Get rid of 'Onward, Christian soldiers'?

Have you recently read Ephesians 6, which memorably tells us to “put on the whole nightgown of God”? What about Revelation 12, which notes, “Now a game of checkers arose in heaven.”

Those passages, of course, have very different words: “Put on the whole armor of God” and “Now war arose in heaven.” But redoing the Bible is the logical extension of what “emergent” theoretician Brian McLaren is promoting. He’s declared war on hymns like “Onward, Christian Soldiers” because they use fighting metaphors. He told Baptist News Global, “When I am in a congregation that sings songs like these—songs that consciously or subconsciously play into hostility and fear and imperial or warlike sentiments—I feel that we are flirting with dark and dangerous currents that are very unsacred.”

Although McLaren and I have a different theology, we share an interest in rewriting songs. My efforts include the Russian national anthem and Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” so I appreciate his attempt to make “Onward, Christian Soldiers” a pacifist anthem. The McLaren version begins like this: “Onward, all disciples, in the path of peace, / Just as Jesus taught us, love your enemies.” The refrain goes, “Onward, all disciples, in humility / Walk with God, do justice, love wholeheartedly.”

Good try—but Russell Moore nailed it (oops, that’s a violent image) with the explanation of why Christian soldiering is not an evil concept:

“The Apostle Paul writes to the churches that the Christian life is one of spiritual warfare, requiring spiritual armor (the clear inspiration for ‘Onward, Christian Soldiers’). Jesus himself speaks in war language, telling us that he is binding the strong man in order to plunder his house. When Jesus reveals to John the whole sweep of cosmic history, he does so with the imagery of a dragon at war with a woman and her child (Rev. 12). To do away with spiritual warfare imagery is to do away with the Bible, with Jesus, with the gospel.”

Besides, McLaren’s song has us planning to do, through our own efforts, what we need Christ to do. The McLaren version declares, “We must hammer plowshares from our swords and spears,” and we can “Make our deserts bloom in Eden-like beauty.” But that’s like Joni Mitchell singing, “We’ve got to get ourselves back to the garden.” The Bible teaches that lions will lie down with lambs only when the Lamb of God returns. Christianity and utopianism are two distinct religions.

Life is warfare against our own sinfulness and against the principalities and powers that try to dominate us. That sensibility does not lead us to draw up lists of enemies. We should remember that humans who oppose us are not enemies; they are captives to Satan’s lies, as we too once were. As we pray for God to free the captives, we shouldn’t fool ourselves into thinking that Christ’s return will be a party where we bob for apples. The Bible tells us to expect a fight.