Soldier of Christ

Many of you may have heard the term “Soldier of Christ” but have you ever considered yourself one? You do not need to be in a 3rd world country which houses hostility toward Christians preaching the Gospel to be considered a Soldier of Christ. All Christians are called to be such. 2 Timothy 2:1 states “Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. Take your share of suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier on service gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to satisfy the one who enlisted him. An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.” So what is Timothy telling us Solders? It certainly is not a recruitment ad, but rather a transmission of honest instruction for those who have joined the good fight.

As Mother Angelica famously said, “Holiness is not for wimps.” We are to be strong; but not by our own efforts. The Lord is our strength and our shield. (Psalm 28:7) He trains our hands for war and our fingers for battle. (Psalm 144:1) He is our commander in chief who will equip us with every good tool and knowledge to conquer this battlefield of life. His Inspired Word is the manual and our discussions with him help us live it out and apply it to our individual circumstances. He has given each of us a mission. We must put on his armor so that we make it out of this world alive. The armor of God is not a simple prayer in which we ask for protection, but the actual placing of His armor onto ourselves by living a true Christian life. We are to walk in truth, righteousness, and peace knowing our salvation is in the Lord, thus providing our defensive armor. We are called to training with the sword which is the Word of God, thus giving us our offensive weaponry. As we become skilled soldiers in mastery of the Word of God, our sword becomes double edged and sharpened. (Hebrews 4:12) A good soldier always has a way to communicate with the Commander in Chief so as to receive updates, warnings, and words of encouragement. We too are to remain alert in perseverance: (Ephesians 6:18) Even if it means waking up at Zero-dark-thirty to hear his voice. And unless absolutely necessary, we do not tackle it alone. “As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.” (Proverbs 27:17) Good friends and family sharpen one another so as to remain strong in the battlefield of life we know is strenuous.

It is common knowledge that a soldier will be faced with a certain amount of suffering. As a Soldier of Christ, our suffering is to be handled with the utmost dignity, respect, and righteousness. We are not to get entangled in “civilian pursuits” or those worthless worries of the world, but rather keep our eyes on our mission. When a soldier is given a mission, it often unravels over a set period of time. It may require perseverance, exhaustion, and a tremendous amount of effort. If the soldier becomes distracted or decides the mission is no longer worth the effort, they becomes endangered. The enemy may target them knowing they are vulnerable. Or others may begin to enlist them so that they may use their talents for their own gain. But a true Soldier of Christ knows who they are to follow and whose voice to obey. They follow the rules, complete the mission and are crowned in glory. 1 John 5:18 discusses the one who is born of God, striving to remain in righteousness and avoiding sin. It is this person that the Evil One does not touch.

Verse 19 discusses the whole world being in the power of the Evil One. Those that truly walk with the army of Christ are not under the influence of this Evil Power and may live a victorious life. And in those moments you have walked with an enemy of Christ or perhaps a Cadette still deciding whether or not they will join the battle; do not seek harmful vengeance for injustice. Although you are a crucial part of the battle, the war belongs to God. “Leave it to the wrath of God.” Vengeance is his. (Romans 12:20) He will one day sweep in like a supreme commander in an F-22 Raptor to avenge his Soldiers. We will one day meet our Savior, and he may just say… “Bravo Zulu” or perhaps a simple “well done!"