2 Timothy 2:1-10

In this passage, the Apostle Paul mentions three words that every soldier of Jesus Christ needs to keep in mind: three admonitions every soldier needs to make part of his life if he desires to be a good soldier of Jesus Christ: These words are endurance, entanglements, lawfulness. These words do not make us soldiers(Jesus does that). However, these words if obeyed will make us good soldiers.

Endurance

The first word is endurance. Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ (2 Tim. 2:3). This is the first degree of soldiering. Being hard. Being tough. There are wimpy, limp-wristed men and women who are soldiers, but they are not good soldiers. The Greek rendering of our English phrase "endure hardness" is kakopatheo which means to undergo hardship: to endure or suffer affliction. Paul mentioned later in this book that all had "fully known my.... longsuffering... persecutions, afflictions.." (2 Tim. 3:10). In fact, he went so far as to say "....all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.

God is not saying "be willing" to endure afflictions. He is specifically telling us to endure afflictions: to endure hardness(or suffering). I believe this must mean that we need to place ourselves in a position where it is likely we’re going to suffer. After all, to endure hardness we must first have hardness, and we won’t have "hardness"(suffering) at the rear of the lines, back in the mess hall, in the supply lines. Real hardness is experienced only on the front lines.

I recently finished a book on the Normandy invasion during World War 2, which dealt with the Allied soldiers who actually took the beaches. These soldiers were on the front lines. They were in the foxholes. They were taking the mortar rounds, and the snipers, and the assaults first hand. Those sitting back in the headquarters didn’t experience what the front line soldier experienced. On occasion, the commanders would order a charge that was absurd and doomed to failure because they weren’t up there in front.

Someone Has to Endure

In a war, someone has to endure hardness on the front lines or the war isn’t going to be won. Daniel endured hardness: he may not have volunteered to be fed to the lions, but he purposely knelt and worshiped his God, knowing what the outcome would be. The prophet Jeremiah could have been a "silent witness". He could have just quietly "witnessed by example" or said nothing about the impending invasion of Jerusalem. But he chose to endure hardness. He purposely spoke out for God, knowing that it would likely result in persecution. Paul was threatened, beaten, whipped, and finally beheaded because he chose to put himself on the front lines, in a place of hardness, and then endured that hardness. A soldier can spend time in the rear, out of harm’s way, out of the battle directly, and still be called a soldier. But the good solider must in the place of "hardness", and must choose to stay there when the bullets fly!

Entanglements

The next word for the soldier to remember is entanglements. 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. (2 Tim. 2:4). The good soldier must avoid entanglements: to not get ‘entwined" (as the Greek word suggests) with the wrong things. In boot camp, the soldier works hard, trains hard, has a pretty strict diet, very little free time. This is because he is there is to become a good soldier. A good soldier avoids entanglements that will hinder his progress.

There is much in this world with which we, as Christian soldiers, can get entangled. In the Parable of the sower, Jesus warned of getting "...choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection." (Luke 8:14).

Have you ever seen someone choke? As an EMT in this area, I am trained to deal with the person who is choking. Choking stops everything you are doing, and makes you unproductive. Worse than this, choking will eventually kill the person if their airway is blocked.

What is choking our performance as soldiers of Jesus Christ? What "cares" are inhibiting our spiritual growth? Are we more careful about our "car" than Jesus?? Hunting? Our job? Material things? What about our attitude toward others? Does a nasty, critical, judgmental spirit really make us an effective Christian, or does it merely choke our effectiveness? As Paul said in Hebrews 12:1 they are the weights and sins which so easily beset us. Entanglements make us unproductive soldiers.

Lawfulness

The last word to consider is lawfulness. And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully. 2 Tim. 2:5. The good soldier must fight in a lawful way. In the world, we have something called the Geneva Convention which, in 1864, set guidelines when European nations went to war with each other. Prisoners were to be cared for, the Red Cross was the universal symbol of help. Many nations promised to follow it, but some (like the Germans, Japanese and Russians in WW2), did not. There is a right...and wrong.... way to be a soldier.

Spiritually speaking, a soldier fights unlawfully when he fights God’s battles in his own way: fighting in his own power instead of the Holy Spirit’s power. God gave us the guidelines for fighting in Zechariah 4:6: "Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts."

Dedicated, But Fleshly

This third level of soldiering is directed toward the man or woman who is willing and does endure hardness, the soldier who tenaciously avoids those things which would make him ineffective. This is an experienced soldier, a real dedicated trooper. But, the danger is that he or she will try to do things his own way, in his own power. In other words this is the danger of fighting in the flesh and not the Spirit.

Sadly, I think much of what is done in the name of Jesus is in fact done in our own strength. I see bigness but not holiness, programs and excitement but little separation from evil and the world. If we were to take the word "church" off our buildings, would the average person be able to see a great deal of difference between our assembly, and a local service club meeting?

In conventional war, generals make decisions and give orders that are sometimes flawed. But for the Christian soldier...our General never makes a mistake! His judgment is always accurate, well-thought out, and ultimately right. And so to do things our way instead of the Lord’s way is really questioning His ability to lead us! This is insubordination, and in a time of war, could be grounds for a firing squad. In the Spiritual battlefield, I think this is the area where many Christians are very susceptible to Satan’s influence.

Are we guilty of questioning God? Have we ever wondered why He is doing things the way He is? Do we ignore Bible principles and leaning to our own understanding? How important it is for us as soldiers for Christ to maintain a good relationship with our General! This is critical because God often gives orders with a "still small voice", and if we aren’t close enough to hear him we are likely to disobey His orders, or at best, misunderstand them! Three words the good soldier of Jesus Christ needs to keep in mind: endurance, entanglements, lawfulness.

The Result of Obedience

If we are good soldiers, what can we expect to happen? 2 Timothy 2:7 says: "Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things. God will give us wisdom, perception, knowledge. Now, verses 8 and 9 do suggest we will also "suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds." Good soldiers can expect problems. However, as Paul says in verse 10, such suffering can help draw people to Christ, as they see how we react to, and endure, the problems that would devastate most people. Of course, people don’t get saved because we suffer, but our testimony and willingness to endure things for the gospel’s sake will help draw people to Christ.

Paul had an overriding burden to see souls saved, the church strengthened, and Christ glorified. I think he constantly examined his life to see if worldliness, or wrong attitudes, or some other sinful habit or attitude had found its way into his life. Then, I believe he ruthlessly got rid of that practice or attitude—whether it was a softness on himself(he said I buffet my body); or wrong associations or entanglements(he said at my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me:); or whether it was a fleshly rather that spiritual approach(he said oh wretched man that I am!). These three principles guided the life of the Apostle Paul, and no doubt helped make him the clean vessel which God so effectively used. May these Bible admonitions find their way into each of our lives as well.