I apologize if this doesn’t go here (seemed to fit here), please move if not in correct forum.
What exactly is a Church Militant? I think i know but want to find out for sure and dont want to state what i think it is because if i am wrong…
This is part of the Communion of Saints.
The Church triumphant are those saints and angels that are in heaven helping us throughout our lives and battles. They are triumphant because they are where they are meant to be- Heaven.
The Church suffering are the Holy Souls in purgatory who are to get to heaven sooner or latter, but who have a lot of purification for sin that needs to be done.
The Church militant are us who are part of the visible Church of Christ and who are battling in spiritual warfare.
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Catholic bible 101
We here on earth are known as “The Church Militant.” The Church Militant is 1/3 of the entire Catholic Church known as the Mystical Body of Christ. The Church Militant is so named because we, its members on earth, struggle daily against the devil, the world, and our flesh. The other 2/3 of the Mystical Body of Christ are the Church Suffering (the poor souls in purgatory), and the Church Triumphant (those purified souls in heaven). The unity of these three groups comprise the entire church, and the cooperation between these 3 entities is also known as the “communion of saints.” Of course, saints on earth that Paul referred to in several places in the bible are not perfect, like the ones in heaven are, but he is referring to the fact that certain people on earth are leading exemplary lives for Christ, and are winning the battle against satan, the flesh, and the world.
So what exactly is the role of us, the Church Militant? Well, like in all wars, the militant take action against the enemy at the gate. Judas Maccabees is a prime example in the Old Testament which we can use for a biblical “type” of what we should be. In 1 Maccabees 1, the Syrian king Antiochus defiles the temple and forces the Jews to accept Greek customs or die. This King Antiochus is a biblical type, or foreshadowing, of the antichrist to come. Judas Maccabees formed an army of like-minded militant Jews, and defeated the mighty King Antiochus with the help of God, and the re-dedication of the Temple then took place. Many Jews were given a chance to accept the rule of King Antiochus and his abomination if they would renounce God and worship him. The story of the Mother and her seven sons being tortured and killed one by one as they refused to renounce God in 2 Maccabees 7 is very sad in itself, but it highlights what the Church Militant of the Old Testament was willing to do for God (Jesus Himself attended the Festival of the Dedication of the Temple in John 10). A miracle took place there, according to the Talmud, when the oil did not run out of the lamps for 8 days. This miracle is still celebrated today among Jews, and is known as Hannukah.
So now here we are in the 21st Century, when the Holy Catholic Church is not only under attack from within with child molesting priests, but also under attack by the government, by atheists, by the media, by Hollywood, by satanists who destroy Communion Hosts and statues, and by Communism as well.
read rest at
Catholic Bible 101
