Remember, our battle is not against flesh and blood, but is done in the spiritual realm.
Of course, the first step in joining God's army is to become a Christian, so I’ll explain how to do this using six key verses from the Word of God.
1. Romans 3:23 – "for all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God."
2. Romans 6:23 – “for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of god is Eternal Life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
3. John 3:16 – “for God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
4. Ephesians 2:8,9- "for it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is a gift of God-not by works, so that no one can boast."
5. John 1:9,10 – "if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives."
6. Romans 10:9,10 – "that if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that god has raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
Sin is falling short of God's perfection, which we as humans have done, and continue to do. (Romans 3;23) the punishment set forth by god for sin is death, and God being a righteous judge has to mete out that punishment to us. (Romans 6:23) God is also perfectly merciful and doesn't want us to suffer that punishment, so therein lies the dilemma. Along with being perfectly just and perfectly merciful, God is also perfectly wise, and in his infinite wisdom he came up with the perfect solution. He sent his son to take our place. (John 3:16)
In essence, Christ came down as a man, died in our place, and paid the full price for all of our sins - past, present, and future. He also purchased a place in heaven for us that he offers as a gift - a gift that we need to accept in order to receive. We can't earn this gift and we don't deserve it, but it's god's grace that makes it possible. (Ephesians 2:8,9)
What you need to do to receive God's gift of salvation is acknowledge that you are a sinner, and ask Jesus to come into your life and save you by praying this prayer:
Lord Jesus, I am a sinner. I acknowledge that I need you and your great sacrifice for my salvation. I invite you into my heart and into my life. I accept your free gift and ask you to start changing me from the inside out. Amen.
If you truly ask and believe this with your heart, you will be saved. (1 John 1:9, 10) then tell someone about your decision and find a good Christian church to attend. (Romans 10:9,10) at this point you are born again, and just like a newborn baby, you need to start growing and maturing in the ways of the lord. Here are five ways to stay strong and grow in your faith:
1. Prayer: talk to God daily.
2. Bible study: the bible is god's word-read it and pray for understanding. If you've never read it, start in the Gospel of John (New Testament) – it's a great overview.
3. Fellowship: get together with other believers - it will keep you strong.
4. Worship: find a good Christian church and get involved.
5. Witness: tell others about Jesus (spread the word).