The Makings of a Good Soldier
2 Timothy 2:3-4 NIV
Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs—he wants to please his commanding officer.
You can’t be a good leader if you can’t first be a good follower. That’s why God calls us “followers of Christ”. You don’t get to negotiate with your commanding officer on whether or not you want to get up when the reveille is played, or whether you want to dig ditches, or run 13 miles in a day. Joining the armed forces is much like a covenant. You sign your life away.
It is no longer your own.
As a soldier in the army of God, it is the same. You don’t own you anymore! You fall under Jesus’ orders and way of doing things.
We often take obedience so lackadaisically in our Christian walks. But what if we looked at our lives through the lens of joining the armed forces? How much more serious would you take your Christian walk?
You Have to Enlist
When you asked Jesus to be Lord of your life, you were not forced or dragged to the altar. You chose to give up your life. You realized that you were lost and needed the King of Kings to change your life. You agreed to the terms: to exemplify Christ. You agreed to love the way He loves. You agreed to have joy, peace, and patience—the fruit that gives the proof that you belong to His service.
“You cannot effectively fight in an army that you only partially belong to. You have to be all in!” - Jim Boyd
When we decide we don’t want to “Christian” today, we are essentially going back on the covenant we made. Jesus called this being lukewarm. It doesn’t work that way. Either you are in or you’re not.
There are no “take-backs” in the armed forces. When you sign the paperwork, they own you. Whether you knew what you were signing or not, they now own you for however long your service term is. It’s the same way in God's army.
“You cannot cherry-pick God’s benefits while rejecting His authority.” - Jim Boyd
Joshua 24:15 NIV
15 But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
You Have To Be Persistent
Good soldiers don’t abandon their post when the enemy attacks. They don’t leave their fellow soldiers to fight alone in the foxholes of life. They stand their ground when everything is chaos around them. This is what it means to be tested by fire. A soldier who has undergone being shot at and having bombs explode all around them–and didn’t run or freeze up–can be trusted, because they have shown they have staying power.
John 16:33 NIV
33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
We can have “staying power” because the Lord is with us! Stand firm and don’t go AWOL on Jesus. Don’t let tribulation make you retreat.
You Have to Follow a Code of Conduct
A good soldier has to know how to follow the rules and regulations. There is a code of conduct in the armed forces. It’s all about honor. A good soldier guards the truth of conduct and faith. They are determined to do what God has called them to do and they refuse to do anything that will bring shame on their regiment and commanding officers.
When you accept the uniform, you agree to abide by all the codes of conduct. The Armor of God is our uniform.
Ephesians 6:10-18 NIV
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 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. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
1 Timothy 6:12 NIV
12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
This is a continuous action, not a one-time thing. You don’t get a break from displaying God’s character (the fruit of the Spirit) just because you don’t feel like it. You don’t get to stop being a good witness to others because you are tired. You have to fight and keep on fighting.
You Have to Be Willing to Pay the Price
A real soldier doesn't desert when things get tough. A real soldier doesn’t complain when things don’t go their way.
A real soldier does what is needed, not because they are ordered to, but because they genuinely care about the people they swore to protect and serve. A real soldier lays down their life with every decision, every day.
Paul wrote something very simple, and yet very profound to the Corinthian church. “Follow me as I follow Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1).” We are not following a set of rules laid down by a harsh Commanding Officer. We follow Christ.
He gives us the strength we need each day. He paved the way and showed us what it looks like to be a good soldier. We lean on Him and He transforms us into battle-ready soldiers, prepared and able to face whatever may come so we can win those who are lost.
