| Christian Life and Doctrine | April 1966 |
Good Soldiers of Jesus Christ
“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.” —II Timothy 2:3,4
A CHRISTIAN should be a peacemaker, and so far as possible should seek to live peaceably with all men. Yet in many respects the Christian life may be compared to the life of a soldier, and the Bible employs this simile to teach us important lessons of obedience to the divine will. The Apostle Paul evidently had in mind the Christian’s good fight of faith when he penned the words of our text.
The basic lesson of the soldier illustration as applied to the Christian life is that of loyalty and devotion to the Lord. Obedience, courage, faith, sacrifice, suffering, and death all enter into being a soldier. Moffat’s translation seems to emphasize some of these points even more than does the Common Version. We quote: “Join the ranks of those who bear sufferings like loyal soldiers of Christ Jesus. No soldier gets entangled in civil pursuits; his aim is to satisfy his commander.”
An essential quality of a good soldier is obedience, so the Christian must learn to obey: The success of any army in battle depends in no small measure upon the obedience of each soldier to the directions of the commanding officer; so the Christian army is made up of those who are willing to obey to the letter the commands of the “Captain” of their salvation. (Heb. 2:10) Christ is our Commanding Officer, commissioned by the Heavenly Father to be the leader of this company of warriors, who through trial and hardship are forging ahead to victory and to glory. The victory of this army is certain, but our victory as individuals in the Lord’s army depends upon our obedience to orders.
Of the Heart
There is much more to obedience than one might at first suppose. In the case of the Christian it should reach down into the secret recesses of the heart. The divine commands by which we are guided are stated very explicitly in the Bible, yet the slightest degree of insincerity or disobedience on the part of the Christian soldier will result in a misinterpretation of those commands. Only the spirit of full surrender to the Lord will safeguard one against the hazard of disobedience. Certain disciplinary measures may be employed by the Lord for a time to remind the Christian soldier of the terms of his enlistment; but if one chooses continually to disobey he is finally dropped from the ranks, and at great personal loss.
A soldier has both pleasant and unpleasant duties to perform; so it is with the Christian. It is the doing of things which by nature we would rather not do that tests our obedience to divine commands. Sometimes we render only partial obedience. The human heart is very deceitful, and if our allegiance to the will of God is not complete, we may endeavor to convince ourselves that we are obedient to all the divine commands governing our warfare, when as a matter of fact we are obeying only a part of them—those which appeal to us the most.
Where the spirit of full consecration is Lacking, the commands which are ignored or those which are obeyed by Christians depend largely upon their likes or dislikes. An ideal soldier, however, is not guided by his personal preferences, but only by the commands of his Captain. In the army there are times for rest, exercise, training, study and for fighting; and the faithful soldier will participate in all these activities as directed, and without question.
Not Ours to Choose
But how easy it is, at times, for the Christian soldier to pick and choose with respect to the particular phase of soldiery he undertakes. If one is of an active, aggressive nature, he will delight in carrying out those orders which have to do with being busy in the Lord’s work, but he may overlook the fact that there are other things as well that the Lord expects. Another, of a more studious nature, will find it much to his liking to spend a great deal of time in “rightly dividing the Word of truth,” but he may not fully realize that one of the objects of his study is that he might be properly equipped for the ministry, or service of the truth.—II Tim. 2:15
Someone else may be of a combative nature, and take great delight in exposing popular error, and in this way “battle for the Lord and for the truth.” But this one may overlook the fact that he should also use his combativeness against his own weaknesses and his stubborn and rebellious self. The meditative Christian may spend long hours in prayer because this phase of the divine will is specially to his liking, yet fail to realize that one of the objects of prayer is to keep the Christian’s armor bright, that he might the better do battle in the cause of truth.
Loyalty
Loyalty is much akin to obedience. It is a word that is used to describe one’s allegiance to another, or to his country, in contrast to an attitude of partial sympathy with or friendliness to the enemy. Christian soldiers cannot fraternize with God’s enemies and remain pleasing to the Captain of their salvation. They must be completely for the Lord, and for all the principles of righteousness involved in the Christian warfare. They must know of what country they are citizens, and for what government they are fighting, and give no place to the influence of other issues in their lives.
Christ Jesus our Captain said, “My kingdom is not of this world.” (John 18:36) This means that as Christian soldiers we cannot ally ourselves with this “present evil world.” (Gal. 1:4) And we need ever to be on the alert against the subtle efforts of “the prince of this world” to entice us into joining his ranks—if not openly, at least to partake of the worldly spirit and fraternize with his soldiers. The forces which oppose the army of the Lord frequently appear as angels of light to deceive. (II Cor. 11:14) If not on guard, we may be induced to lay down our arms and go over to his side. But if as faithful students we keep ourselves well informed concerning the enemy’s tactics we will not be “ignorant of his devices,” and will. not be led astray by them.
Our citizenship is in heaven, and it is to assure an abundant entrance into the heavenly kingdom that we are fighting. Nothing can be gained by a compromising attitude toward any of the allurements of the great Adversary. We are to seek first and always the kingdom of heaven. Doing this we will avoid entangling alliances with any of those things which belong to the passing empire of Satan.
Loyalty to our King, the King of kings, must be voluntary and complete. We have learned to know him, and upon the basis of this knowledge we have full confidence in the integrity of his cause. Our loyalty should be complete because we love our King and our Captain, and are pained at the thought of displeasing him and our Father in heaven.
Courage
Courage is also a very essential quality of a soldier. There is no room in the Lord’s army for the faint-hearted. But true Christian courage should not be the sort that is born of self-confidence. “When I think of self, I tremble,” should be the attitude of a good soldier of Jesus Christ. Those who thus realize their own weaknesses can be courageous if they put their trust in God and look to him for strength to help in their every time of need. When the Christian looks to God, and to Christ, his Captain, and realizes that he is made strong by their strength, then he can indeed be courageous.
To be a good soldier one must have confidence in the cause for which he is fighting, and upon the basis of this confidence be fully devoted to that cause. This is especially true of the Christian soldier. His faith and confidence in the righteousness of the cause which he is serving should be so complete as to call forth all of his powers and abilities in a free-will self-sacrificing effort to co-operate with the Captain of his salvation.
As Christian soldiers we should have no mental reservations as to the propriety of that which the Captain asks us to do. Our faith in God and in Christ should be so complete that even though we may not always understand just why we are called upon to do certain things, nevertheless we will have full confidence in the fact that we are being guided by heavenly wisdom. We may err in following the commands of Our Captain, but he cannot make mistakes.
Because of our implicit faith and confidence in the righteousness and final victory of the divine cause, we will be glad to make any sacrifice that is asked of us while fighting under the banner of the Lord. Not only will we be sure of victory over all enemies, but our hope in a glorious “homecoming” after the war is over will stimulate us to even greater efforts in pressing forward in the battle.
But the “homecoming” of the Christian will not depend upon his escaping death in battle, for he must continue in the warfare until he has finished his course in death. Every Christian soldier, in order to have his Captain bestow honors upon him at the conclusion of the warfare, must be faithful unto death; for this is the term of enlistment in the Lord’s army.—Rev. 2:10
Our Perfect Captain
One of the things which gives the Christian soldier confidence in the commands of his Captain is his knowledge that the Captain has himself given battle even unto death. Jesus received his commission to be the Captain of this army because of his own faithfulness in suffering. It was through suffering that he was trained for his present high office. Concerning this Paul wrote, “For it became Him, for Whom are all things, and by Whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the Captain of their salvation perfect through suffering.”—Heb. 2:10
The full objective of the Christian’s warfare is not only the present conquering of enemies, but also a glorious future service beyond the present conflict, and the present good fight of faith is in preparation for that service. He is to be a joint-heir with his Captain in the future kingdom of service and blessing, so he must be made like Jesus. These are the “many sons” mentioned by Paul, who, like our Captain, are also made perfect through suffering. In all things the Christian soldier is to become like his Captain—conformed to his image. Concerning this Paul wrote, “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.”—Rom.8:19
Conditions of Acceptance
In joining an army there are certain conditions of enlistment with which the applicant must comply, and so it is with the Lord’s army. Soldiers must be physically and mentally fit. A weak heart will disqualify. In fact, physical disability of almost any sort disqualifies one for enlistment in an earthly army. But in the Lord’s army it is different. To join the Lord’s army all that is needed is a perfect “heart”—not a literal heart, but that for which the heart is scripturally used as a symbol; namely, the affections, the desire and the determination to do God’s will.
To have a perfect “heart” means that one desires and strives to do perfectly—to render all that he has to the Lord. If the spirit of one’s consecration is undivided, then the Lord makes up for the unwilling imperfections of his flesh. But it is essential to recognize our own weaknesses, and that these would stand in our way of full acceptance except for the loving provision which the Lord has made through Christ; that provision of Christ’s righteousness to cover our imperfections. We must be humble enough to accept this provision and to rejoice in it.
Based upon our confidence in the covering merit of Christ’s blood, we must make a full consecration of ourselves to the Lord and to the doing of his will. Nothing short of a full dedication of heart, mind, and being is acceptable. Only thus can we enlist in the Lord’s army. This complete dedication means full time service. It is the pledging of all that we are and have to the holy cause of God, to be used as seems best to him. No measurement is taken of anything except our heart intentions to devote all to the Lord, and if that measure be full and complete, we are accepted, taken into the army, and the warfare begins.
Leaving Home
Very seldom is a soldier permitted to remain at home during the period of his enlistment, and this also is true of the Christian soldier. Sometimes enlistment in the Lord’s army means a literal breaking away from what one calls home. The terms of his enlistment require that he will be willing to go anywhere—“I’ll go where you want me to go, dear Lord; I’ll be what you want me to be.” But even though one may not be required by the Captain to leave his present home, yet, in a larger sense, he does have to “leave his own people, and his father’s house.”—Ps. 45:10
The Christian soldier must love his Captain more than he does father, mother, children, or friends. He must please his Captain even though it may mean the loss of all his earthly friends and relatives—and frequently it does mean just this.
And then, too, he must leave his “father’s house”; that is, father Adam’s house. For the world of mankind in general there is the divine provision of restitution, which means that all will have an opportunity to enjoy the blessings of the restored paradise—that glorious home which the Creator provided for his human creatures. But enlistment in the Lord’s army means the giving up of the hope of restitution—the giving up, that is, of a place in father Adam’s house.
Who Are Called?
Those whom the Lord calls into his army would not, for the most part, be considered ideal material for a worldly army, because the Lord does not call those whom the world considers noble, wise, and strong. The Apostle Paul wrote, “Ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to naught things that are: that no flesh should glory in his presence.”—I Cor. 1:26-29
Even the noblest and wisest of the world come far short of the standards of divine righteousness, hence even these would not be qualified for enlistment upon the basis of their natural endowments or attainments. How wonderful it is that those far less qualified by nature can be acceptable to the Lord through the merit of Christ’s righteousness! It is the nobility of heart that is important with the Lord, and one of the qualities of a noble heart is humility, a willingness to learn and to follow the instructions of the Captain.
The Christian’s Armor
Like the soldiers of ancient times, the “good soldiers of Jesus Christ” are provided with an armor. It is because of this divine provision that they are able, successfully, to combat their enemies. One of the secrets of full victory in the Christian war fare is to put on and keep on “the whole armor of God.” There must be no picking and choosing as to what piece, or pieces, of the armor we shall wear; nor can we substitute armor of our own making. It is “the armor of God,” and our implicit confidence is manifested by the enthusiasm with which we take and wear the armor he has provided. The Apostle Paul described this armor as follows:
“Finally; my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil. 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. Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.”—Eph. 6:10-17
All these various parts of the “armor” represent the truth, each from its own standpoint. The “helmet” symbolizes our knowledge of the truth—not only of the divine plan, but of God’s love and care for us: we “know” that all things work together for our good.—Rom. 8:28
The “breastplate of righteousness” represents a personal application of the truth, particularly those truths pertaining to our righteousness in Christ,
The “shield of faith” pictures our use of the truth in protecting us against the fiery darts of the Adversary.
The sandals of peace symbolize our peaceful walk in life, and our efforts as ministers of reconciliation.—II Cor. 5:18,19
The “sword of the Spirit,” Paul explains, represents the Word of God. We are to use this to slay the uprisings of sin in our own bodies, and to ward off the attacks of the Adversary—never to injure others.
The girdle of truth is that part of the armor which suggests the necessity of. our serving the truth. No matter how faithful we may be in other respects, if we do not serve the truth we do not have on the whole armor of God, hence will not be able to stand as Christian soldiers. We should hold the truth in unselfishness. If we think of the truth merely as something with which we alone are concerned, or through which we alone are blessed, we have failed to capture its true spirit, and sooner or later we will fail if we do not have on the girdle of truth.
Our Adversaries
The leader of the entire host of the Christian’s enemies is the Devil. He operates through the world, and through our fallen flesh, hence we speak of our threefold enemies as being the world, the flesh, and the Devil. Allied with Satan in the spirit world are the fallen angels. And in the material world there are many agencies of selfishness and superstition through which the Devil is able to strike against the Christian soldier. (Eph. 6:12) But while our enemies are formidable, threatening, and wily, our victory is sure if we continue to put our trust in the Lord, and make use of all the means of grace which he has provided for us.
Help Certain
The Lord has given us many assurances of grace to help in time of need. Some of his promises are: “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee”; “Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world”; “If God be for us, who can be against us?”; “My grace is sufficient for thee”; “My strength is made perfect in [your] weakness”; and, “No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper.”—Heb. 13:5; I John 4:4; Rom. 8:31; II Cor. 12:9; Isa. 54:17
The Lord’s protection over those who are members of his army does not mean that they will be free from suffering and trouble. No, a soldier cannot expect this. A “good soldier of Jesus Christ” should expect and be prepared to endure much suffering, hardship, and weariness. The Christian soldier who does not have these experiences may well question how faithful he has been to the terms of his enlistment.
If the pursuit of being a Christian soldier is merely a side issue in one’s life, to be worked at when convenient, or when one is not too tired, or when there is nothing more interesting to do, the chances are that such a one will find it possible to lead a fairly quiet life. But those soldiers who are being consumed by the zeal of God’s house, who are not satisfied unless they are actively engaged in the business of being a Christian soldier, will encounter hardship and suffering, even as did Peter and Paul and the other apostles; and even as did the Captain of their salvation.
But all good soldiers of Jesus Christ will rejoice in the privilege of suffering in the great cause of their Captain, hence will endeavor to follow faithfully in his footsteps of loving service in the divine cause. While doing so, they will be cheered by the blessed promise of their Captain, which says: “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.”—Rev. 3:21; Isa. 53:12