A GOOD SOLDIER OF JESUS CHRIST

IN THE DAYS OF HIS POWER SERIES.

TOPIC: A GOOD SOLDIER OF JESUS CHRIST

COMPILED/EDITED BY-:
Rev. Innocent Chukwudi Peace Udochukwu
President Living Fountain Ministries Int’l LIFOM

“Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.”

“No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.”
2Timothy 2:3-4

We are at war! Those are frightening words, words that put terror and fear in the hearts of any people. The reality of war wakes up a nation. It puts a people on high alert. It shocks them into awareness.

Well, dear believers, we are at war. And this war is far more severe than any earthly war. The enemy is stronger than any earthly army. 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 (Eph. 6:12).

GOD HAS AN ADVERSARY. Satan resists what God is doing. He denies what God is saying. Anything God is for, Satan is against, and vice versa.

GOD HAS AN ARMY. Every Christian should be a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
He should be aware of the battle, awake during the conflict, adaptable to the terrain, abiding through the years, aggressive in his movements, and armed to the teeth!

A soldier is a serving man. He does not follow his own pleasure. He is under law and rule. Each hour of the day has its prescribed duty. And he must be obedient to the word of another and not to his own will and whim. Such is the Christian. We serve the Lord Jesus Christ. Though no longer the slaves of man so as to dread his frown, we are servants of Christ who has loosed our bonds.

The soldier is full often a suffering man. There are wounds, there are toils, there are frequent stays in the hospitals— there may be ghastly cuts which let the soul out with the blood. Such the Christian soldier must be ready to suffer, enduring hardship, not looking for pleasure of a worldly kind in this life, but counting it his pleasure to renounce his pleasure for Christ’s sake. Once again, the true soldier is an ambitious being. He pants for honor, seeks for glory. On the field of strife he gathers his laurels, and amidst a thousand dangers he reaps renown.

The Christian is fired by higher ambitions than any earthly warrior ever knew. He sees a crown that can never fade. He loves a King who best of all is worthy to be served. He has a motive within him which moves him to the noble deeds— a Divine spirit impelling him to the most self-sacrificing actions. Thus you see the Christian is a soldier, and it is one of the main things in Christian life to contend earnestly for the faith, and to fight valorously against sin.

Paul does not exhort Timothy to be a common, or ordinary soldier, but to be a “good soldier of Jesus Christ.” For all soldiers, and all true soldiers may not be good soldiers. There are men who are but just soldiers and nothing more. They only need sufficient temptation and they readily become cowardly, idle, useless and worthless. But he is the good soldier who is bravest of the brave, courageous at all times. He is zealous, does his duty with heart and earnestness. He is the good soldier of Jesus Christ who, through Divine Grace, aims to make himself as able to serve his Lord as shall be possible.

He tries to grow in Grace and to be perfected in every good word and work that he may be in his Master’s battles fit for the roughest and sternest service, and ready to bear the very brunt of the fray. David had many soldiers, and good soldiers, too, but you remember it was said of many, “These attained not unto the first three.” Now Paul, if I read him rightly, would have Timothy try to be of the first three, to be a good soldier. And surely I would, this morning, say to my dear comrades in the little army of Christ —let each one of us try to attain unto the first three. Let us ask to be numbered among the King’s mighties, to do noble work for Him and honorable service, that we may bring to our Master’s cause fresh glory. Be it ours to covet earnestly the best gifts, and as we have had much forgiven, let us love much, and prove that love by action.

QUALITIES OF A GOOD SOLDIER
His Patience – 2:3
Endures hardship and does not quit.
The good soldier realizes that there will be troubles along the way and is not detoured by them.
He understands that pain is often part of the Christian experience, John 16:3
(Ill. Please remember that the Christian is called upon to face life with extreme patience –
(In the New Testament the characteristic of a man who is not swerved from his deliberate purpose and his loyalty to faith and piety by even the greatest trials and sufferings.)
Seeks to please the Commander.
Notice that the good soldier has no higher goal in life than pleasing His Superior.

The good soldier knows that anything which interferes with his performance in the military must be done away with.
The good soldier wants to please his Superior and does whatever he has to do to get that job done!

Guards the truths of the faith.
The good soldier takes care of the things delivered unto him.
He is determined to do a good job, and he refuses to do anything to bring disgrace and dishonor upon his Superior.

2 Corinthians 11:14; 1 Peter. 5:8) The good soldier knows that the enemy is ever active and never rests.

The good soldier knows that the enemy is shrewd and ever attacking, but he also knows the Lord is there to help him, Hebrews. 13:5.
He knows that regardless of the trap, God will make a way of escape for him,
1 Corrintians 10:13.
The good soldier studies the methods of his enemy and learn his weaknesses and these exploits to the fullest extent of his ability.

The good soldier not only cares about his own welfare, but he also looks out for the welfare of his fellow soldiers, Gal. 6:2.
He learns about them by being around them.
There is a need for the soldiers of the Lord to train together.

HE IS A FIGHTER
Paul makes 3 statements in this verse that describe the good soldier. Notice:

He Is Determined
The good soldier does not retreat in the face of the enemy, he does not run from a fight.
Instead, he stands his ground and fights the battle until the battle is over!

Many Christian soldiers have dropped out of the battle! I challenge you not be among that number!
1 Tim. 1:19-20)

He Is Driven
The good soldier realizes that the battle does not run according to his time frame.
He knows that another is in charge of the duration of the battle, but the good soldier is driven to finish.
The good soldier is in the battle to the finish. Are you?
What would it take to make you quit this morning?
Many Christians are about one disaster and one service away from quitting on the Lord.
Does that describe you?

I challenge you to keep serving and keep fighting!

He Is Dedicated
The good soldier dedicates himself to keeping his oath.
He is determined to live for the Lord regardless of the personal cost.
The good soldier keeps the faith, do you?
He keeps it by living it, sharing it and defending it all the time.

The faith is precious to the good soldier and he does everything in his power to keep it pure and undefiled.

He Has Resolve
The good soldier is in it for the long haul. He does not quit at the first hint of trouble.

He is a finisher.
God give us Christians with the attitude of finishers. We need some who will stay by the stuff in these days!

I have not preached to sinners, but you will do that if you catch the spirit of this sermon. There will be many thousands of words to sinners spoken as the result of this exhortation, if God, the Holy Spirit, makes it answer my design. Only this word to those who are not soldiers of Jesus Christ—trust Him now! Come now and kiss His silver scepter of Divine Grace. He will forgive the rebel, and take him to be His servant. God bless you. Amen.

Let us pray
Father, we thank Thee for the power that comes through the Spirit and the Word to resist temptation. Give us the grace to stand fast in this battle against sin, to persevere to the day of Jesus Christ. We ask it for His sake, Amen.

SHALOM!

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