From the Battlefield to Baptism: A Squadron’s Journey to Faith
When he was asked how someone could be baptised, the pastor of a young church in the city of Ternopil, Ukraine, was no doubt pleased, even though the man standing before him had never attended his church before. But imagine how he must have felt when the soldier then added that his entire squadron also wanted to be baptised.
Sometime earlier, the men he led had come under intense Russian attack, and one of them had been mortally wounded. As he lay dying in no man’s land, the soldier called out to his comrades and told them how, having read one of the Gospels, he had prayed a prayer of repentance. His final words, “We all need to get right with God,” urged them that they too should call on the Lord and be saved.
The soldier died shortly afterwards, but his first and last sermon had a profound effect on his friends. All of them read the Gospels they had been given and came to faith in Christ.
This is a powerful and deeply moving account. Stories like this cut straight through the noise of war, politics, and circumstance, reminding us of something profoundly amazing: even in the darkest and most chaotic places, people are still searching for meaning, hope, and reconciliation.
The image of that dying soldier – using his final breaths not in fear or despair, but to urge his comrades to seek God – is incredibly striking. If anything, this story highlights how faith often grows on battlefields, in hospital rooms, and in moments when life is stripped back to its essentials.
Praise God for this wonderful testimony of His amazing grace. Pray for these men as they continue their walk as disciples of Jesus.