Ministering: Pastor Seyi Osanyinbi
In the epistles of Paul, he described Christians using three professions; a soldier, an athlete and a farmer. For this teaching series, we have been considering Christians from the perspective of a soldier. A soldier is recruited not for a parade but to fight and Paul in 1 Timothy 6:12 admonished us to fight the good fight of faith. Every member of the church is supposed to be a soldier but just like every man is not a soldier in the natural, not every Christian subscribes to being a soldier of Christ.That decision must be done personally and responsibly. It starts with a decision to “sanctify” oneself (2 Corinthians 6: 14-18) and offer ourselves to God as a living sacrifice (Romans 12: 1-2).
Jude 1:3-4
When Apostle Jude wrote his epistle, he began by indicating that the common salvation that was delivered to the saints was the faith that we should contend for. This Faith was delivered to the saints by Jesus but we must contend for it. It has been given to you but the devil wants it taken away, therefore, you must fight to retain it. The contention is not for your soul alone but also for the souls of others. That is why Paul admonished Timothy to pay attention to his teaching so that he could save himself and for others who listen to him too. In the days of the Apostles, once a new convert submits to water baptism, they have signed a death sentence which is not the case anymore. When Timothy was being enlisted, he had to make a confession before many witnesses (1 Timothy 6:12). We do the same today and but unfortunately, many do not pay attention to those things that they said to God in prayers or privately. Many human problems can be traced to vows that were made before God and His people but were never fulfilled. It is not enough to accept the gospel, you need to always defend it even when it means death. This is what Paul referred to as the good fight (1 Timothy 6:12).
As a sequel to last week’s teaching, let us examine some other characteristics of God’s army.
- They understand their boundaries
A good soldier will always keep to his path. Today, some people become intimidated when they hear people share their testimonies. This journey of faith requires being confident in one’s calling, Dorcas was confident in hers. She understood her course and influenced people around her by doing good. She was satisfied with making clothes and was never intimidated to be an apostle. It is important that you grow in service to God but you should not lose your path in the process.
- They are focused (1Corinthians 9:26)
Many things can distract youo n this journey. Even the devil attempted to distract Jesus, who sold to Him a lie of a convenient means of gaining dominion over the world – by bowing to him but Jesus never lost focus. Distractions can sound reasonable but understanding what you are called to do will help you stay focused. Jesus understood His course that He needed to get to the cross to gain authority. Jesus would have fallen for the trick of the devil if He had not known His purpose.
And because we live in an age filled with distractions, we need brethren to stabilize us. A major distraction today is competition and strive for popularity and this has made members of the army of God appear as one beating the air. Becoming popular is not a problem, afterall, Paul was popular but he was popular for the right reason. The church must come to the point where she understands that it is not about her but God. The whole purpose of God is bigger than the church; it is about the Kingdom.
The church must move away from comparison if she will get it right. God seeks people who have the capacity and not just manifestations to be members of His army. We need to change the way we evaluate people. Judas must have been the closest to Jesus to have been trusted with the purse but he betrayed Jesus. You can imagine Jesus’ pain at the instance of the betrayal. Paul had many oppositions and troubles (2 Corinthians 11:23-30) but he had to remain focused. Things will happen in our lives that will question God’s existence and faithfulness yet, we are required to stay focused. We need to grow to a level where even if it comes to our life being taken, we would still maintain our position.When Jesus said “We are the salt of the earth and the light of the world”, He meant we are designed to be leaders. Like salt, you preserve the earth and as the light, you eradicate darkness, both of which connote leadership.
- They meet biblical requirements (1 Timothy 3:2-7, Acts 6:2-3)
Paul in 1 Timothy 3:2-7 gave a list of requirements of the soldiers of the Lord: being blameless, sobriety, vigilance, hospitality, aptness to teach that is, being able to correct the wrong doctrine in such a skilful way like Aquilla and Priscilla (Acts 18:26). Some other requirements are mentioned in Acts 6:2-3 including honesty, being full of the Holy Ghost and possessing Godly wisdom. We have been appointed over God’s business and must imbibe these qualities.
Some Christians in this age have become blinded to the extent that they cannot see the truths in the scriptures. However, you need to have the right value system so that you can have a proper perspective of what God wants you to do.