TERRIBLE AS AN ARMY OF BANNERS


The blood-bought Church of the Lord Jesus Christ is pictured in scripture as a victorious army! It has been given victory over all it's enemies, over sin, over Satan and even over self. This total victory is totally in Christ and even in this wilderness of sin the Church-Bride of Christ is described in the Song of Solomon in this way: “Thou art beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem, terrible as an army with banners” (SONG OF SOLOMON 6:4) and “Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners?” (vs. 10)

“AN ARMY WITH BANNERS.” What a sight! A marching army of a multitude of redeemed sinners, that “exceeding great army” Ezekiel saw that had been raised from spiritual death. But what is a banner? A banner is an ensign. A flag which denotes which army and whose army it is. The church militant and unstoppable in this world as it brings forth THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST! Tyrants have tried to halt its increase and advance in this world but to no avail. Why? Because Christ Himself is our Banner! After the battle in which Joshua was enabled of God to defeat Amalek, God directed Moses to write it in a book for a memorial and “And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovah-nissi” (EXODUS 17:15). Jehovah-nissi means “the LORD my Banner!”

Every soldier in this army raises this banner for all to see, confessing, God is my Savior! God has in sovereign grace saved me from my sins in Christ. Christ is all my righteousness, all my salvation and I lift up all glory to Him! They lift the gospel banner of salvation in Christ alone, salvation by His blood and salvation by grace! “And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and His rest shall be glorious” (ISAIAH 11:10).
As this army marches through this world, lifting the banner of the crucified Christ, God draws His people to the Banner Himself, to Christ. They go forward “holding forth the word of truth.” “Thou hast given a banner to them that fear Thee, that it may be displayed because of the truth” (PSALM 60:4). This army goes forth not only in triumph but also rejoicing: “We will rejoice in Thy salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners: the LORD fulfil all thy petitions” (PSALM 20:5).
We go forth lifting up Christ crucified to a dying world, marching with our Banner over us, praising Him alone. Looking to Him alone. Trusting Him alone. Overcoming in Him alone. When Francis Scott Key watched the bombardment of Ft. McHenry, the flashes of light “Gave proof thro the night that our flag was still there!” Come what may, no matter how severe the conflict, the light of God's truth reveals that our Flag, the Lord our Banner, is still there at the vanguard, the banner of sure victory and we shall be more than conquerors in Him
 
-Gospel report by preacher Gary Shepard
Sovereign Grace Baptist church of Jacksonville, North Carolina USA
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