by Jon Burnett
In 2 Timothy 2:3, Paul tells Timothy, �Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.� He goes on to say, �No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops� (verses 4 & 5). As a good soldier of Christ Timothy was to please God and not the world, abide by God�s rules, and work hard for his rewards. Earlier Paul had similar advice, �Fight the good fight of faith� (1 Tim 6:12). This fight included pursuing righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, and gentleness (verse 11).
This good fight is not only directed toward personal actions and behavior, but also toward evangelism. After speaking of God appointing him to his service (1 Tim 1:12), Paul said, �This charge I entrust to you, Timothy� to �wage the good warfare� (verse 18). The good warfare Paul entrusted to Timothy was to proclaim, �Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners� (verse 15). Now we know our battle, both over Satan in our personal lives and externally through the spreading of the gospel.
As soldiers though, where do we receive our training? Timothy himself was �trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine� that had been brought to him (1 Tim 4:6). He was also to �Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness� (verse 7). We�re also told that discipline �yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it� (Hebrews 12:11). As Christians, soldiers of Christ, we must be familiar with the word of God, avoid false teaching, and be disciplined for righteousness.
But what would a soldier be without his weapon? Christ�s soldiers are armed with �divine power� and �the weapons of righteousness� (2 Cor 10:4 & 6:7). In Ephesians 6, we are told to put on the whole armor of God, including truth, righteousness, readiness, faith, salvation, and prayer (verses 14-18). Our weapon is �the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God� (verse 17). This is our weapon to destroy strongholds of false doctrine and to live exemplary lives in the eyes of God. �For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of the soul and of the spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.� (Heb 4:12)
As good soldiers in Christ we have a battle: to pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, and gentleness, and to spread the gospel. We have our training: know the word of God, avoid false teaching, and be disciplined for righteousness. And we know our weapons: truth, righteousness, readiness, faith, salvation, prayer, and God�s word. What else do we need?
Hopefully one day toward the close of our lives we can echo the words of Paul nearly two thousand years ago, �I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing� (2 Tim 4:7,8). May we all be good soldiers of Christ.