being a good soldier of Christ Jesus and an athlete contending in the games

In 2 Tim. 2 we see that Paul was not only a teacher entrusting the riches of God’s grace in His Word to faithful men but also a soldier of Christ Jesus. In the Old Testament the priestly service was considered military service, warfare (see Num. 4:23, 30, 35). Whenever we minister Christ to others, we find ourselves in a battle! The enemy wants to distract us from getting into the Word of God, from speaking the Word, and from ministering Christ – therefore, we need to fight the battle by exercising our spirit!

A good soldier of Christ Jesus

The Lord Jesus has an interest on the earth and we as believers in Christ are good soldiers of Christ Jesus (2 Tim. 2:3-5). We have been enlisted in God’s army and now we need to fight the good fight (2 Tim. 4:7).

We should not be entangled by the things of our physical life, just as a soldier forgets about anything else outside the army and focuses absolutely on fighting the battle! Our priestly service is a ministry to God, serving God and bringing God to man and man to God; on the other hand, our service is a warfare against God’s enemies.

In Rev. 18:13 we see that the cargo of the material Babylon is gold and the souls of men. Babylon deals in the souls of men – even today, men sell their soul to their occupation and they neglect God and His eternal destiny.

We need to have a job, we need to earn a living, and we need to take care of all the practical aspects of our human life, but we should not sell our soul to Satan! Our soul was created to enjoy God and express God, and we fight for God’s interest on the earth one in soul with all the saints!

Paying the price for the morale

The foremost aspect related to fighting the battle in the army is the morale, the fighting unity. No matter what opinion a soldier may have and no matter how a soldier feels when he hears news from home or about others, everyone needs to deny themselves and be one!

To maintain the morale in the Lord’s army we all need to learn to kill our opinions, any dissenting talk, any gossip, and anything that damages the morale. We need to be fully for the Lord’s interest, fighting for God with a heart solely for Him, listening to the trumpet for war!

The church is God’s army fighting for God

We do not fight against God’s enemy on the earth individually – the church is God’s army fighting for God’s interest on earth!

In Ephesians, we see many aspects of the church – the fullness of the One who fills all in all (1:22-23), the new man created in Christ on the cross (2:15-16), the kingdom of God, the household of God (2:19), the wife of Christ (5:24-25), etc. The final aspect of the church is seen in Eph. 6 where the church is a warrior fighting against God’s enemy.

Corporately as the Body of Christ, we need to wear Christ as our breastplate (6:14), our shield (v. 16), our loins being girded with Christ (v. 14), and Christ is our shoes for battle (v. 15).

Praise the Lord, the church is a universal and divine army fighting for God in the universe! For this, we need to clear away any earthly entanglements for the Lord, and we need to obtain the testimony that we are well-pleasing to God (Heb. 11:5-6). We need to take God as our center and our everything, and we need to do everything according to His revelation and leading.

Also, we fight the battle against death – we are separated from natural affection, worldly pleasure, rebellion, and death. We shouldn’t touch or spread death but be filled with anti-death – we need to be filled with life and be swallowed up by life (2 Cor. 5:4).

Being an athlete contending in the games

Another aspect of our being an inoculator against the decline of the church is being an athlete contending in the games (2 Tim. 2:5). We are at the same time a teacher, a soldier, and an athlete.

Later this year in London there will be the 2012 Olympic Games, and many people are preparing and training very hard for this time. As athletes, we need to contend lawfully in order to receive the crown.

We need to not look to the left or to the right but run fast and with endurance to win the crown! We need to run the race to win the crown – run to reach the goal!

Lord, may we see Your interest on the earth and give ourselves to be the soldiers fighting in Your army! Save us from any earthly entanglements. We want to forget about anything else and focus only on Your interest on earth. Lord, we hate death and we want to consecrate ourselves to You to fight against death. Fill us with the resurrection life, the anti-death life, and swallow us in life!

References and Further Reading

• Inspired from, Life-study of 2 Timothy, and, Elders’ Training, Book 7: One Accord for the Lord’s Move, as quoted in the Holy Word for Morning Revival on, The Focus of the Lord’s Recovery, week 5;
• Picture source: a soldier of God (flickr);