Are We Good Soldiers?

In his final letter to Timothy, Paul the apostle challenges his disciple to entrust the gospel to reliable people who in turn will pass it on to others (2 Timothy 2:1-2). The future of the church and the fulfillment of the great commission depended on this reliability.

Paul used a soldier to illustrate his point. He wrote, “…Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer…” (2 Timothy 2:3-4). But why this analogy?

Several years ago, I met a man who fought at Guadalcanal in the Second World War. Despite his evident abilities, his primary training involved obedience to his commanding officer. He told me that those who failed to obey orders didn’t survive the first battle.

Paul wanted Timothy to survive the conflict and complete the task, and he knew that simple obedience was the key to his future success. It’s not our skills which please God, but our submission.

Do we obey divine orders?

Are we easily distracted by unimportant activities?

Could we be described as good soldiers of Jesus Christ? 

Robert