Whenever one discusses the study of ecclesiology, there are certain issues that immediately come to mind. What does the Bible have to say about the importance of belonging to the local congregation? Is official church membership even prescribed in the Bible? What about the structure of authority in the congregation? What is the purpose of elders, and how many should each congregation have? These are certainly important issues that the church must seek to address with biblical clarity and faithfulness.
That said, as churches are quick to flock to these particular issues, there are other key features of the church that are often left behind. I would suggest to you that one of these neglected issues is one that the Reformers actually considered to be an essential component of ecclesiology: the realities of what they referred to as the church militant and the church triumphant and the distinction between them.
Now, although the Reformers acknowledged that the specific titles themselves are not found verbatim in Scripture, they do refer to truths revealed in Scripture, particularly the two existential states experienced by the one holy, catholic, and apostolic church of the Lord Jesus Christ prior to his glorious second coming.
In this article, we will consider the church militant, which refers to the state of the church of Jesus Christ as it lives on earth, prior to glorification and the full realization of the Kingdom of God.
The Nature of the Church Militant
In order to clear the air and relieve any initial tension, we should acknowledge that this doctrine does not mean that the church has been called by God to promote the gospel through physical force.
We know from texts such as Matthew 20:25–28 and John 18:36 that Jesus’s kingdom is not like those of this world, and consequently does not advance through normal warfare. So, fret not—this is not an argument for the recovery of crusader-style evangelism.
Nevertheless, the truth this doctrine encapsulates can initially be unsettling. For it reminds us that as long as believers live on this earth—prior to death or the consummation of the kingdom—we will find ourselves in a continual state of battle. The gospel life on this side of the kingdom is a war.
It is interesting that many people spend so much time wrestling with the identity of the 144,000 in Revelation 7, and yet they miss a major point: the passage reflects the imagery of a military census, much like those recorded in the book of Numbers, which in turn teaches us that the people of God are an army called to battle.
The Nature of the Battle
We must be careful to keep our bearings on this issue. Scripture emphatically teaches that we are not fighting to win the battle. Every Lord’s Day, the church gathers to celebrate the saving ministry of Christ, with the climax being the cross and the resurrection, by which Christ made a public spectacle of the devil. He crushed the head of the serpent. Satan is defeated, and his final judgment is certain, along with all who remain in Adam’s sinful race (Gen. 3:15; Col. 2:15; Heb. 2:14).
The battle, then, has already been won.
Therefore, a better way to understand the gospel life as a battle is this: believers are called to fight to work out the victory that is already theirs in Christ.
Perhaps it helps to borrow language from World War II. We celebrate the “D-Day” of the cross, and now, empowered by God’s Spirit and led by his Word, we fight until “V-Day”—the triumphant return of Christ. The outcome is not in question, but final victory is not yet here.
Understanding the Nature of Our Opposition
If we are going to engage properly in battle, we must first be mindful of our ultimate enemy. Have you considered the warning given in 1 Peter 5:8? Peter instructs the church to be watchful, for “your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”
Our greatest enemy is not the godless governments of this world or secular influences that seek to shape the minds of our children. Our greatest enemy is the evil one, the devil. Peter knew this well, for how could he forget the words of Jesus telling him that Satan desired to sift him like wheat?
Because of Christ’s saving and effective grace, the devil’s attempts can never bring about our eternal ruin (Rom. 8:38–39). Yet his tactics are real: he seeks to hinder our discipleship and trip us up in the paths of sanctification. So we must ask ourselves—do we wake each day aware that we are at war with an enemy who seeks to attack?
Although Paul teaches that our struggle is not ultimately against flesh and blood, we should still expect opposition from the world (John 15:18–20; 2 Tim. 3:12). As our Lord taught us, the world will hate us. Various forms of persecution are to be expected by the people of God.
Lastly, we must not forget that there is an internal battle—the struggle with our own sinful flesh. The remnants of Adam still dwell within us. As long as we are being sanctified, we wrestle with a sinful nature that resists God and seeks independence from him.
James 1:13–15 reminds us that when we face temptation, we must not blame God, as though he tempts or causes us to sin, nor can we simply blame the devil.
We sin because we still possess a sinful nature that opposes God. The only reason we take the devil’s bait is because of that lingering corruption within us.
Empowerment for the Battle
Some believers say, “I wish the battle would ease up—the enemy, the world, my own flesh. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a day of ceasefire?”
But as long as we are part of the church militant, we should not expect that.
So then, how will we ever endure?
We turn to Ephesians 6:10–18, the well-known passage on the armour of God. Here, the people of God are called to be equipped for battle by recognizing where their strength lies—not in themselves, but in the Lord. We are called to stand in his strength. Though this text certainly deserves a more exhaustive study, it would benefit us to consider a few foundational, and often forgotten, points.
Perhaps the most striking is that the only offensive weapon listed is the sword of the Spirit—or the Word of God. This itself clearly reminds us that we will never advance in this battle if we are not people who feed upon and walk in the Word.
Another factor that is sometimes lost is the communal nature of these instructions. Paul is not writing to individual believers, but rather to congregations in Ephesus. Dear friends, we are not to fight this fight alone—we have brothers and sisters in Christ whom we need to be in gospel fellowship with, supporting one another in the battle. Isolated soldiers, like isolated sheep, are vulnerable.
Lastly, there is also something easily overlooked in this passage. Paul is not inventing new imagery; he is drawing on language already used in Scripture—language applied to Christ himself. In passages like Isaiah 11:5 and 59:17, the warrior Messiah is described as wearing this very armour.
Now, prior to this section in Ephesians, Paul has been instructing the believers to live lives that are worthy of the gospel by putting on Christ. Though the language may differ here, the same point remains. We will only experience victory, stand firm, and overcome opposition to the extent that we are conformed to Christ—the Conqueror.
Answering the Battle Cry
It’s not enough for us to simply know the nature of the battle, our enemies, and the source of our empowerment. A proper understanding of belonging to the church militant leads us to action. To march on and see Christ’s victorious kingdom continue to break into this world.
So, by God’s grace, may he empower us to answer the battle cry:
O Church, arise and put your armour on
Hear the call of Christ our Captain
—“O Church, Arise” Keith Getty and Stuart Townend
