Memorial Day commemorates those who died while in the military service of their country, particularly those who died in battle or as a result of wounds sustained in battle. These men and women were willing to put themselves in harm’s way to defend what they believed in.

We remember those who died on Memorial Day and we honor all those who fought, who risked making the ultimate sacrifice, including those who survived, on Veteran’s Day.

These brave men and women should be an inspiration to all Christians as we engage in spiritual battle against the forces of evil.

You don’t need to be a conspiracy theorist to recognize that Christianity and Judaism are under attack. Those of us who believe in the God of the Bible cannot afford to be conscientious objectors in this conflict.

Like those brave men and women we honor this weekend, we must overcome our fear; fear of being mocked, ostracized, or even punished for expressing our faith.

That old hymn, Onward Christian Soldiers, has fallen out of fashion in recent decades, but perhaps it is time to lift our voices to this tune once again.

¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Ephesians 6:10-17 (NIV)