THE SOLDIER
Ephesians 6:10-20; 2Timothy 2:3-4
The Christian is a soldier for Christ. That is who you are. When we became born again, we are enlisted into the heavenly army. We are at warfare with an enemy. The Army has Christ as its Supreme Commander. Like every other army, we have our command structure. There are ranks. We may be brothers and sisters loving one another as family members, yet as soldiers, we are expected to keep ranks. This means we recognize those in authority and honour and obey them as such. Another thing about soldiering is training. No one sends a recruit into the battle field without first training him. In the church, we have different training schemes for believers of all categories ranging from the newly born-again to the oldest. Jesus emphasized the importance of training in his valedictory message in Mathew 28:19-20:
Go ye therefore and teach all Nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
No soldier can grow without being taught the rudiments of the Army. He must learn discipline, obedience and the art of warfare-defense and attack strategies. Handling weapons is a major training in itself. Our weapons are different from the world’s. They are not physical weapons. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling door of strongholds, 2 Corinthians 10:4. They are as listed in our text today. We do not fight physical enemy either. As a soldier, you must learn how to deploy your weapons against the enemy in the most efficient and effective manner to maximize results.
The soldier is expected to be highly dedicated to his nation. It is said that when enlisted, a soldier signs his life away. Everything about him is now about defending the nation. His life does not matter any longer. You are a soldier for Christ. You must be ready to lay down your life at all times. You are not expected to entangle yourself with the affairs of this world. Your focus should be how to please the Master. Good news for the soldier. The Army caters for his own. The Lord takes care of his own. He will take care of you. Relax in his hands. Be of good courage. Fight the good fight of Faith. And we all know that the battle is decided already. You are the winner. Jesus our Captain had won the victory on the cross and given us the trophy.
PRAYER: Dear Lord, I re-dedicate my life as a solder in the heavenly Army. Help me to be disciplined and courageous in Jesus Name.
