Some time ago my pastor informed me of a request to write a short article for the “Beacon Lights”. The request was specifically to write on “The Covenant Faithfulness of God” as it affected me, other young people and my family during the time of WWII.

My first reaction to this request was one of suspicion. You may ask, “Why suspicion?” Just this – when you plan to have a house built you don’t go to a shoemaker, but you go to a builder. After considering this request however, it has become apparent that all Christians can, will and do testify of God’s Covenant Faithfulness.

I am not going to write about the War itself. About that there are many books available, and also because that is not the request.

The battle of the child of God is not a war fought with the weapons of men. The battle of the child of God is exceedingly more difficult. It is a war that is spiritual. There is no end to this war in the sense that there comes a day that we can lay down our weapons. Only when Christ calls us home is the battle over. Another distinction we must notice is that, unlike earthly wars which may terminate in either victory of defeat, the battle of the child of God can only end in victory.

Now it makes no difference whether a young man is engaged in a vicious battle in an earthly war or whether he is at home plowing his field or tending his cattle the Covenant Faithfulness of God is ever manifested. It I do experience this faithfulness of God, as is so often the case, sin has interfered. I must go again to God in prayer begging forgiveness and ask for renewed strength and grace in abundance to renew the battle. I cannot, nor do I have a desire in my own self to fight this battle which is spiritual.

Let us notice that the weapons which we need for this battle are not the weapons of man. The weapons with which earthly wars are fought can fail. They can become lost or broken. They can malfunction and then the fighter is defenseless. Not so in our battle. Our weapons are perfect and will not fail, because they are given to us freely from our God.

Now there are many passages in Scripture that testify of the Covenant Faithfulness of God, about which volumes can be and have been written. It is my desire briefly to bring to you just two truths that God has given to His children and which testify of His Covenant Faithfulness. Two truths that God used to impress His Covenant Faithfulness upon me during my years in the services.

A little over 32 years ago, in February of 1943, Rev. C. Hanko was my pastor. There were three young men who were scheduled to leave for service that week. On that last Sunday Rev. Hanko had for his text Matt. 26:41 “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” God in His sovereign mercy alone kept this admonition before me. Watch and pray for the flesh is weak. The flesh that cannot stand and desires all that which is contrary to God’s Holy Commandments.

The second truth which has manifested to me that Covenant Faithfulness of our God is found in the Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 1. “What is thy only comfort in life and death?” The answer to this beautiful question you can read from the Catechism. Here we have so much to gladden the heart of the child of God. We have the blessed promise that we belong to our faithful Savior. We have the blessed promise that He has satisfied for all of our sins. We have the blessed promise that I am delivered from the power of the devil. We have the blessed promise that He preserves us. We have the blessed promise that all things will be subservient to our salvation. In short, here we have the blessed promises of God’s Covenant Faithfulness.