Related Articles
We live in an age that speaks a great deal about rights, freedom, and identity… but almost never about kingship. Everything is tolerated—except someone proclaiming that there is a true, absolute, and eternal King. And yet Christianity was not born as a philosophy nor as a spiritual NGO. It was born as the proclamation of a Kingdom.
That Kingdom has a King: Jesus Christ.
And if there is a King, there are also soldiers.
But what does it mean today, in the heart of the 21st century, to be a soldier of Christ the King? Is it merely a pious metaphor? Medieval language? An exaggerated spirituality? Or is it, rather, the profound identity of every baptized person?
This article is not a call to nostalgia, but to coherence. Not an invitation to aggression, but to a militant holiness. Because the modern world needs Christians who are firm, well-formed, courageous, and deeply in love with their King.
1. Christ the King: A Profoundly Revolutionary Proclamation
The Solemnity of Christ the King was instituted in 1925 by Pope Pius XI through the encyclical Quas Primas. It was not a decorative gesture. It was a direct response to secularism, aggressive laicism, and the totalitarian ideologies that were beginning to dominate Europe.
Pius XI understood something that is once again dramatically relevant today:
when societies expel Christ from public life, they do not remain neutral… they fall into the hands of other “kings.”
The kingship of Christ is not symbolic. He Himself affirmed it before Pontius Pilate:
“My Kingdom is not of this world” (Jn 18:36).
He did not say it was not real. He said it was not of this world. His authority does not depend on majorities, elections, or cultural consensus. It is ontological, eternal, and universal.
Saint Paul proclaims with power:
“For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet” (1 Cor 15:25).
Christ reigns:
- Over hearts.
- Over families.
- Over nations.
- Over history.
- Over death.
To be a soldier of Christ the King is to recognize this sovereignty… and to live accordingly.
2. Why Speak of “Soldiers”?
Scripture does not shy away from military language. On the contrary.
Saint Paul writes to Timothy:
“Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus” (2 Tim 2:3).
And in the Letter to the Ephesians we find one of the most striking texts of militant spirituality:
“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil” (Eph 6:11).
The Christian is not in a spiritual amusement park. He is in battle.
But the Christian battle is not against people, political parties, or specific cultures. Paul makes this clear:
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers…” (Eph 6:12).
It is a battle:
- Against sin.
- Against error.
- Against lies.
- Against lukewarmness.
- Against one’s own ego.
The soldier of Christ the King does not wield physical swords. He wields:
- Truth.
- Charity.
- Prayer.
- Penance.
- Moral coherence.
3. The Current Context: A Silent War
Today we are not persecuted with lions in the arena as in the time of Nero, but there is a more subtle cultural persecution:
- Faith is ridiculed.
- Marriage is redefined.
- Sin is trivialized.
- Truth is relativized.
- God is replaced by the “self.”
This is no coincidence. It is a battle for the soul.
Modern secularism does not always deny God’s existence. It renders Him irrelevant.
And this is precisely where the soldier of Christ the King must respond.
Not with hatred.
Not with violence.
Not with fanaticism.
But with doctrinal firmness, intense sacramental life, and burning charity.
4. Theological Foundation: The Kingship of Christ in Scripture and Tradition
a) Christ, the Promised King
From the Old Testament onward, the Messiah is presented as King. The prophet Isaiah announces:
“For unto us a child is born… and the government shall be upon His shoulder” (Is 9:6).
This is not merely a spiritual metaphor. Christ is King because:
- He is the eternal Son of the Father.
- He is Lord of the universe.
- He has conquered sin and death.
- He is the Head of the Body, which is the Church.
b) The Social Reign of Christ
Traditional doctrine teaches that Christ does not reign only in private consciences. He must also reign in social structures. This does not mean imposing faith by force, but recognizing that the natural moral law and the Gospel are the true foundation of human order.
When a society legislates against God’s law, it slowly destroys itself.
The soldier of Christ the King does not impose. He witnesses. But he is not ashamed to affirm that Christ is Lord of public life as well.
5. How to Be a Soldier of Christ the King Today (A Practical and Pastoral Guide)
Let us now become concrete. How can this be lived in daily life?
1. A Serious Sacramental Life
A soldier without nourishment grows weak.
- Frequent confession.
- Reverent reception of the Eucharist.
- Adoration.
- Daily Rosary.
This is not optional. It is spiritual survival.
2. Solid Doctrinal Formation
Many Christians lose the faith because they never truly understood it.
Read:
- The Catechism.
- The Church Fathers.
- Magisterial documents.
- Sacred Scripture.
An ignorant soldier is vulnerable.
3. Interior Order
The reign of Christ begins in the heart.
- Fight laziness.
- Fight impurity.
- Fight pride.
- Fight lukewarmness.
You cannot speak of the Kingdom if your interior life is chaos.
4. Public Witness Without Complexes
This does not mean shouting Bible verses at the office. It means coherence.
- Do not participate in immoral conversations.
- Defend life when necessary.
- Speak with respect, but with clarity.
- Do not hide your faith out of fear of rejection.
Christ said:
“Everyone who acknowledges Me before men, I also will acknowledge before My Father” (Mt 10:32).
5. A Spirit of Sacrifice
A soldier knows there will be discomfort.
You may lose:
- Popularity.
- Opportunities.
- Applause.
But you will gain interior freedom.
6. The Danger of the Comfortable Christian
The greatest enemy today is not militant atheism. It is lukewarmness.
The comfortable Christian:
- Does not want problems.
- Does not want depth.
- Does not want commitment.
But Revelation warns:
“Because you are lukewarm… I will spit you out of My mouth” (Rev 3:16).
To be a soldier of Christ the King is to take a stand.
7. Soldiers… But with the Heart of the Lamb
Here lies the essential balance.
Christ is King—but His throne was a Cross.
He is not a tyrant.
He is not a conqueror in the human sense.
He is the King who dies for His subjects.
Therefore, the soldier of Christ:
- Fights error.
- But loves the one who errs.
- Defends truth.
- But never humiliates.
- Suffers persecution.
- But does not respond with hatred.
He is firm—but merciful.
8. Concrete Application in Family, Work, and Society
In the family:
- Pray together.
- Bless the table.
- Celebrate Sunday as the Lord’s Day.
- Educate in truth without relativism.
At work:
- Radical honesty.
- Professional excellence.
- Refuse to participate in unjust practices.
- Offer your work as sacrifice.
In society:
- Vote with a morally formed conscience.
- Defend life and human dignity.
- Participate actively in culture from the perspective of faith.
9. A Spirituality of Victory
The battle does not end in defeat.
Christ has already conquered.
History is not in the hands of chaos, but in the hands of the crucified and risen King.
To be a soldier of Christ the King is not a dark burden. It is an immense privilege.
It is to live knowing that you belong to the eternal Kingdom.
It is to walk amid present confusion with the serenity of one who knows who governs the universe.
Conclusion: Are You Willing?
Not everyone is called to great visible deeds.
But everyone is called to fidelity.
Today more than ever, the world needs:
- Firm fathers.
- Courageous mothers.
- Young people who go against the current.
- Zealous priests.
- Coherent lay faithful.
The Kingdom of Christ advances not with noise, but with saints.
And you, in your ordinary life, can be one.
You do not need metal armor.
You need grace.
You do not need to conquer territories.
You need to conquer your heart.
Because the true soldier of Christ the King does not shout, “Long live me!”
But:
“Long live Christ the King!”
