Am I A Soldier Of The Cross?

"Take your share of the hardships and suffering (which you are called to do), as a good first-class soldier of Christ Jesus." (II Timothy 2:3,4)

Who am I to write about being a soldier? My mother’s finances couldn’t even enable me to even take part in Girl Scouts. But I had a brother, daughter, son and grandsons that were a part of the military, so I have had glimpses into the commitment and intentionality of being a soldier of our country.

Although I have never been a soldier of my country, the Word of God says I am a soldier of Jesus Christ (II Tim.2:3; Phil.2:25). Many, many years ago I entered the ‘war’ against the enemy of Jehovah God, and his cohorts. I made a complete commitment to Jesus and His ‘cause,’ and since that time I have tried to live intentionally to follow His flag and His commands. I am still in training and hopefully learning how to be a “good soldier of Jesus Christ.”

The main purposes of a “soldier of the cross” are to walk closely to the Commander (Jesus); listen carefully to His every command; and to follow His directions as closely and quickly as I am able, that I may bring honor to my Commander. His training and discipline may seem grievous and painful at the time, but afterwards it yields a peaceable fruit of righteousness as we are conformed to God’s will in purpose, thought and action, resulting in right living and right standing with God (Heb.12:11 Amp.).

Learning to be a good soldier of Jesus Christ is learning to yield to the ‘conforming’ He is doing in our life. We are being forced by circumstances into the mold of Christ – thinking and talking like Christ; doing good works like Christ; treating our enemies like Christ would; seeking and yielding to God’s will like Christ did; and mostly loving like Christ loved. As we learn and yield we are conformed more and more into His image and become little Christs. That is where the name “Christian,” (Acts 11:26). It means, ‘little Christ.’ The little known Banabus was God’s instrument in exhorting and encouraging the new converts in Antioch, and many were added to the Lord. Then he went on to Tarsus and brought Paul back to Antioch where they taught and trained the new “Christians” (Acts 11:19-26). They trained them how to be good “soldiers of Jesus Christ.”

I remember when Mark, our son, was in the Air Force Academy training (BCT – “Beast”), he told us about the most rigorous basic training you could imagine that they had to endure, thus the name “Beast.” Some would not endure and dropped out, thus the unqualified were ‘weeded out’ by their own unwillingness or inability to go through near-breaking endurance tests. Their commitment (‘do or die’) was not ‘complete. The commander knew if they couldn’t (or wouldn’t) endure through the basic training they would never survive on the battlefield. Initially they had a desire to be a part of the ‘army of God,’ but their commitment was only superficial and like the seed that fell on stony ground their roots of commitment never materialized. When the harsh training and heat of the battle ensued they shrunk in fear, fell and wouldn’t get up and make a ‘real’ and steadfast commitment to fight until the battle was won.

This is not so with a ‘soldier of the Cross.’ If you truly made a complete commitment, you were then accepted into the army of the Lord. Like Paul in I Corinthians 2:2, was determined to not display knowledge of anything but Jesus Christ, the Messiah and Him crucified. Paul knew to be good ‘soldiers of Jesus Christ’ you had to be focused on Him and His finished work on the cross for your confidence in the present and in the future. Paul knew if these ‘soldiers’ had that kind of commitment they could face any opposition and even death, as many in the early Church did. And we too may also have to face opposition and even death some day and without staying filled with the Spirit and having that steadfast commitment and focus on Jesus and His work on the cross, we may fall in battle.

Paul admonished Timothy to “hold fast the sound teaching; guard the precious Truth which has been entrusted to you; take the hardships which you are called to endure as a good, first-class soldier of Jesus Christ; and aim to please the One who enlisted you, (II Tim. 1:13,14; 2:3,4). We need to follow these same admonitions.

There are "Soldiers of the Cross" around the world who are being persecuted and some dying for the cause of Christ. These saints are called, "the suffering Church." We don't know much of suffering, and certainly not dying, for Christ, here in the western world but there are multitudes in other lands who are daily being persecuted and even dying for their faith. I am going to take the liberty of using some of the words from a speech of Douglas McArthur presented in 1962 in which he was speaking of the soldiers of the U.S.A. but I will be writing of the "Soldiers of the Cross."

From one end of the world to the other, he has drained deep the chalice of courage. I can see those staggering columns of the continuing war against Satan, bending under soggy packs on many a weary march, from dripping dusk to drizzling dawn, slogging ankle deep through mire to shell-pocked roads; to form grimly for the attack, blue-lipped, covered with sludge and mud, chilled by the wind and rain, driving home to their objective, and for many, to the judgment seat of God.

I do not know the dignity of their birth, but I do know the glory of their death. They died unquestioning, uncomplaining, with faith in their hearts, and on their lips the hope that we would go on to victory. Always for them: Duty, Honor and God's Glory. Always their blood, and sweat, and tears, as they saw the Way, the Truth and the Light.


Am I A Soldier Of the Cross?
Isaac Watts

Am I a soldier of the cross? A follower of the Lamb?
And shall I fear to own his cause or blush to speak His name?
Must I be carried to the skies on flowery beds of ease,
While others fought to win the prize and sailed through bloody seas?

Are there no foes for me to face? Must I not stem the flood?
Is this vile world a friend to grace, to help me on to God?
Sure I must fight if I would reign – increase my courage, Lord!
I’ll bear the toil, endure the pain, supported by Your Word.