ROBERT LYNN — When is the last time you sang, “Onward, Christian Soldiers”? I’ll bet it’s been quite a while. Or perhaps you recall the old VBS song that children used to sing:

I may never march in the infantry
Ride in the cavalry
Shoot the artillery
I may never fly o’er the enemy
But I’m in the Lord’s army!
Yes Sir!

I haven’t heard that one in a long time, either. Militaristic imagery is out these days and that’s no surprise. With the emergence of violent jihad and the memory of the Crusades being a global stumbling block to hearing the gospel, we’re careful to present a kinder, gentler Jesus. The Jesus who is a Divine Warrior, leading a conquering army, doesn’t sit so well, we think, with a culture weary of religious violence.

Cultural Challenge

However, let’s not be too quick to let some of the broader assumptions of the culture shape the way we preach the good news of the kingdom of God. John describes Jesus as the conquering head of “the armies of heaven” who “with justice judges and wages war” as He “strikes down the nations” and rules them “with an iron scepter.” As the King of Kings, He comes “treading the wine press of the fury of the wrath of God.” (Rev. 19:1-16) Similarly, Paul speaks of Jesus as the Conqueror who ascended on high, took captive the powers and authorities, disarmed them and made a public spectacle of them, having triumphed over them by the cross. (Eph. 4:8; Col. 2:15) Jesus Himself indicates that the advance of His kingdom will involve violent conflict between the forces of good and evil. (Mt. 11:12) This kind of language, then, is central to Christian teaching — not peripheral, and certainly not optional!

Cultural Pushback

But for the New Atheists, that’s exactly the problem. They and others want to convince us that the world is rife with religious violence. Indeed, that religion is inherently violent. Like good sociologists telling a subtraction narrative, they would like us to believe that if we simply rid the world of religion, we would rid the world of violence. And presto! We have the world of John Lennon’s Imagine. If we let that way of telling the world’s story become the background music as we reflect on the Scriptures, we will grow uncomfortable with the Bible’s graphic and often violent account of the battle between good and evil. We’ll become increasingly mute about the good news concerning that battle. “Gentle Jesus, meek and mild” is unquestionably part of the Biblical picture of Jesus (when scrubbed clean of unhealthy sentimentality). He will not break the bruised reed or snuff out the smoldering wick. (Mt. 12:20) Yet, as John reminds us, the Lamb on the throne is also the Lion of the tribe of Judah. (Rev. 5:6,7)

Cultural Questions

If this were simply about accuracy, we might be able to ignore it. But one of the central questions that the New Atheism puts to us is the question of evil, “If there is a God in heaven who is all powerful and all good, why then is there evil? Why hasn’t he done anything about it?” Frankly, it’s not just the New Atheists. Talk to students on a college campus. Talk with your co-workers, neighbors and family members. This question is always racing neck and neck for first place with the question of science and God (“Hasn’t science disproved the existence of God?”) in the thinking of those around us. What about human trafficking? What about intractable poverty? What about genocide and war? What about the issues of injustice that swirl around us? Does God care? Does He intend to do anything about them?

The Bible says God has sent Jesus, the Divine Warrior, to do battle with principalities and powers; to wage war against evil and injustice; to conquer sin, death, and the devil. This is good news. But with the Warrior is His mighty army beyond counting, purchased by His blood. They stand arrayed against another army, the inhabitants of the earth led by the Beast who “was given power to make war against the saints.” (Rev. 12-14) As we study the gospel on this subject, there is much more to learn, including what God has done in Christ to engage the battle and gain the victory.

But for now, there is the question of enlistment. So, once again, what about you? Are you in the Lord’s army?

Adapted from: The Triumph of the Cross, Part 1,  by Robert Lynn, Colsoncenter.org, July 27, 2015 — Reprinted with permission.