Soldiers on the Battlefront

In Paul's 2nd letter to Timothy Paul is urging the young pastor to "Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus" (2 Tim 2:1). Now, telling someone to do something good is fine, but telling them how is even better, and Paul does so. He gives Timothy several strategies for remaining strong (2 Tim 2:2-7). One of them caught my eye.

Paul told Timothy to teach, to be a soldier, to be an athlete, to be a farmer. The one that stood out to me this time was that soldier analogy. He told Timothy to "suffer hardship" and then explained,

No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier. (2 Tim 2:4)

There are a few components there worth examining. Notice the term, "active service." We believers are, as it turns out, all on "active duty." We are all on the "front lines." It's not a fight with just anyone. It is "against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Eph 6:12). And there is no place in that conflict that is not "front lines." We can't leave the front and go for a leave. It is full time active duty.

He says that active duty personnel aim to please the one who enlisted them. Now, in this analogy, who enlisted us? That would be God, of course. We are the called, the "elect." We have been enlisted in this war and, if we are to be good soldiers, our aim must be to please Him. Not ourselves. Which, of course, goes against human nature that automatically attempts to please self.

How, then, are we to seek to please Him and not ourselves? We are not to entangle ourselves in the affairs of everyday life. That's what Paul said. It's interesting that he didn't differentiate between good and bad affairs. Everyday life includes both. And we get that we're not to entangle ourselves with sin or even temptation, but what about the good stuff? What about family and church and loving our neighbor and all? What about eating and sleeping and that stuff? Note that he doesn't say not to do it; he says not to be entangled in it. It sounds similar to what Jesus said when He told His disciples,

He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it. (Matt 10:37-39)

Jesus didn't say not to love father or mother; He said to prioritize who you love. He said that He needs to be first. In this way we are not entangled even though we are in it.

The demands of Christ on His followers are often counterintuitive. Jesus came to give us abundant life (John 10:10) ... and expects us to "suffer hardship" as good soldiers. We do need to be part of "everyday life" and, yet, we're not to be entangled by it. We are called to be strong, and part of that is done by suffering for Him and being in this world while not being of it. If we aren't aware of these things, we might miss them, and if we missed them, we would be failing to please the One who enlisted us. Which would keep us from some of that abundant life. So, onward, Christian soldiers.