victorious secret

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!

What bothers me about those words is that we’ve completely forgotten who the foe is. I’ve got to be careful here or I’ll rant for pages. So I’ll make it short and jagged.
The apostle Paul said, “we do not fight flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Paul used the athletic and military metaphor readily, but he was never talking about fighting people. In fact, he illustrates how we reach people by fighting the real enemy, “Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.”
Our military metaphors have not only confused non-believers who believe that they are our enemy. But have also confused us in exactly the same way. We also act as if they are our enemy. Rock stars are our enemies, Hollywood is our enemy, tree huggers are our enemies, school teachers are our enemies, Democrats are our enemies.
We have assembled armies to go on the offensive against moral issues that affect us. We seek to change behavior instead of hearts. We’ve misrepresented Christ, and have sought to change him into exactly what Israel was expecting. Legislate morality. The government shall be upon His shoulders.
Jesus came loving people. His victory was not over people, but over sin. Hell is defeated. We have met the enemy and he is us. Our natural man is defeated. Jesus leads us in triumph because He has won the battle. He spreads the fragrance of His incense because He has made a way for those whom we think are our enemies.
Though the battle is won, there are little skirmishes arising that from our perspective seem to be the battle itself. They are only to distract us. And they have.
Jesus did not say, “lift up your eyes and look at the enemy, ready to be beaten.” He said, “lift up your eyes and look at the fields already ripe for harvest.”