-

A GOOD SOLDIER OF CHRIST JESUS

Bible says in 2 Timothy 2,3 - Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.
In Scripture, we find several references to the Christian as being a soldier in warfare. We are constantly in a battlefield.

To be Good Soldiers, we need three important things:


1. Courage
A good soldier will be courageous. He who is coward cannot be a soldier. A soldier needs to be strong and bold. If you are a soldier for Christ, you need to be strong in spirit and bold in heart.
As a soldier problems are expected. A soldier does not sit by the green lawns but stands in the battlefield. He must be courageous to face his enemies. As Christians, we are also constantly in a battlefield. There is a spiritual warfare taking place.


For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Eph 6:12-13


An unbeliever also faces problems and as believers we also face problems. But our reaction must not be similar to theirs. For we know ‘Our Redeemer liveth’ and our Bible teaches us ‘Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ’ Phil 4:6

Faith in our Saviour must make us strong and bold in difficult circumstances too. If a soldier loses his courage, he can no longer fight. We must boldly face our problems believing that God is in control of my life. Nothing happens without his will. Bible says, ‘Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered.’ – Luke 12:7


Look at the example in the book of Judges. If you read about the life of Gideon – Gideon was one of the 12 judges in the book of Judges. God chose him to fight against the Midianites. 32000 people gathered. These people are too many. Judges 7: 3 says ‘Whoever is fearful and afraid, let him turn and depart at once...’ God does not want fearful people to fight the battle. He wants bold people. Immediately 22000 people departed and only 10000 remained.
When Joshua took over the ministry from the hands of Moses, God’s words to him were ‘Be strong and courageous,’ Joshua 1:6


2. Preparation
A soldier must be prepared at all times. If he sits lazily without preparation for the battle, the enemy will attack suddenly and the country will be destroyed. He should always be ready.
As good soldiers for Christ, you must be always ready to face your enemy the devil. You cannot be lazy. You cannot waste your time. You must prepare for the battle daily by reading the Bible, by praying in the fullness of spirit and by trusting God’s direction and instruction for battling the enemy. If you remain unprepared, the devil will attack you anytime.


Judges 7:5-8
What was God’s purpose in separating those who lapped putting their hand to their mouth from the rest of people who get down on their knees to drink water. Those who lapped with their mouth were ready to fight anytime than those who leisurely got into the river to drink water. Thus these 300 people who lapped were selected. God wants people who remain prepared at all times.


How can you be prepared?
Paul tells us this secret. How many books did Paul write?
Out of these books, 4 books were written when Paul was in jail. These are called prison epistles. They include Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and Philemon.
When in prison Paul was continuously watching soldiers. So he wrote to Christians in those very terms. Ephesians 6:13 -18.


·         belt of truth buckled around your waist
·         breastplate of righteousness
·         your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace
·         the shield of faith
·         helmet of salvation
·         the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

V 18: Unless you have them, you are not putting on the dress needed to fight in the battle.


3. Faithfulness
Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful. 1 Cor 4:2
A soldier must be faithful to his master and to his country. When we first accepted Christ, we owed to serve Christ alone and follow him sincerely all throughout our life. We must be faithful to
1.      Our calling in Christ.
2.      To obey Christ at all times
3.      To your relationship to Christ

Conclusion
If we be bold, prepared and faithful, we will be good soldiers of Christ. Then like Paul said in 2 Tim 4:7, we too can boldly say ‘I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the word’
The good thing is that the battle is not ours, but the Lord's. We are called upon to be God's agents on this earth to go forward with gospel claiming victory through Christ. We have been given our 'marching orders' by the Captain of the host. Mt. 28:19-20

Jesus said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ We are challenged to go forward for the cause of Christ and be good soldiers for Him.


- Sunitha Justin

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Why I Believe

-
I was born in a Hindu Brahmin family. My mother, Jayanthi, was a pious lady and she religiously offered daily prayers to several images of gods and goddesses in our house. I remember as a little child, I and my sister used to sit beside her early in the Tuesday and Friday mornings, watching her chant the mantras and sing the  bhajans (slogans). We did not miss a single festival – these were times of great celebrations. Our balcony, corridor and entrance were filled with lights – light from the diyas (candles). There was so much fun - new dresses, relatives and friends at home! We had all that we wanted in life. Both my parents were working in a bank. My grandparents took good care of us, when our parents were away at work. We were financially able to look after ourselves in the expensive city of Mumbai. But in spite of having everything and despite persistent prayers, my mom felt something was missing – the peace she was longing for.  Things went on. Amidst several health...
Read more

A God who Satisfies

-
Image
We have a God who satisfies all our needs And when they measured it by the omer, the one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little. Everyone had gathered just as much as they needed. Exodus 16:18 God led the people out of Egypt. In Egypt, Pharaoh asked Joseph to choose the best land for his household and he chose the land of Goshen. Goshen was one of the best lands in Egypt, a fertile land, a land for crops and livestock. In years, a new Pharaoh came to power who did not know about Joseph or what he did to save the people of Israel. The people of Israel came into bondage, but still, they had enough food to eat because their land produced enough for them. When they were led into the wilderness, we see a sharp contrast. They were in bondage earlier, but now they are free. However, they had enough to eat, now they are starving. So they were grumbling against Moses and Aaron and in doing so they were grumbling against God. ...
Read more

God and Science

-
Image
Does God really exist? This is a foundational spiritual question that all of us would have asked ourselves at some point in time. The Bible provides us with the answer. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.  Genesis 1:1 The first verse in the Bible is the foundation of the rest of the Bible and is fundamental to our understanding of who God is. As a child, and perhaps even as an adult, we have all gone crazy at least one point in time, as we think about how this whole existence of life began. If scientists say, everything has evolved over billions of years, the question remains - when and how did the first particle come? How did the sun, moon and stars find their place in the universe? Even as you grapple with those questions, the Bible opens with an answer. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. As simple as it may sound, this is so profound and may take a lifetime to analyse. It answers three important questions: when, who, what? The q...
Read more