2 Timothy 2:3,4
Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
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.
As I write this, there was just an ambush in Iraq where numerous soldiers were killed and three soldiers were kidnapped. They have now sent out over 4000 soldiers to try and locate these three soldiers. The soldiers know that time is of the essence. They know what happens when you get kidnapped by the enemy. Being used for propaganda is possible. Torture is possible. Death is possible. Death by beheading is possible.
Soldiers know that training is one thing, but being on the front lines is a whole other ballgame. That is when it gets the most serious and where all your training comes into play. I have met soldiers and pilots who wanted to be on the front lines and not back home, because they wanted to put all their training to use. They wanted to protect our country, and they wanted to be there with their friends protecting each other.
Now let’s ask ourselves a question. Do we as Christians want to be on the front lines, or do we want to be back home so to speak? Would we rather spend our time in the bar sections of our towns reaching the lost, or back at our churches hearing a sermon? Would we rather be on a college campus discussing eternal truth with students and professors, or would we rather be hanging out with another Christian at their house having fellowship?
As a good soldier of the Lord Jesus Christ, we should want to be on the front lines. We should want to be out there reaching the lost. But there is danger on the front line. That is where you can be laughed at. That is where you can be mocked. That is where a co-worker might see you. That is where you can be spit at. That is where you can be arrested. But truthfully, that is where the excitement is. Soldiers will say the same thing. Training is one thing, but the adrenalin picks up a ton when you are right there with the enemy. And, by the way, you can’t be afraid of the enemy. You have to attack the enemy in order to win.
Below are the lyrics to the hymn Onward Christian Soldiers. Enjoy, and be challenged.
Onward Christian soldiers! Marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus, Going on before,
Christ the royal Master, Leads against the foe;
Forward into battle, See His banners go!
Like a mighty army, Moves the Church of God;
Brothers, we are treading, Where the saints have trod;
We are not divided, All one body we,
One in hope and doctrine, One in charity.
Crowns and thrones may perish, Kingdoms rise and wane,
But the Church of Jesus, constant will remain;
Gates of hell can never, ‘gainst that Church prevail;
We have Christ’s own promise, and that cannot fail.
Onward, then, ye people, Join our happy throng.
Blend with ours your voices In the triumph song;
Glory, laud, and honor, Unto Christ the King;
This through countless ages, Men and angels sing.
I wonder if many of us can even utter a song like that. We are so comfortable in our current state of Christianity even as the world dies and goes to hell. How will I ever be able to look the bold saints of God in the eye when I won’t even get on the front lines where I live?
Isaiah 51:12
I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass;
We do not need to fear man as we serve the Lord. All the men that we are afraid of will die. They will go to the grave. They will have a one-on-one meeting with God. We do not need to fear men, but have a righteous fear of God.
Make sure this is the boldest summer you have had yet in reaching the lost. We hopefully have our training from our churches, and now it is time to get on the front lines in your town wherever lost people are. Pray for our soldiers that are on the front lines. And if they can be on the front lines this summer in a war, so can we be on the front lines as a good soldier of Jesus Christ!
Until the nets are full,
