Are We Good Soldiers?

Are We Good Soldiers?

“Endure hardship ... like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs – he wants to please his commanding officer.” 2 Timothy 2:3-4 NIV

The New Testament references to the Christian as soldier can tell us much about our relationship with the Captain of our salvation, the purpose for which we are called, our condition while in battle, and our relationship with the world.

To begin with, Ephesians 6:10-18 not only gives us the description and purpose of our battle gear from head to toe, but also a picture of our enemy and the field of battle: “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers ... authorities ... powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Eph. 6:12).

In this heavenly warfare, our goal is to please our Commanding Officer, the Captain of our salvation (Heb. 2:10), who has enlisted us in His service. The extent to which we obey His commands is determined by our ability to keep from getting entangled in the affairs of life (2 Tim. 2:4). One other point to notice is that “a good soldier” will have to endure his share of hardship. Simply put, the Christian soldier’s life will not be one of R&R – rest and relaxation. Nor will he spend his time “on leave” from active duty. And there’s no such thing as a “light duty” assignment.

The New Testament references to the Christian soldier’s life tell us that the war is real, the enemy is cunning, and the soldier has to sacrifice to be effective. But the results are worth it, because we will “be able to stand our ground” (Eph. 6:13) in battle, and please our Commanding Officer in spite of the opposition. Then we can proclaim with Paul: “Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 15:57).

We hope this month’s Features on the armor of God help you become a “good soldier of Christ Jesus.”

By Larry Ondrejack