Chocolate Soldiers
Thursday, July 7th, 2022
by Ken Pullen
Chocolate soldiers melt in the heat of battle.
Perhaps it is thought by being a chocolate soldier one is being sweet and desirable, but in the heat, a mere touch from the hand of the world a chocolate soldier melts.
What now passes for Christianity and being a Chrisitan is a brigade of soft, appearing tasty and lovely folks that melt at the first sign of any defense of the Word of God. An army of people lost in darkness. When we ought to be the light of the world! Lovers and followers of the pagan world, not true lovers and followers of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Word of God. Impotent, incompetent disloyal dishonest chocolate soldiers.
Formed of milk rather than iron, diamond, hardened metal that can withstand the heat.
A malnourished and ill-equipped army for the war at hand.
As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. [NIV]
Imagining oneself to be accommodating, being sweet, not offending, and fitting in is not what a soldier for the Lord ought to be thinking or being about.
A person can speak, write, and converse [if such a rare thing occurs anymore, an actual conversation among people] in such a manner they do not need to conform to the ways, words, and practices of this perverse and corrupted world while not heated or presented in anger, or taking on the role of a Pharisee. Yes, the words spoken or written in truth will offend the hearer or the reader that is at enmity with God. We’re not here to make as many worldly friends as possible. But to be ambassadors, soldiers for Christ. Spreading the gospel. True disciples. People’s eternities are at stake. Not their fleeting feelings! A bit of perspective and wisdom, eh folks?
If we claim to be Christians does that not mean we live to imitate and follow Christ’s example as one of His disciples? Then let us know and use the Lord’s clear example. When tempted by Satan upon leaving the wilderness after 40 days and nights with no food or drink, at every temptation that Old Dragon the devil offered the Lord replied, “It is written…” [see Matthew 4:1-11].
If we’re spending time reading, studying, and meditating daily, nightly in God’s Word we can use the sword of the Word of God in every confrontation with the enemy in this escalating spiritual war.
I realize this poses a problem, as according to one source, Statista, in 2021 only 11% of people in America read the Bible daily. And most of those are folks 70 years of age or older. And if one reads but a verse that is considered reading the Bible daily. For greater detail and information here is the latest from the Barna Group on the “State of the Bible” in 2021, the most recent data.
Man and women cannot live on milk, on sweet daily devotionals, on a verse here, a verse there — but man and woman, and child live on eating, drinking in daily the whole Word of God!
The overwhelming number in the professed Church, by observation, being aware, listening, seeing, and discerning wisely is comprised of nothing but weak, soft chocolate soldiers. That melt in the heat.
Which will certainly melt in the presence of the Lord.
Where are those willing to be well equipped, well versed, and well prepared in this growing in intensity spiritual war every person is engaged in whether they acknowledge this fact or not?
The Whole Armor of God
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.
Ephesians 6:10-20 — English Standard Version
Soft, malleable, melting under the least bit of heat chocolate soldiers are not strong in the Lord, equipped and able to stand against the schemes of the devil — which is every way of the world — as we’re waging war, For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.
Chocolate can not stand firm. Do battle against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil. Not in the heat of the spiritual war taking place. This is an instruction to EVERY professed believer, EVERY PERSON claiming to be a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. Not just those that were alive in Ephesus hearing the reading of the apostle Paul’s letter to them. To everyone professing faith in the Lord Jesus Christ whenever they are living, wherever they are living. Without exception. Without excuse.
Not to merely show up on a Sunday morning for one church service, be entertained, if blessed actually attend a church where there is expository real Bible-teaching, Bible-preaching, Bible-believing, and then go home and carry on indistinguishable from any other person in the world.
Are you a chocolate soldier in God’s army, Christ’s army, and service? Outwardly appearing sweet but ill-equipped in the Word, refusing to put on the full armour and engage in the battle?
That melts in the heat?
Don’t tell me. Don’t attempt to deceive yourself.
God knows.
God knows.
Oh, God knows, Jesus knows, the Holy Spirit knows.
Knowing that what is your next step this day?
What a perfect metaphor! For my part Chocolate Soldiers have ‘nicely’ attacked me. One rebuked some of my writings, saying “My God is not like your God, he embraces ‘fill in the blanks” Another Chocolate Soldier primly berated me over my designation of the Enneagram as occult. This one, a female Methodist minister corrected my analysis by telling me she is a professional and learned instructor of the Enneagram within the church. Furthermore, said this Chocolate Soldier, the Enneagram reveals to Christians their ‘new man.’
I must give credit for the inspiration to write what I did, first to the Lord for making everything possible, and me but a wee instrument to serve Him, a broken vessel repaired and filled by the grace of God — but also to the senior pastor of the church my wife and I are members of. At the end of last Sunday’s sermon [July 3, 2022] after a sermon I wish every professed Christian in America could have been seated to hear, he said, “We don’t need chocolate soldiers. Chocolate soldiers melt in the heat.” And then he gave a closing prayer and benediction and the service ended.
Those two short but most pertinent pictures in words stuck with me for the remainder of the day.
And I was thus later moved to write as I did, all thanks and glory to God, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit for making me but one of many feeble and flawed vessels used.
Ironically, tragically, we find ourselves oft times more at spiritual war within the body professed to belong to Christ than at war with the heathen, the pagan unbeliever of the lost and corrupted world. Far too many within the body, now so ill and decimated at times it appears it will die for its refusal to know and listen to the Head, let’s say the gall bladder having the arrogance and gall to believe it knows better than the Head and has no need of the Head. Thus, the turmoil, decline, and blowing the doors off, not merely opening them, to every worldly philosophy and way to enter into the body. It’s as if the body now believes it is healthy, strong, and doing well by living on crisps [potato chips], pie, Coke, and then drinking skim milk vainly imagining itself healthy while it ignores the full balanced plate of life-giving sustaining food offered up in the whole Word of God.
Man and woman, no different than the first man and woman in the Garden. Willful. Disobedient. Preferring the voice of that Old Dragon to the voice of God and then justifying their rebellion.
One of the worst things to happen within Christianity is the “learned person” those who imagine they are superior, better than, somehow are granted greater spiritual acumen and gift by their attending a seminary, a theology college, where in truth little time is spent in the Word of God except to debate and deconstruct it, with the overwhelming majority attending such places being told to abandon their faith upon entrance, and then upon leaving well over 6 out of 10 do not believe. They do not believe in most of what is contained in the God-breathed Word. And these then go out to lead flocks!? Is it no wonder the professed Chruch is in the sick, diseased, and corrupted state it is? For one, no woman ought to be teaching men. [See 1 Timothy 2:12]. Instead of humbling, accepting these words FROM GOD to the apostle Paul, in the latter 20th century and escalting in the 21st century the pagan/sorcery-based “feminist movement” and people have adopted the stance that the apostle Paul was a misogynist and what he wrote, led by the Holy Spirit, does not pertain to them. Willful, disobedient, arrogant, spiritually immature, and lost people. Refusing the words of God and supplanting their own will. Seeking their own ways and pleasures. Exactly as in Judges 21:25.
No one any longer, well, very few, are willing to SUBMIT. To humble themselves. The whispers of the Evil One in their ears make them lose sight, keeping them in a fog, in darkness, and instead of submitting to and believing, thus attempting to live daily the Word of God they engage in such things as expounding on their credentials and focusing on such things as the importance of symbols and practices of man, mostly pagan, brought into the church over time. Rather than spending time within the Word, or purely, importantly focusing on spreading the gospel and being a light unto the world.
Tragically, the condition of the body, the so-called Church with the capital “C” is in pitiful condition. Due to the same rebellion, the same turning to Satan while turning from God that Adam and Eve established a while back. Nothing has changed, and nothing ever will change within sinful and rebellious human nature. It’s just that as we are now in the last few words, of the last sentence, in the last paragraph, on the last page, within the last chapter of human history as it has been known and about to end that Old Dragon and his legions of ministers and servants know their time is coming to a close and they target the Chruch, professed Christians more than they target those in bars, strip clubs, secret societies, politics, and such.
All we can do is remain steadfast upon the whole Word of God. Stand firm. As we watch the multitude, the majority within the professed army of God’s people, who are really infiltrators, traitors, and enemies within melt all around us. Causing such a mess. But in the end? God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit sort it all out. And we just need to remain firm, bold, and ever-increasing in spiritual wisdom and faith fighting the good fight to the end. As in Ephesians 6. And not allow ourselves to develop the love of sugar, to drink of watered-down milk but to eat daily of the meat of the Word and not give room to the wiles of the devil to tickle our ears as they have so many in the last few decades leading many astray.
The Lord’s Judgment is just, pure justice, pure love, and eternal.
It all gets sorted. Sooner rather than later.
And we must continue to pray for the lost, the selfish, arrogant, and ignorant. Not that we ever for an instant imagine ourselves superior, no, the exact opposite! Knowing the sinful and lost state we were once in being darkness, being an enemy of God. Remaining humble and always giving thanks to the Lord for His free gift of grace and mercy bestowed on miserable wretches, sinners such as us, and only in humility and thankfulness to God knowing all we truly deserve is wrath and condemnation. No, never for an instant imagining ourselves superior! Merely thankful. And to pray to be the best instruments, the best vessels in the service of the Lord, people that are pleasing and acceptable to Him, praying to know and do His will — which is easily found in the Book of books, the Holy Bible, which, tragically, the overwhelming majority of those professing to be God’s people choose to ignore while feasting on the words, the lies, the illusion and delusion set before them by the world, and he who is the prince of the air for a season.
Praying for all the chocolate soldiers, defectors from the faith, if they ever truly were in the faith, to begin with, to forsake the imagined softness and sweetness which is really bitterness and rebellion [death, eternal death], serving the world, and coming to truly see what is true, what is pure, what is of God, what is eternal. And that they repent and do not melt away in the heat.
But, the original idea put in my mind the idea of chocolate soldiers was placed there by a true man of God, a Bible-preaching, Bible-centered, Christ-centered pastor ending his Sunday sermon. And I believe those words were placed in him by the Holy Spirit in exhortation to those gathered together in need of hearing those words and that message. I merely, as but one wee watchman on the wall cry out passing along that which I am led to believe is the refined metal absent of, or with as little dross as possible. It isn’t anything to do with me. But that which God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit have blessed and do within me. I am nothing without Them. I can’t even breathe or make my heartbeat without Them let alone anything else in this fleeting life as I look upward to heavenly eternal matters. Thanks for writing. It’s always a joyous, well, most times a joyous thing to hear from a fellow disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. Let us soldier on…the remnant will remain, God has always worked with the few, the not proud, the humble, and the faithful. Even those that don’t deserve His grace, mercy, and love which is everyone who has ever heard His voice and submitted to Him to make Him Lord of their lives.
In Christ, for that is the Only Way to life,
Ken Pullen