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From Here... to Spiritual Warfare
by Major Don
Grad
From its’
earliest beginnings, The Salvation Army has done as William
Booth said, “Go straight for souls, and go for the worst”.
They did not endlessly strategize, but went and did
something.
Let me
start by affirming that there is much good happening in our
Army world, and people operating with a definite ‘war’
mindset.
As a
retired Officer, I enjoy doing pulpit supply to other churches
in town. Last
August, during my message (at a local evangelical church), the
Spirit prompted me to ask the congregation, “How badly do you
want to see people saved?”.
That question keeps coming back to me, both as an
individual and in a corporate capacity.
Has The
Salvation Army, declined in our warfare mentality and
readiness? This
statement is meant to provoke a reaction.
Most Salvationists would give mental acknowledgement
that we are in a spiritual war.
Perhaps the better question is “Do you, the reader,
really believe the Christian is in a spiritual war, with
eternal souls at risk?”
“Wait a minute”, some might say, “We are The Salvation
Army!”.
The
typical reader of JAC is hopefully already on a spiritual war
footing, But…
what about your Corps, your Centre?
The
Salvation Army in Canada used to have a publication called the
‘War Cry’, but a number of years ago it was re-packaged into a
shiny monthly publication called the ‘Salvationist’.
The Salvationist is good, (and I am not just a cranky
old Officer) but hopefully it does not reflect that we have
gone from a ‘war’ mindset to anything less.
The Christian band ‘Petra’ wrote a song called ‘This Means
War’ with the chorus:
This means war and the battle's still ragin'
War and though both sides are wagin'
The Victor is sure and the victory secure
But till judgment we all must endure
This means war, this means war
A few words to close:
“No, in all these things we are more
than conquerors through him who loved us.
For I am
convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor
demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,
neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation,
will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in
Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans
8:37-39 (NIV)
May the Lord richly bless your efforts for His eternal
Kingdom!
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