As Christians, we must always remember that we are soldiers in the army of Christ and that we are in the middle of an ongoing war between God and Satan.  It is the most significant war that has ever been fought.  The souls of man are at stake.  Paul exhorts us to be good soldiers.

2 Timothy 2:1-3 (ESV)
¹  You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, ²  and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. ³  Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.

Are you a good soldier in God’s army?  There are many different kinds of soldiers in the army of God, but when it is all said and done, we all fall into one of two categories—we are either good soldiers or bad soldiers.  Let us look at what it takes to be a good soldier in the Lord’s army.

First, good soldiers trust and rely on their captains.  They do not hesitate when the captain gives a command just because they do not like it, they just obey.  Good soldiers do not demand that the captain’s order first be proven right, they just follow.  This takes a great deal of faith and trust, and make no mistake about it, there have been many captains who have led faithful men to their demise.  The good news for us is this—we have the greatest Captain of all time.  Our Commanding officer can see the end of the battle from the beginning and already knows who is going to win the war.  Our Commanding Officer is the King of kings and the Lord of lords, and He has more power and ability than any foe that we will ever have to face.  Our greatest adversary is the devil, but John said, “Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.”

What we need to do as soldiers of Christ is learn to rely on Him and His ability to lead us, rather than rely on our own strength.  Paul said he put “no confidence in the flesh” (Philippians 3:3) but was instead leaning on the strength of his captain.  Thus, he told the saints at Philippi “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).  This is the mentality of all good soldiers.

Next, good soldiers stay in tip-top condition.  An out-of-shape soldier will not be able to deal with the rigors life on the battlefield.  He is a handicap to the overall cause and a danger, not only to himself, but to the other soldiers on the battlefield.  He is a soldier upon whom the captain cannot depend.  Such is the case spiritually too.  Our Captain cannot rely on us unless we are in good shape spiritually.  How do we get in good shape?  We stay in shape spiritually the same way we do physically—by maintaining a good diet and exercising regularly.

For the soldier of Christ, this involves feeding upon God’s Word by consistently studying the Bible and making proper application of it (2 Timothy 2:15; 1 Peter 2:2; 1 Timothy 4:7-9; Hebrews 5:13-14).  Are you a soldier who is in shape?  That is the only way you can be a good soldier upon whom Christ can rely.

Another characteristic of good soldiers is that they stay focused on the battle.

2 Timothy 2:4 (ESV)
⁴  No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him.

Why are there so many spiritual casualties in this warfare in which we are engaged?  It is because too many of us lack focus.  We allow the things of this world to distract us.  Sports are sometimes a problem.  Politics are sometimes a problem.  Recreation and entertainment are sometimes a problem.  If the devil can distract us on the battlefield, he knows, sooner or later, we will fall in battle.  A good soldier does not allow this to happen because he stays focused on the fight.  While there is nothing wrong with sports, politics, or recreational activities that are not sinful, we cannot allow ourselves to get entangled.

What are we?  We are soldiers of Christ.  The question is, are we good soldiers?

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.