“Then Moses turned and went down from the mountain with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand, tablets that were written on both sides; on the front and on the back they were written. The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets. When Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, “There is a noise of war in the camp.” But he said, “It is not the sound of shouting for victory, or the sound of the cry of defeat, but the sound of singing that I hear.” And as soon as he came near the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, Moses' anger burned hot, and he threw the tablets out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain.” (Exodus 32:15-19 ESV)
As Moses and Joshua were coming down off of the mountain, they heard a sound, of which Joshua said, “I hear a noise of war in the camp.” There was a noise, all right, but it wasn't a noise of war, it wasn’t a noise of people on God's side, rather, it was a noise of people who couldn't and wouldn't stick on God's side, so they compromised. It took just a little too long for Moses to come down off the mountain. So, in the meantime, they erected golden calves and started worshiping false idols. It happened just that fast.
Sadly, in the modern Church that we live in, there are many Christians that just as soon as the battle starts getting a little rough, just as soon as the heat from the battle starts getting a little too hot, they weaken, compromise and surrender to the other side. In modern military terms, we would call these people traitors. We have too many people today who have compromised, like the children of Israel. People who still come to church services regularly, people who are members on a roll book; they may even pay their tithes, but they are people who have turned their backs on God because at one time or another the battle got too rough. So they took the easy way out, retreat and surrender.
It is time that the Church of Jesus Christ quits surrendering ground to the enemy. It is time that we quit retreating. It is time we quit compromising the Word of God for our own selfish pleasures. It is time to stick by our God and by our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. It's time we once again march back out on the front lines, fighting for our Commander-in-Chief, the Lord God of Hosts.
Whether we want to realize it or not, we are in a war. We are engaged in a warfare where there are only two options, life or death, heaven or hell. There will be no prisoners of war taken to later be released. There will be no neutral ground to conquer. There will be no peace treaty signed. It is a war that we must take seriously. It is a war that we must fully dedicate ourselves to.
In order for us to get out there and fight this war, there are a few things that we need to know about the war and our enemy. In the military, before a unit goes into a particular battle, they're given what is called an OP order. This is technically an Operational Order. This is where the soldiers receive information about where they're going, who they will be fighting, any other information they might need to successfully complete their mission. Many Christians do not realize that this is exactly what God has given us in His Holy Word. We have everything we need at the disposal for our use, if we will only take the time to use it. Allow me to show you our OP order. Allow me to show you the information about the battle that the Word gives to us.
- Sometimes this war consists of an inward battle. Romans 7:23 says, “But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.”
- This war demands entire consecration. 2 Timothy 2:4 says, “No man that warreth entangles himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please Him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.”
- This war is being fought against invisible foes. Ephesians 6:12 says, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
- Sometimes this war consists of fighting satan himself. Zechariah 3:1 says, “And he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and satan standing at his right hand to resist him.”
- We are to use spiritual weapons. 2 Corinthians 10:4 says, “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds.”
- We are to fight with faith. 1 Timothy 6:12 says, “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life.”
- We are to use the sword of the Spirit. Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the Word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
- We are to put on the armor of God. Ephesians 6:11 says, “Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”
- We have the promise of ultimate triumph. Romans 8: 35-37 says, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril or sword? Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.”
Fellow warrior, this is what it's all about. This is what the war is concerning. Satan is trying to separate us from the love of Christ. All of the things mentioned are effects of a war. Paul, though, writes that even through all the effects of war, after all the battles have been fought, we will be conquerors through Christ Jesus. We may be in the midst of a war, but that war has already been won by Christ. So prepare to go into battle fellow warfighter. Victory is already ours.