Many Christians have no idea that there is a battle going on. Yet, when we are called, we are called to battle. This battle has been raging from the very beginning, it is the battle between light and darkness. As Christians we are all somewhere in relation to the battle and we can boil it all down to perhaps four positions. Position number one is the conqueror. This is the man or woman who arrays himself for battle and boldly faces the enemy. This person will know the trumpet and the sound that it gives. When the signal to attack is sounded, then he moves forward and confronts and engages the enemy. This position is not to be underestimated. Often times when the Israelites arrayed themslves(lined up on the battlefield) for battle, they would be facing enemies numbering four hundred thousand. The Bible calls these "Stouthearted men." Battles cannot be engaged in and won without stouthearted men. The trumpet in these situations represents the commands of God, for He is our leader, He is our Commander. Men should never mistake themselves as the Commander. This runs counter to the Word of God. Pastors/teachers, Elders/Spirtual guides, deacons/ servants are not and in no way represent Commanders and it is a common mistake today to put them in this category. Joshua found this out when he had an encounter with the true Captain of the Hosts, and fell on his face before Him, taking instruction from the pre-incarnate Christ. Every Royal Priest has to know the sound of the Trumpet. And this takes us to position number two. These are men who cannot discern the trumpets sound. Apathy has led to a break in their relationship with their Commander. Instead of seeking the Lord and guarding their hearts, they have allowed themselves to listen to intermediators. Now they rely on a Pastor or teacher to hear from God. Oh yes, these men line up for battle, but since they cannot hear the Commanders voice, they line up in the wrong place, they leave gaps in the ranks, gaps that the enemy will undoubtedly take advantage of. They look to teachers and guides for their positions, not realizing that this is the sole responsibility of the Commander and that these same teachers and guides are lining up where they are told, if they indeed can discern the Commanders voice. These men will continue to charge when the retreat has been sounded, they will retreat when the trumpet blows to charge and can cause chaos in the ranks. Position number three are soldiers who have tasted battle, they know the Trumpets sound, they have seen and know firsthand the fearfulness of battle and decided they want no more of it. These men are AWOL(absent without official leave) They have also left gaps in the ranks which the enemy will exploit. The last position is the "Draft dodgers." These men are totally absent from the battle. They have heard reports and they want nothing to do with the battle. Their fear and disobedience keeps them from engaging the enemy. They are comfortable where they are and they will not be moved. These men should be fighting, but they are not and they also leave gaps in the ranks, again to be exploited by the enemy. Who will stand in the gap today? Wycliffe stood in the gap against the Catholic church. In 1415 they decreed that his dead body should be dug up, burned, and his ashes scattered in the river. His crime? He translated the Bible from Latin(which no one could read apart from the priests) to English. Even the Latin Bibles were chained to the pew of the church so that no one could take it from the church. People got a hold of the truth from his translation and were radically changed. John Huss came next (the Hussites) He taught the truths from Scripture and rejected the authority of the Pope, arguing for the priesthood of all believers. For that, he was horribly tortured and finally burned at the stake. Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door of the church, laying down all that was wrong within the church and challenging the authority of the church. He reasoned that Scripture was the Royal priest's authority and Scripture alone, and everything had to be questioned and measured against that. For this he too was hounded and excommunicated (thrown out) from the church. His challenge to the authority of the church led directly to the Reformation, praise God. All of these men and many more had one thing in common. They all were conquerors. They literally laid their lives on the line and most of them were actually killed. Do we have what it takes to stand up and be counted? Would we be willing, like these men, to put our lives on the line for truth, to stand in the gap? Perhaps today our lives may not be in danger, but perhaps our position would be? Our position in the church, in the workplace, in the world. The only true way to find yourself in the right position, to be arrayed in the right place, to fear God more than to fear men, is to know the Commanders voice. to be able to discern the trumpets call. Guard your hearts brothers and sisters. Discover His voice, and follow it to the letter. In this way you will be mighty in battle. The church has always needed reformers, and today is no different from the last 2000 years. Scripture tells us to "beware when we stand, lest we fall." If we believe we have arrived as a church, then only a fall would realign us to our proper place.
