The Church Militant
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
The Church as consisting of the whole body of believers, who are said to be "waging the war of faith" against "the world, the flesh, and the devil.'* It is therefore militant, or in warfare.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “The Church Militant” mean?
The Church as consisting of the whole body of believers, who are said to be "waging the war of faith" against "the world, the flesh, and the devil.'* It is therefore militant, or in warfare.
Is “The Church Militant” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.