We are at War!

I.         Few Christians realize that their country is at war

            A.        No, I don’t mean the U.S.

            B.        I mean the country every Christian in the world belongs to, the church of our Lord and God.

                        1.         Phil 3:20 - Our citizenship is in heaven

                        2.         Eph. 2:19 - You are fellow citizens

                        3.         Few Christians realize that are citizens of a theocracy. The very Jesus we worship is our king.

                                    a.         Heaven is our permanent home. We are just traveling through this world.

                                    b.         Our citizenship in this country is just a temporary visa.

                                    c.         Hebrews 11:13-16 - We are pilgrims and foreigners in this country

            C.        But our homeland is at war

                        1.         Our homeland is not on the physical plain, but the spiritual and the war we fight is spiritual as well - Eph. 6:11-13

                        2.         As loyal citizens we cannot avoid this war. We must stand firm for our king - Jude 3

                        3.         We can’t avoid the war, because the enemy has brought it to this physical world. We are right in the middle of the battle, in the thickest of the fight, in the middle of enemy territory, and the enemies knows we are here. - I Pet. 5:8

                        4.         There is no avoiding it, we must fight or become one of the enemy and die - I Tim. 6:12

II.        In August, 1989, the U.S. Government released an updated Code of Conduct.

            A.        You see every soldier must know how to conduct themselves, for they are representatives of their country. Every soldier is required to know and full the code to their fullest ability.

            B.        (Overhead - Read the code)

            C.        A number of you are familiar with this Code.

III.       Soldiers in the army of our God also have a Code of Conduct

            A.        The code itself is the Bible, but many of it’s points are much like the U.S. Code of Conduct.

            B.        “I am a Christian, a soldier of Jesus Christ, my commander-in-chief. I am fighting to take the gospel of Christ to set free the lost and dying world. I will give my life for this cause.”

                        1.         We identify who we are by where our citizenship is.

                        2.         We know what our duty is, just as Paul did - II Tim. 4:7

                        3.         We show the extent of our commitment -- Life

                                    a.         Living or dead, we belong to the Lord - Rom. 14:8

            C.        “I will never surrender. I will be steadfast, unmoveable, abounding in the work of my Savior. If necessary, I will reprove, rebuke, and admonish with the doctrine of Christ.”

                        1.         We will not give up - I Cor. 15:58

                        2.         Our work continues for the rest of our lives - II Tim. 4:2-5

                        3.         Eph 6:13

                        4.         Heb. 12:4 - We must resist until death if required

            D.        “When tempted, I will resist the devil and his servants with every effort. I will go to God’s Word for my escape and strength. I will not compromise or submit to “favors” or “pleasures” of sin for a season.

                        1.         We will not compromise ourselves by fraternizing with the enemy. - I Pet 5:8-9

                        2.         James 4:7 - Resist the devil

                        3.         Heb 11:24-25 - Moses would rather fight than switch

            E.        “If overtaken by sin, I will not give up. I will seek help from God and my fellow-Christians. I will confess, forsake, and repent of my sins. I will be an example to believers. I will obey my Master in every way! I will obey the rules of those over me. I will support my leaders in every way.”

                        1.         James 5:16 - confess faults to one another

                        2.         I John 1:9 - if we confess our sins, God will forgive us.

                        3.         Being an example - I Tim. 4:12

                        4.         Following our leaders - I Cor. 11:1, Heb. 13:7, I Pet. 5:5

            F.        “I will eagerly answer any who asks of the hope within me. I will speak of why I am a Christian, and why others should follow Jesus. I will avoid foolish, evil, or profane questions. I will not speak or act in any way that will shame my Lord or His church. I will strive to be an aid, encouragement, and help, and never a hindrance to Christ.”

                        1.         Answer all questions - I Pet. 3:15

                        2.         Avoid foolish arguments - Tit. 3:9-11, II Tim 2:23-26

                        3.         Shaming our Lord - Heb. 6:4-6

                        4.         Encouragement - I Thess 5:11

            G.        “I will never forget that Christ died for me and I belong to Him! I will never forget I am a soldier in God’s army, fighting the good fight of faith unto the end, when victory is finally won! I will remember I am responsible for my actions. I will trust in God, who is able to deliver me.”

                        1.         Our reasonable service - Rom 12:1-2

                        2.         Trust God - II Cor. 1:9-10

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Code of Conduct

Soldier of the United States Government	Soldier of the Army of Our Lord Jesus Christ
I           I am an American, fighting in the forces which guard my country and our way of life. I am prepared to give my life in their defense.	I           I am a Christian, a soldier of Jesus Christ, my commander-in-chief. I am fighting to take the gospel of Christ to set free the lost and dying world. I will give my life for this cause.
II          I will never surrender of my own free will. If in command, I will never surrender the members of my command while they still have the means to resist.	II          I will never surrender. I will be steadfast, unmoveable, abounding in the work of my Savior. If necessary, I will reprove, rebuke, and admonish with the doctrine of Christ.
III         If I am captured, I will continue to resist by all means available. I will make every effort to escape and aid others to escape. I will accept neither parole or special favors from the enemy.	III         When tempted, I will resist the devil and his servants with every effort. I will go to God’s Word for my escape and strength. I will not compromise or submit to favors or pleasures of sin for a season.
IV        If I become a prisoner of war, I will keep faith with my fellow prisoners. I will give no information or take part in any action which might be harmful to my comrades. If I am senior, I will take command. If not, I will obey the lawful orders of those appointed over me and will back them up in every way.	IV        If overtaken by sin, I will not give up. I will seek help from God and my fellow Christians. I will confess, forsake, and repent of my sins. I will be an example to believers. I will obey my Master in every way! I will obey those over me. I will support my leaders in every way.
V          When questioned, should I become a prisoner of war, I am required to give name, rank, service number, and date of birth. I will evade answering further questions to the utmost of my ability. I will make no oral or written statements disloyal to my country and its allies or harmful to their cause.	V          I will eagerly answer any who ask of the hope within me. I will speak of why I am a Christian and why others should follow Jesus. I will avoid foolish, evil, or profane questions. I will not speak or act in any way that will shame my Lord or His church. I will strive to be an aid, encouragement, and help, and never a hindrance to Christ.
VI        I will never forget that I am an American, fighting for freedom, responsible for my actions, and dedicated to the principles which made my country free. I will trust in my God and in the United States of America.	VI        I will never forget that Christ died for me and that I belong to Him! I will never forget I am a soldier in God’s army, fighting the good fight of faith unto the end when the victory is finally won! I will remember I am responsible for my actions. I will trust in God who is able to deliver me.