Dear Salvation Army, Is The Battle Mantra Dead?

                                                              “FIRE A VOLLEY”

I am not attempting to bash our dear old Army, but I wonder if our Battle Cries have become tired, old and in need of retirement?

Just as the military fatigues from around the world change, are we in need of some changes too?  (and certainly changes have been made, and continue to be made)

I do not mean that we stop proclaiming our war against sin in our world.
I do not mean we halt our efforts in the streets, for these are vital, needed, and intrinsic to who we are…but what of our “Battle Mantras?”

“What do you mean?”  You might be asking me.
Do you ever wonder about the “catch phrases” at large rallies and events…sometimes they are impromptu (which is fun to witness), while other times they appear forced and half-hearted.  I wonder if there are times when our battle mantras sound more like an old zoo lion who has been put out to pasture…he roars every now and then, but years of comfort and “zoo care” has dulled his senses and made him more tame than he was ever created to be.

I wonder if we are like that old zoo lion sometimes in our old Army?
We know all the right mantras, we wave our flags at the appropriate times…someone grabs the old drum and beats it to the appropriate rhythms of the brass band…but what does it mean to us in the here and now?  Have we become far too tame, and have we lost our missional edge in the process?  Do these mantras still have the same purpose?  Do they still serve a purpose?  And if they do, how do we properly educate new generations?

There is little doubt that these mantras ought to be a side effect of a motivated and “on fire” army.  So, perhaps a better question is – “Where is your fire?”  In perfect “army speak” – What (or who) are you on fire for?

Personally, I do not think our army hinges on the mantras itself, instead it hinges on our passion to win souls for Christ!  If our passion is gone, we have no purpose or motivation to “win the world for Jesus”.  We can mumble whatever we want at rallies, we wave a thousand flags rapidly in the air…we can beat that old drum like it was dead horse – because without passion for Christ, and His Holy Presence to guide us – we will be a dead army drumming up the past in order to comfort us in the present.

 

So how about it? 
What new songs of warfare do we have?
What new testimonies of transformed lives can we declare?
What street corner ravaged by sin and depravity can we claim for Christ this week?

We don’t need new mantras, instead we need to fall to our knees daily in order to be refilled with His Holy Presence and injected with His might and power.  This war is still ongoing…and this Army doesn’t need the roar of zoo lions, instead we need the wild ferocity of Soldiers bravely claiming the streets in Jesus name.

Something more for our Army to ponder today.
To God be the glory!

Disclaimer:  The views and opinions of the writer does not necessarily express the view and opinions of The Salvation Army.