Ron Graham was called home on March 14, 2013. He began writing this commentary before his death and had asked me, Nathele Graham, to continue his service to our Lord by finishing what he began.

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“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”(2 Timothy 2:3-4).

“Onward Christian Soldiers” is a stirring song, which calls us to battle. The words were written by Sabine Baring-Gould in 1865 and it has been a favorite marching song ever since. Let’s take a look at that call to action.

“Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war, with the cross of Jesus going on before. Christ, the royal Master, leads against the foe; forward into battle see His banners go!”

I would like to thank each and every one of you brave Christians who have put on a military uniform. I pray along with so many others that God’s hand will protect you. There are also many Christian soldiers around the world who are battling and dying, but they are not in uniform. By this I mean those who are in God’s army and stand up for Jesus Christ without concern for their own well-being. They are brave warriors who are neither afraid nor ashamed to speak about our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, no matter what persecution they may face.

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16).

Each and every Christian needs to be stouthearted and bold in our witness for Christ whether or not what we say in a public setting might be considered hate speech. Today it is becoming more and more treacherous to stand for Christ, and those brave soldiers in countries where Christianity is banned will be rewarded by God for their stand for Christ. Christian, there is a war raging all around us. We need to prepare for battle against the unseen enemy of all humanity by knowing that Jesus Christ leads the battle.

“At the sign of triumph Satan’s host doth flee;
On then, Christian soldiers, on to victory!
Hell’s foundations quiver at the should of praise;
Brothers lift your voices, loud your anthems raise.”

The truth is Satan has already lost the battle. He was defeated at the cross of Calvary. Jesus won and Christians need to remember that victory.

“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).

Soldiers are known for standing firm for the commander who gives them their marching orders. In the military, men are taught to fight the enemy without fear of their own death. Soldiers are taught to overcome their fear early in their training and very few go A.W.O.L. Our Commander, Jesus Christ, also taught his disciples early on that fear is not to be a concern for those following him.

“Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32).

“Like a mighty army moves the church of God;
Brothers, we are treading where the saints have trod.
We are not divided, all one body we,
One in hope and doctrine, one in charity.”

When we look around at the various buildings with labels like, “United Methodist,” “First Baptist,” “Second Baptist,” “Southern Baptist,” “Lutheran” and so forth, it seems as if the army of Christian soldiers is divided. It is true that there doctrines in each congregation that seem to separate the Christian Ekklesia, but “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into One Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:12-13).

We are unified in Christ. He is our commander and the leader of this army of Christian soldiers. Many saints have followed Him into this spiritual battle and we who are living today follow where they have trod. Christ will not fail!

“What the saints established that I hold for true.
What the saints believed, that I believe too.
Long as earth endureth, men the faith will hold,
Kingdoms, nations, empires, in destruction rolled.”

We are very blessed today to have God’s written truth – the Holy Bible. In it we read of the world prior to Christ’s coming. The history of the Jewish nation and the promise of the coming Messiah are contained in the Old Testament, which is a written record of God’s plan. When Christ walked this earth He fulfilled all of the prophecies concerning His first Advent, and He only asks us to believe.

“And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16).

Peter proclaimed Jesus was the Messiah. Do we proclaim that truth today, or do we shrink away from taking a stand for our Lord? As Christians we need to stand firm in our faith. The twelve men who followed Jesus were willing to face death rather than deny Christ. John was not martyred but faced imprisonment on many occasions. Judas was a turncoat who ultimately committed suicide and was replaced in the group by Mathias who was martyred. Throughout history faithful men and women have faced torture and death because of their faith in Jesus Christ.

Today is no different. Around the world many Christians are being imprisoned, tortured, and killed because they will not renounce Jesus. Their belief in Him is strong and they will not compromise. If they are killed for their faith it is only their body that dies.

“O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” (1 Corinthians 15:55)

Brethren, keep Christ first in your life. Don’t be ashamed of Him.

“Crowns and thrones may perish, kingdoms rise and wane,
But the church of Jesus constant will remain.
Gates of hell can never gainst the church prevail;
We have Christ’s own promise, and that cannot fail.”

Our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against Satan and his minions.

“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” (Ephesians 6:12).

On our own we would be lost and the battle would be won by the enemy. These rulers of darkness seem strong and all manner of evil looms around us and seems to be growing stronger by the day. Make no mistake about it, Christ will prevail. Each day we battle with these principalities and rulers of darkness, but as Christian soldiers we have the promise from Jesus that even the gates of hell will not prevail against His Ekklesia.

“And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Matthew 16:18.

What rock is Jesus talking about? Certainly He isn’t talking about Simon Peter as some mistakenly believe. The rock that Christ spoke about was Simon Peter’s declaration that Jesus is the Christ.

“Onward then, ye people, join our happy throng,
Blend with ours your voices in the triumph song.
Glory, laud and honor unto Christ the King,
This through countless ages men and angels sing.”

The battle still rages but the invitation is there for everyone to join our army of believers. There will come a time, however, when the Christian soldiers, an army of born again believers in Jesus Christ, will be raptured and Christ’s Ekklesia will be taken Home. That time is drawing near. Brethren, do you know someone who needs to come to know Christ? Do not delay telling them about Christ. Invite everyone you know to join us in singing the praises of our Lord and King, Jesus the Christ.

“And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them” (Acts 16:25).

Paul was in prison, yet he sang praises unto God. Not only was he in prison, but he had also been beaten and locked in stocks. In spite of his misery he still sang praises to God. When the battle doesn’t seem to be going your way, do you get discouraged and pout, or do you sing praises unto God? Paul’s example to the prisoners and to the jailer resulted in many people coming to know Christ as their Savior. Whatever circumstances we find ourselves in, we need to be an example of Christ’s love to people around us by making choices that honor Christ instead of paying homage to our enemy. Our example just might be the difference between them making the choice to accept Christ or choosing to die in their sin and spending eternity in hell.

Christian, we are at war. Our Commander knows this and has made armor available for us for our protection, and each soldier needs to be skilled in using it.

“Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints” (Ephesians 6:13-18).

Brethren, the battle rages all around us and every piece of our armor must be in place. We have marching orders from our Leader. Will we obey those orders and fight the good fight, or will we go A.W.O.L.? Jesus has called us to action, and we must respond.

“Onward Christian soldiers, marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus going on before.”

We know that Christ will win the victory in this battle, but He needs Christian soldiers standing fast and fighting strong.

“But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57).

God bless you all,

Ron Graham

Ron Graham was called home on March 14, 2013. He began writing this commentary before his death and had asked me, Nathele Graham, to continue his service to our Lord by finishing what he began.

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Why is sin so much a part of our every day lives? As Christians our desire should be to remove sin from our lives, but even Paul struggled with this.

“For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me” (Romans 7:19-20).

Paul’s words are sometimes very complicated, but basically this statement means, “Even though I desire to do good things and I don’t want to sin, I do anyway…it’s my sin nature.” I know that I struggle to stop sinning, and I am sure you do, too. Why is it so difficult? What is the appeal of the forbidden that tempts us? It’s easy to say, “Oh, it’s just human nature.” But more than that—it is our sin nature.

Every person who has ever lived has faced their tendency to sin, and Christians are no exception. Sin first entered creation in the Garden of Eden.

“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Romans 5:12).

Adam was created in the image of God, but he was given free will. Love isn’t love unless it is a choice, and God gave Adam a choice. When Eve listened to the voice of Satan she was deceived into eating the forbidden fruit, but Adam wasn’t deceived. Adam chose to disobey and eat the fruit that God had specifically told him not to eat.

“And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression” (1Timothy 2:14).

After Adam sinned, he and Eve were expelled from the garden, had children and sin flourished. Instead of worshipping the one true God, mankind lusted after false gods and became so corrupt in their flesh that God had to destroy mankind as well as the animals. Oh, there were a few who had not joined in the debauchery of the day, and God saved them…Noah, his wife, their three sons and their wives. Sadly, after the waters abated and this handful of people began to repopulate the earth, the sin nature was still there. It seems as if we just can’t stop sinning.

Even the apostle Paul admitted that he couldn’t keep himself from sinning:

“For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I…Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me” (Romans 7:15,
17).

This is more of Paul’s complicated words but basically he said that he didn’t want to sin, and no matter how hard he tried he couldn’t prevent the sin in his life. Paul is not making excuses for his sins, but stating facts. God knew it wasn’t Paul who was sinning, but the sin nature that dwells within him.

“O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 7:24-25a).

Paul was full of remorse over his sins. Because Jesus had rescued Him from sin God no longer condemned him. Those who live according to the sin nature have their minds set on sinning and feel no remorse when they do. We who live according to the Spirit have our minds set on pleasing God and feel great remorse when we sin. It’s a sign that we’re saved. But in the midst of that remorse Christians need to remember that God sees us not as we are but as we will be when we’re perfected.

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

He can do this because Jesus died for all the sins of our lives past, present, and future. When we sin, all we have to do is confess and we’re immediately forgiven and purified from all unrighteousness:

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

Christians can take much comfort in those words.

Don’t misunderstand me; this isn’t a license to sin. God does take sin seriously, and Christians need to prayerfully ask God to help us remove sin from our lives. If you’ve confessed your sin then you’ve been forgiven and purified, for God is just and faithful. Now you need to ask God to help you to rid your life from sin. The guilt you feel is from Satan and you must turn your energies toward resisting him.

“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded” (James 4:7-8).

Satan is trying to convince you that you aren’t worthy to receive God’s forgiveness, but God has clearly stated that you are. He died on a cross to purchase your redemption. Draw nigh to God and He will help you overcome sin. Paul, who recognized the sin in his life was convinced that nothing could separate him – or us – from the love of God:

“For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).
Though our sin nature is a stumbling block for us, nothing can separate Christians from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus, and that includes Satan. It also includes you. Stop thinking about how bad you are and start thinking about how good God is.

“Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:4-7).

If we keep our minds turned toward Jesus with praise, supplication, and thanksgiving, there will be little time to dwell on our failures. You will have…“the peace of God, which passeth all understanding.”

Our Christian walk needs to lead us closer to Jesus. Whatever we think, say, or do, needs to change from the way of the world, which promotes our sin nature, to godly ways.

“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever” (1 John 2:15-17).

There are many activities and hobbies that draw us into the world and into sin. The entertainment industry is Satan’s tool to make sin look appealing. We can choose to turn off our TV or leave it on and watch sin be glorified. We can choose to listen to music that glorifies sin, or we can listen to music that glorifies God. When we choose to watch and listen to worldly things that seem to make sin acceptable, our sin nature is encouraged.

Instead of watching a television show filled with sinful lifestyles, why not spend that time reading God’s Word and let it teach you His truth. Instead of listening to music that is filled with lyrics that should make you blush, turn on some Gospel music and fill your mind with singing praises to God. You have a choice. Christians need to choose to obey God. Our joy should be in pleasing Him.

“As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: but as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:14-16).

The word “conversation” means more than talking with others. It comes from the Greek word “anastrophē” which means: manner of life, conduct, behavior, deportment. But how do we make this change in our choices? Notice that Peter said, “obedient children.” We need to know what God expects and then we need to choose to obey Him. That means prayerfully studying His Word.

“Then said Jesus unto his disciples, ‘If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me’” (Matthew 16:24).

Do you spend Friday night out with the boys at the local bar instead of at home with your wife and family? Do temptations present themselves to you that your flesh is too weak to resist? You have a choice. You need to consciously choose to deny your flesh and follow Christ. If you choose to be home with your family the temptations of the flesh will not be there. Whatever pleasure you think you get from sin is not pleasure at all. It feeds your sin nature and leads you away from Christ.

In the early days of Christianity the Ekklesia spent much time together. They ate together, shared what they had and encouraged each other in the faith.

“And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God, and having favour with all the people” (Acts 2:46-47a).

If Christians today would be obedient to God’s Word and spend more time with each other rather than with worldly people, maybe it would be easier to take up our cross and follow Jesus rather than give in to our sin nature. Do you think that if we were closer to our brothers and sisters in Christ we would encourage each other to obey Christ? I do. Since I accepted Christ into my life I have found that I truly enjoy fellowship with other Christians.

Shortly after I accepted Christ, some old high school buddies invited my family and me to camp with them and “have some fun.” We went and I found that their coarse language and drinking were very distasteful to me. I did not enjoy that weekend at all. I could have joined in their “fun” and at one time in my life I would have found this normal, but Christ had changed me. My sin nature was being overcome by my love for Jesus…and His love for me. Until we are called “Home” and shed this earthly vessel we live in, we will have to choose between our sin nature and our desire to serve Jesus. Choosing Jesus is always the better choice.

God’s Word tells us that there was a specific event that created all things, and a specific event, which caused sin and death to enter creation. Some Christians try to make God’s word fit into man’s fable of evolution, but by doing that God’s truth is compromised. If life started millions (or billions) of years ago, then when did sin enter? If there was no specific starting point for sin, then why did Christ have to die on the cross to purchase our redemption?

The truth is that it all happened just as God said it did. Adam was created and given a choice to obey God or to disobey. He chose to disobey and sin and death became a reality. Because of Adam’s sin we have a sin nature. We still have a choice whether to give in to our flesh or to obey God. My regrets come when I choose to sin. How about you?

God bless you all,

Ron Graham