Many wonder why Christ Jesus is referred to as the Captain of Israel’s army. We say so because the real army of Israel is a spiritual army of which Christ Jesus is the captain. Jesus is the first born of all creation, Colossians 1: 15; the firstborn from the dead, Colossians 1: 18; the first born of God into the world, Hebrews 1: 6; and the first born to assemble those who are enrolled in heaven, Hebrews 12: 23. He is certainly the first of God’s army for his chosen nation being part of all things in creation.
Jesus said of himself in Matthew 28: 18, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. So, there can be no victory in battle against his arch foe Satan without his authority and his leadership. Exodus 14: 14 says the LORD will fight for you, and you have only to keep still.” Deuteronomy 1: 30 says, the LORD your God, who goes before you, is the one who will fight for you, just as he did for you in Egypt before your very eyes. Read also Joshua 10: 25; 23: 10; 2 Chronicles 20: 17.
Nehemiah 4: 20 says our God will fight for us.” Jeremiah 1: 19 says they will fight against you; but they shall not prevail against you, for I am with you, says the LORD, to deliver you. See also Jeremiah 15: 20. God is present with us by the Holy Spirit through Christ Jesus. Matthew 1: 23 says… and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means, “God is with us.” God will not be with us without Christ Jesus. We must in truth have personal responses to the question as to whether or not God is with us.
Why God chose Jesus as Captain
God chose Jesus based on the nature of Jesus’ spiritual authority long before his birth. Paul said of Jesus in Romans 18: 26, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall give praise to God.” Paul said in Philippians 2: 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. God chose Jesus also based on his proven qualities as follows:
Jesus volunteered for God’s battles
Isaiah said of Christ Jesus in Isaiah 6: 8 says then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I, send me!” Long before Isaiah, Jesus was. God does not recruit for his battles by compulsion or coercion but respects our will which must be exercised wisely and in a responsible manner for eternity. Have we, and will we volunteer for God wisely?
Jesus was ever ready for battle
A good soldier must always be ready for battle. Referring to Isaiah 61: 1, Jesus said in Luke 4: 18, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.” Jesus was ready by the word for the above. He said in John 8: 42, … I did not come on my own, but he (God) sent me. Are we ready for the above battles by the word?
Jesus was the most qualified
Peter said in Acts 4: 12, there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved. Referring to Christ Jesus, Luke 19: 38 says, “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! In whose name do we engage in battle? Without the peace of Christ in our hearts through his blood, we will be most disqualified for God’s battles.
Jesus knew best God’s plan
God’s plan for his battles is contained in his will. It is doing God’s will, Matthew 7: 21; including accepting Christ Jesus as God’s Son, John 6: 40. In order to achieve this, Jesus said in John 15: 10, if you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. Jesus has shown us the best strategy to execute God’s plan against his foes. Hosea 4: 6 says my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Do we know God’s plan by biblical knowledge?
Jesus could recruit the best guys
In Matthew 10: 11; Luke 6: 13-16, Jesus recruited the twelve disciples or apostles from varied backgrounds. However, Judas Is Chariot’s betrayal and its consequences are clear warnings to all who take salvation for granted to know that the enemy came to kill, steal and destroy. Jesus said in John 15: 16, you did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. Are we bearing good or bad fruits?
Jesus knew the battle terrain
Jesus said in Matthew 20: 18-19, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death; then they will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified; and on the third day he will be raised.” Jesus knew the battle involved betrayal, disgrace, humiliation, suffering, death and resurrection, yet he was ready to face it with alacrity. Jesus advised against the devil’s weapon of fear and said in Matthew 10: 28; Luke 12: 4, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that can do nothing more. Do we still fear death?
Jesus was the best mentor
James, who was one of Jesus’ disciples, advised based on what he knew of Christ Jesus. He said in James 1: 2-3, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing. He said further in James 1: 12, blessed is anyone who endures temptation. Such a one has stood the test and received the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. James was motivated by what Jesus said in Matthew 11: 29, take my yoke upon you and learn from me. Are our lives worthy examples to those perishing?
Prayer
Dear Lord Jesus Christ, we confess that you are our captain in battle. You possess all the knowledge and power in life’s battles. Train and prepare us ready for battle always. Help us to be worthy soldiers of the cross through Christ Jesus. Be our mentor and guide till the end of days and lead us by your Holy Spirit in your precious name that is above all names. We thank you for hearing our prayers, Amen!!
