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Articles of War for Salvation Army Soldiers
Having accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord, and desiring to
fulfill my membership of His Church on earth as a soldier of The
Salvation Army, I now by God's grace enter into a sacred covenant.
I believe and will live by the truths of the word of God expressed
in The Salvation Army's eleven articles of faith:
We believe that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments
were given by inspiration of God; and that they only constitute the
Divine rule of Christian faith and practice.
We believe that there is only one God, who is infinitely
perfect, the Creator, Preserver, and Governor of all things, and who
is the only proper object of religious worship.
We believe that there are three persons in the Godhead - the
Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost - undivided in essence and
co-equal in power and glory.
We believe that in the person of Jesus Christ the Divine and
human natures are united, so that He is truly and properly God and
truly and properly man.
We believe that our first parents were created in a state of
innocency, but by their disobedience they lost their purity and
happiness; and that in consequence of their fall all men have become
sinners, totally depraved, and as such are justly exposed to the
wrath of God.
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has, by His suffering
and death, made an atonement for the whole world so that whosoever
will may be saved.
We believe that repentance towards God, faith in our Lord
Jesus Christ and regeneration by the Holy Spirit are necessary to
salvation.
We believe that we are justified by grace, through faith in
our Lord Jesus Christ; and that he that believeth hath the witness
in himself.
We believe that continuance in a state of salvation depends
upon continued obedient faith in Christ.
We believe that it is the privilege of all believers to be
wholly sanctified, and that their whole spirit and soul and body may
be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We believe in the immortality of the soul; in the
resurrection of the body; in the general judgment at the end of the
world; in the eternal happiness of the righteous; and in the endless
punishment of the wicked.
I will be responsive to the Holy Spirit's work and obedient to His
leading in my life, growing in grace through worship, prayer,
service and the reading of the Bible. I will make the values of the
Kingdom of God and not the values of the world the standard for my
life.
I will uphold Christian integrity in every area of my life, allowing
nothing in thought, word or deed that is unworthy, unclean, untrue,
profane, dishonest or immoral.
I will maintain Christian ideals in all my relationships with
others; my family and neighbours, my colleagues and fellow
Salvationists, those to whom and for whom I am responsible, and the
wider community.
I will uphold the sanctity of marriage and of family life. I will be
a faithful steward of my time and gifts, my money and possessions,
my body, my mind and my spirit, knowing that I am accountable to
God.
I will abstain from alcoholic drink, tobacco, the non-medical use of
addictive drugs, gambling, pornography, the occult and all else that
could enslave the body or spirit.
I will be faithful to the purposes for which God raised up The
Salvation Army, sharing the good news of Jesus Christ, endeavoring
to win others to Him, and in His name caring for the needy and the
disadvantaged.
I will be actively involved, as I am able, in the life, work,
worship and witness of the corps, giving as large a proportion of my
income as possible to support its ministries and the worldwide work
of the Army.
I will be true to the principles and practices of The Salvation
Army, loyal to its leaders, and I will show the spirit of
Salvationism whether in times of popularity or persecution.
I now call upon all present to witness that I enter into this
covenant and sign these articles of war of my own free will,
convinced that the love of Christ, who died and now lives to save
me, requires from me this devotion of my life to His service for the
salvation of the whole world; and therefore do here declare my full
determination, by God's help, to be a true soldier of The Salvation
Army.
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