Soldiers in the Battlefield

You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. - 2 Timothy 2:3

            When I read this scripture today, I froze like a deer in front of headlights. Something about this scripture reaffirmed who I am and what I am to do. I am a soldier in the Army of the Living God. A soldier doesn’t quit in battle. A soldier definitely doesn’t lie down and die in the battlefield. They continue to fight. Many times, we think God has left us because of the battles we face in life. However, I’m reminded that we will have hardships in this life. That’s the truth of the matter. We will always have battles that we must fight. That’s life. Nevertheless, a good soldier fights to the death, armed, and ready for war. When we watch war movies, we see soldiers being bruised and injured in the battlefield. I never saw a soldier run underneath a tree and say, “I can’t take this anymore. Just let me die here!” We see soldiers bandage up their wounds, take a sip of water out of the canteen, and keep moving on the battlefield. The same is true for us that have been called by God.

 

            When life bruises us, we are to 1. Bandage up our wounds by getting in the presence of God so that He may bring forth healing. The best way to bandage those wounds is to bring them to Jesus. Only His touch can heal. 2. Take a sip of water, the Living Water called Jesus. Since Jesus is the Word of God (Revelation 19:13- He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God), then we must immerse ourselves in the Word of God, especially on the battlefield. We need the Word of God to refresh and revive us. They say about 60% of the human body is water so obviously, we can’t live without water or we’ll die. Furthermore, we CANNOT live without the Word of God, or we will die, spiritually. 3. We must keep moving on the battlefield. Staying away from church, prayer & devotion, and your responsibilities in ministry won’t help you, but further hurt you. Another scripture that gripped me today was 2 Timothy 4:2, “Preach the word; be instant in season, and out of season.” Here Paul is telling Timothy to continue in His work for the Lord whether the situation is good or bad. The Message Bible says this, “Keep your sense of urgency [stand by, be at hand and ready], whether the opportunity seems to be favorable or unfavorable. [Whether it is convenient or inconvenient, whether it is welcome or unwelcome].”  

            It’s easy to get distracted from the things of God when things don’t go our way and the battle seems too much to endure. If I allow them, the cares of this life can burden me so much that I don’t want to be in the trenches anymore with Jesus. Honestly, sometimes I feel like I don’t want to be in battle any longer. However, the Bible says in 2 Timothy 2:4, “No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please Him who enlisted him as a soldier.” God called and equipped us with everything we need for the battles we face in life. He is the One who called us. We shouldn’t be consumed with the problems we face but consumed by the power and ability of the Living God. We should focus on what He wants, what His purpose is, and He will take care of everything else.  I’m not saying it’s easy to stay focused on the things of God when your problems are staring you in your face every day. But we are to keep our minds stayed on Him that we may have perfect and constant peace (Isaiah 26:3).

For if we died with Him, We shall also live with Him.
If we endure,
We shall also reign with Him.
If we deny Him,
He also will deny us.
If we are faithless,
He remains faithful;
He cannot deny Himself.
(2 Timothy 2: 11-12)
  

Whether the flowers are blooming and everything is as we desire or if we are on the front lines being attacked by the enemy on every side, we must be consistent and remain in battle. For God is on our side.