God's Army Will Always Flourish; But., Where Are The Men?

The Lord is raising His Army, an Army that will consist of those that have “been there” and “done that”, but, this isn’t about those that have been Christians, or properly behaving as Christians, for as long as they can remember. This Army will be filled by those that came to recognize His salvation and righteousness a little later, those that have been challenged by negative forces redirecting the paths of their lives – distractions, torment, addictions, rejections, and lack of love amongst others. 

These are those that have been through the basic training of life and can recognize a lost soul almost on site, due to the Spiritual discernment earned through their own personal sacrifice, placing their lives at the foot of the cross. An Army focused on saving lives, not taking them.

Membership in this Army means that they have learned the way of the Spirit and recognize that the natural realm is far less in substance than the spiritual realm, just like a mirror reflects the image of the reflected.

Members of this Army must have their minds renewed as this will be the only way that they can receive instructions, the only way to hear His Voice.

This Army will have similarities to the natural military, but it will also be dramatically different:

They both:

• Train for the purpose of defeating an enemy
• Train to specialize in the use of different weapons
• Practice discipline and focus
• Have objectives, strategies, and tactics
• Have those that engage the enemy and those devoted to support and supply

God’s Army:

• Will fight to give life, not take it
• Fights to free people, not conquer them
• Focuses on victory in tearing down strongholds
• Uses weapons that aren’t carnal, but spiritual
• Trains for battles, objectives, strategies, and tactics that will be spiritual, not physical

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete. 2 Corinthians 10:3-6

The members of God’s Army serve as the bridge between the spiritual and natural realms, living in both worlds, because they have been Born Again by the Spirit. They know when they win because they have clear objectives that define victory, that Jesus came “to destroy the works of the devil” (see 1 John 3:8). Their purpose is to destroy the works of the enemy and rescue those in bondage to him so that mankind can be fully restored to God.

This Army knows that they can never experience a moment of hesitancy because, hesitation can turn victory into defeat. They are fully resolved and will relish the victories when they attain them. God’s Army serves His Church; but, while they serve His Church, His Church is also creating a dilemma in filling the ranks.

While the last two millenia prove that the Lord’s Army will always flourish, one way or the other, there is a spiritual stronghold that has taken hold within the Church. 

The Church, led mostly by men, has created a culture that is mostly feminine, removing much of the masculine influence needed, causing men to struggle with relating to the present day Church and its structure. This is why more than 70% of the church is composed of women, and many of the men who are in the church today are not really connected in their hearts. Where are the men? Absence from the Church also means that many are AWOL from God’s Army.

The Book of Revelation refers to the Church as both the Bride of Christ and an Army of God. This creates confusion for those that are intended to be a part of His Army, and one of the areas that confuses how men are to behave as Warrior, not clear as to how they are supposed to fit. If men are to serve as part of the Bride of Christ, then women can also be in the Army of God. But this does not mean that men are to become more feminine as women become more masculine; this is an area where the devil has successfully blurred this distinction, and it is creating a lapse in membership in Gods Army, just as it does in the US military.

The devil has caused men to become feminine and women to become masculine, this is NOT what the Lord created. The Lord did create feminine women who can be great warriors and masculine men that can be great worshippers but men and women must learn to walk in both of these natures in order to operate as proper soldiers in God’s Army.

The greatest example of this is King David, who was one of the greatest warriors in the Bible, while also one of the greatest worshippers.

Men are having a hard time relating to the church, they are bored with it, they feel out of place. They do not understand God’s Army and how they are to operate. This is because the church has fostered a culture of seekers rather than conqueorors, allowing the culture of political correctness to step in and guide their hearts rather than guarding their hearts against correctness that is contrary to His Word. This is antagonistic to God’s Army and serves as an example of a significant stronghold within the Church that must be taken down.

The best warriors for this are those that have seen it, experienced it, questioned it, and learned what it truly means to become a part of God’s martial culture. A martial culture is one focused on being a soldier; therefore, God’s martial culture is one focused on being a proper soldier for God.

When the church learns how to adopt and take on the martial culture that it was called to have, then men will start returning to the church and want to be a part of it. They will engage and will accept discipleship into God’s Army. We are to prepare for battle as a Bride of Christ; but to be fully functioning members of God’s Army, we are not to remain as seeker’s who do not fully understand the nature of the Church that Christ created. His Army require the understanding and application of the ‘dunamis’ power of His Spirit.

Within Scripture, He uses the title “Lord of hosts” or “Lord of armies” ten times more than all His other titles combined. Human martial culture is not the same as God’s martial culture. In Isaiah 55:8-9, the Lord declared, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” … “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.”

God’s Army fights using the ways of God; the US military fights using the ways of man. Spirit realm vs. natural realm; God’s ways vs. man’s ways.

Religion has designed and added human activities, human definitions, and human martial character into its congregation and message; this is why men leave the church, or at a minimum, disengage. Because of the spirit the Lord gave them, men know, in their spirit, that something is wrong; they just don’t understand it so they become confused and feel a sense that they are no longer a fit. For those that do recognize it for what it is, they feel powerless to do anything about it, so they are relegated to silence, allowing their spiritual life to become dull.

Jesus said that He came in order to give us an abundant life, but He did not say that it would all be good. Outside of actual military service, nothing in life is more exciting than a true Christian life, but nothing is more boring than “religion”. If we find that our spiritual life is dull, then we are not on the path that Jesus came to lead us on. Our responsibility, at that juncture, is to get back on the path of life, and stay on it.

Like most young men, I thought of war as an adventure; I wanted it, I sought it, and I found it. I can say with certainty that after participating in three wars over a twenty year military career, that while war is exciting, once conflict is experienced, it turns into the worst kind of hell. But this is not the case in God’s Army. His army is one of the most exhilarating things we can ever be a part of.

True adventure is participating as a member of God’s Army on recovery operations and search and rescue missions within the Body of Christ; this is when men feel triumphant, when they see their purpose and their identity restored – the bible prophecy’s on this throughout the Scriptures.

God’s Army is a movement – a God sustaining organism that will never stop moving. In this regard, all Christian denominations once started as a movement, but, many have stopped moving and they have turned into institutions. We, as Christians, as members of God’s Army, have NOT been called to an institution; we have been called to be a part of a movement, the most awesome adventure that anyone can experience – the path of life.

It is not within the Christin nature to just have fruit; we want A LOT of fruit. Deep within this very nature we discover that we CAN accomplish something relevant and very significant. Your small story then becomes a part of the larger story, and this my fellow Warriors, is exciting. This is what it is meant to be a member in God’s Army.

There is nothing more interesting than God so if you find that your church life is boring, then you are not in the right place my brother or sister. The closer you get to Him and the more you follow Him, excitement will become a regular part of your life, for there is nothing greater than a true Christian life. We are called to a life of significance, God is mobilizing an Army of resolute and fearless warriors who have been trained via the conflicts of life. 

If you follow Him and not just “religion”, then your life will never be boring. You are on His Army now!! 

This article was made possible via the book “Army of Dawn” written by Rick Joyner.