bible also exhorts us to strive to please the One who called us to be soldiers. We must be careful not to entangle ourselves with the affairs of this world. You may have a passion for other things but be careful not to be entangled. Let us focus on pleasing the one who called us to be soldiers. Whatever your calling is; whether to governance, education, religion, media, science, and technology, or entertainment; always remember that we have a responsibility to reach the nations with the gospel.
Strive lawfully for mastery that we may be crowned:
Don’t just go through the motions, do what you are called to with a desire to attain mastery. You must desire to become the best at what you do. Become the best at what you do. Do everything attain mastery.
See your pastor’s sayings as a law:
You will gain understanding when you consider your pastor’s sayings as a law. Spend quality time to carefully consider or meditate on what your pastor says: You must strive to think on what your pastor says to you. You must not ignore what your pastor is teaching. When you focus on his teachings, you gain understanding.
I pray that you shall arise as the church militant to teach nations. You will teach nations how to honour and serve God. You must be the militant church that shall turn the nations over to God.
Be blessed, I love you!
Kofi Simpe
Prayer:
Dear Father, I pray that you shall raise a militant congregation that will fight and win the battle against evil, Amen!
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