A Good Soldier of Jesus Christ

2 Timothy 2:3–7

Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. Soldiers don’t get tied up in the affairs of civilian life, for then they cannot please the officer who enlisted them. And athletes cannot win the prize unless they follow the rules. And hardworking farmers should be the first to enjoy the fruit of their labor. Think about what I am saying. The Lord will help you understand all these things.

Paul took the time to write to Timothy while he is in prison. This letter is about the secret of becoming a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

Christians are at spiritual warfare or spiritual battle. Why? The day we become born again Christian and one with Jesus Christ, your in battle zone and expect suffering in life which is not the easy way. You face hardship, temptations, trials. The devil will test and attack us. The adversaries will destroy the good plans for us by our Heavenly Father.

Who are the spiritual enemies? They are the spiritual forces or the cosmic powers that will destroy the testimony and effectiveness of the Christian believers. The enemy will seek to take you out and make you as a prisoner or slave in sin.

Spiritual Enemy #1 satan/devil. This is clearly mentioned in 1 John 5:19, We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.

Spiritual Enemy #2 The Pattern of this World. This is clearly mentions by Paul in Romans 12:2, And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

This means your enemy is the pattern or custom of this world. When you are shaped into the pattern of the world, you will eventually look like the world and the ways of the world rub off on you.

The pattern of this world is ungodly. The devil who is the ‘god’ of this world has created an ungodly atmosphere that leads people to sin. His aim in creating such an ungodly atmosphere is to make people follow such unholy patterns leading to sin.

Spiritual Enemy #3 The Flesh. This is known as the enemy of the soul. Paul reminds this to us in Galatians 5:16–17, But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the desire of the flesh is against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, in order to keep you from doing whatever you want. Our body or the flesh is weak and opposing the will of the spirit that leads us to commit sin.

Spiritual Enemy #4 Slave to sin. People who don’ admit they are sinners, don’t repent and accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Personal Savior will be forever slave to sin. And the wages of sin is death but the gift of God in Christ Jesus is eternal life. It is clearly that the body is slave to sin as mentioned by Paul in Romans 7:14, For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am fleshly, sold into bondage to sin. This sin dwells in the body as mentioned in Romans 7:17, But now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin that dwells in me. The flesh is weak and this is the human sinful nature as mentioned in Romans 7:18, For I know that good does not dwell in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not.

Always remember that Jesus Christ overcome our sin at the cross. 1 Peter 3:18, For Christ also suffered for sins once for all time, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; Jesus Christ is God’s only way to eternal life and this proved in John 14:6, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.”

Spiritual Enemy #5 Spiritual Death- Sin brought death. Adam brought death to humankind says in Romans 5:12, Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all mankind, because all sinned. This sin separates man from God, but our Heavenly Father gave his only son to save us from eternal death. In John 3:16, clearly states that For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life. Our Lord give us the gift of salvation. This means having faith in Jesus Christ, nothing from us at all. This is by the grace of God alone as mentioned in Ephesians 2:8–9, For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

How to be a Good Soldier of Christ?

The Military Commitment

1. Join: Accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. You must have the intimate relation with him. This is the first step to join the army. No one can be a soldier of Jesus Christ until they get first to the army.

John 1:12,But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name,

1. Follower: Follow the commander in chief, our Heavenly Father. You should be a Disciple of Jesus Christ, Matthew 16:24, Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me. When we are with the Lord’s army, we have the obligation of obeying His orders even unto death. To refuse to follow is treason. This is clearly mention in James 4:17, When we refused to live as the Lord desired we have sin.
2. Endurance: 2 Timothy 2:3 “..share the suffering as good soldier of Christ Jesus.” This means that as soldier of Christ, life is not easy, troubles along the way such as suffering or persecution. Always remember to endure hardship and don’t quit because Jesus Christ already overcome all of this when Jesus told this to His Apostles in John 16:33, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
3. Focus and Priority: 2 Timothy 2:3 “..No soldier get entangle in civilian pursuit.” A good soldier should always priority in life is to honor and please the Lord. This is the highest goal in life and to achieve this, a soldier has focus and no distraction from the world. The soldier of Christ has the military devotion, dedication and commitment. Its like the real soldier in the battlefield that is determined, dedicated in keeping the oath and driven to finished the battle.

The Athletic Discipline

2 Timothy 2:5 “…An athlete cannot win the prize unless they follow the rules”

1. Obedience which means keeping the Lord’s commandment which He instructs us to do all the time in serving Him as mentioned in John 15:10–11, If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. And in John 15:4, Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.
2. Practical Application: Practice what you preach as mentioned in James 1:22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
3. Restraint: 1 Corinthians 9:25 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. All athletes are disciplined in their training, they do it to win the prize and we should adapt this as good soldier of Christ to win the prize which is the eternal price, our eternal life in Heaven! Always remember to exercise self control and ask the Lord to control our minds and heart to git rid of carnal thinking that cause you to sin (Battle in our minds).

Agricultural Rigor

A good soldier is best at the following aspects.

1. Industry- 2 Timothy 2:6 “…hardworking farmer” We should be like a labouring, hardworking farmer, teaching or planting the word of God being the Disciple of Jesus Christ and fulfill the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19–20, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
2. Motivated: 2 Timothy 2:6 “…you will enjoy first crops”, A farmer enjoy its first crops, we should be motivated to enjoy the word of God, this means that you should study and mediate the word of God before you share it to others. Studying God’s word by reading the bible will reveal Himself to us. Be motivated to enjoy your crops as it reminds this in Joshua 1:8, This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will achieve success.

Circumspect

2 Timothy 2"7 “Think over what I say for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.”

A good soldier of Jesus Christis cautious in thinking and carefull in his doings. In this verse, Paul instructed Timothy or entrusted him with full responsibility.

Application in daily life as soldier of Christ

1. Know the works of the enemy, the devil and its methods. Be watchful because satan disguise as angel of light. 2 Corinthians 11:14, No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Stay alert! 1 Peter 5:8, Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist the devil, Stand FIRM and be strong in your Faith, 1 Peter 5:9, So resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brothers and sisters who are in the world.
2. Put the amor of God: Ephesians 6:10–20, as a soldier of Christ, you must be prepared in spiritual battle. Soldiers need to be proficient in spiritual weapons and strategies to win the battle and be successful in your mission. You should put the whole armor of God!

The Armor of God

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual! forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, having belted your waist with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having strapped on your feet the preparation of the gospel of peace; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.With every prayer and request, pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be alert with all perseverance and every request for all the saints, and pray in my behalf, that speech may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

3. Be A Fighter! Always guards the truth of faith, and don’t be deceived thy the scheme of the devil as clearly Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 2:11, so that no advantage would be taken of us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes. A soldier of Christ always bring honor to our Lord, we are His Flag bearer of heaven!

4. Stand FIRM! Be Determined! A good soldier does not retreat. Always stand his ground!

1 Corinthians 16:13
“Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.”

Ephesians 6:11
“Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.”

Ephesians 6:13
“Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.”

1 Peter 5:9
“But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.”

1 Corinthians 15:58
“Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord.”

What is the reward of a good soldier of Christ?

The good soldier finish his course because he knows at the end of war, every deed will be rewarded by our Heavenly Father, the real commander in chief! This reward is having eternal life in heaven!

Our Lord will say to you “Well done good and faithful servant! (Matthew 25:23)

The Lord will say to you receive the The crown of Glory! 2 Timothy 4:7–8 , I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.

All glory to the Lord, In Jesus Name! Amen!