Dedicated soldiers are a dying breed, especially amongst Christians. Few people endure when the going gets tough or obstacles surface. The average Christian believes that God’s will involves no hurdles. In the secular world, drill sergeants, employers, and teachers spend a great deal of time and effort trying to instill discipline into those who grew up lacking character with little desire to succeed. This lack of character affects us all. Good soldiers endure hardness. They do not quit in the service of the Lord because of trials and tribulations. Neither do they allow themselves to be entangled in the affairs of this life. Their main desire is to please the very one who chose them to be a soldier in the first place.
Most battles won have been won because of being equipped with the proper weaponry. Though the substance may be different in Christian warfare, the same theme prevails. No believer is nearly as successful in battle as he is when he dons “the whole armour of God” (Ephesians 6:11). This armour assists the believer as he seeks to stand “against the wiles of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11). This armour defends the loins with truth, the vital organs with righteousness (Ephesians 6:14), the head with salvation (Ephesians 6:17), and the entirety with faith (Ephesians 6:16). The same armour provides the offensive weaponry in the word of God and prayer (Ephesians 6:17-18). Notice that the spiritual weaponry lacks any emphasis upon the physical.
The Bible clearly emphasizes that the Christian warfare is a “fight of faith” (1 Timothy 6:12) against spiritual foes (Ephesians 6:12). With this in mind, it only makes sense that the weapons used in this warfare would also be spiritual in nature. The Christian’s fight needs no physical arms, swords, or weaponry of any kind, yet the weapons of this warfare are “mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds.” Those religions (and cults) who use physical weaponry to convert others to their “faiths” have never done this at the Lord’s bidding or direction. The Christian faith never has nor ever will convert one single person through use of a physical sword or threat. Instead, God’s people are completely reliant upon the words of God and the God of those words.
The fact that the Bible describes the Christian life as the good “fight of faith” (1 Timothy 6:12) reveals that the believer’s warfare is spiritual and never fleshly. In like manner, the enemy lives within the spiritual realm and this battle cannot be seen with the eyes of flesh. The enemy does not simply reside in a country on the other side of the world. In fact, it is no person or people group on this earth. Believers are told that they do not wrestle “against flesh and blood.” Ultimately, the saints’ enemy is the Devil, but his minions include principalities, powers, the rulers of the darkness of this world, and spiritual wickedness in high places. This means that the saints should never look to flesh and blood (mere mortals) for the source of their frustrations or victories. The fight is one of faith; the enemy, the Devil and the Lord our spiritual Captain (Hebrews 2:10).
Most wars are instigated and then propagated by those with impure and mostly evil motives. Men fight these fleshly wars to satisfy their own lusts, yet the Christian warfare is ordered of the Lord. Unlike carnal wars, this battle is one of faith. The battle plans are given by the Captain seated in heaven, and these directives must be accepted by faith. In fact, the Bible refers to the warfare that is the Christian life as a “good fight.” At this present time, it is the only war declared with unwavering certainty to be ordered and completely ordained by God. Victories and defeats may not always be as visible, and the toll of wounded or killed will never be reported on the daily news, but the results of this battle have far greater significance than any war fought between two earthly people groups. Every Christian should be willing to fight the good fight of faith.
The Bible reveals that carnality infected and infested the first century Corinthian church. Divisions were commonplace as the believers were polluted by strife and envy. When the believers gathered together, every man did that which was self-pleasing. Every believer desired to be the center of attention rather than giving others first place. Every one of them had a psalm, or a doctrine, or a tongue, or a revelation, or an interpretation; but nobody sought to use those things for edification. Each of these things could have been used for good, but Paul said that the church being edified was most needed (1 Corinthians 14:5). As believers, every aspect of our service to God should seek to edify others. This most especially includes the times when we gather together.
Our words should never be used by the Devil as weapons to destroy or discourage others. Any problem with our words reveals a problem with our heart: “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh” (Matthew 12:34). The mouth can exhibit good or bad and our actions reveal the heart of the problem when the Bible says, “out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies” (Matthew 15:19). This is why our words are not always profitable to those who hear them. Yet, God admonishes us to “let no corrupt communication proceed out of” our mouth. Believers are instead encouraged to make sure their words are “good to the use of edifying.” The saint of God should speak words that God can use to build up other saints in the faith.
The knowledge of something wrong helps a spiritual person avoid such activity. On the surface, one might fail to distinguish much of a difference between the fruit of knowledge and charity in today’s passage. Both evidently build up the believer. Yet, a closer look reveals the major difference. The Bible says that knowledge “puffeth up.” The idea is that knowledge makes one feel superior and can offer a false strength. Knowledge seems to do the same work as charity, but knowledge without the charity serves as a façade. Charity, however, offers real growth and stability. Unlike knowledge, charity edifieth. Charity not only builds up the believer but also those who associate with that believer. The only way to be edified and the only way to edify others involves seeking the Lord for pure, unadulterated charity.
The Christian life usually contains some very difficult decisions. Life's choices do not always involve choosing between good and evil; sometimes our choices involve choosing between something good and something better or best. For instance, a choice may involve something not necessarily wicked, but equally not edifying. This choice may not involve sin, but also fails to build others in the Lord. Believers who truly love the Lord may, at times, have to choose to forsake some things in life because they do not edify. Our passage confirms these truths as it says that all things do not edify. Paul emphasized this when he stated, “if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth” (1 Corinthians 8:13). Clearly, edification serves a much greater purpose than simple convenience or liberty.
The Bible’s built-in dictionary defines edification by contrasting it with destruction. Destruction gives the sense of tearing down something; therefore, it makes sense that edification refers to the opposite of tearing down. Consider a related word: an edifice is a building. This further confirms that edification means to build up something. As saints of God, we should be building ourselves and others on our most holy faith (Jude 20). In fact, everything we do should be judged by whether or not it works to build up or to strengthen us or other believers. Christians should focus on consciously building others in the faith. Consistently edifying others takes thorough planning and direction; whereas, destructive behaviour frequently takes place haphazardly.
