On The Battlefield With Jesus
2 Timothy 2:3 Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.
I think about what it was like to suffer in wars past, such as WWI or WWII, to just gain a small amount of ground and overcome the enemy inch by inch. Fast forward to today’s conflicts, take Afghanistan and Iraq, the mental anguish to live in constant awareness that the enemy is just at the next street corner or next bridge ahead on the road. A more silent and stealthy approach versus trench warfare of past wars.
So what does it look like to be on the battlefield with Jesus? I know for me it doesn’t compare to what I mentioned above. I get distracted with the comforts of life and all the “youthful” things Paul speaks of later in this letter to Timothy. The enemy has better stealth technology defense than of the fighter/bomber and cruisers/destroyers because his offensive is to slowly woo us away from the battle. How many do you know who have just completely disengaged or given up?
Having a warrior’s mindset requires constant assessment of the surroundings and the situation. What are the little distractions causing Christians to let down their guard? I know for me there are too many to count. However, if my focus is on Jesus, and he’s already won the war, then I just need to follow his “command.”
It’s time to stay in the fight because the cost is worth every bit of perseverance and suffering. Paul encourages us of that! To stay engaged, to keep taking ground, and pounding through the smallest of agony.
I reflect today on the battles of launching a new ministry focusing on the warriors that have and will be literally on the battlefield of nations around the world. I am fighting for the freedom of worshiping God in a world of distractions. Our team is fighting against the forces of darkness through distractions of other larger projects with better monetary returns. I am helping others continue to walk through their own battles, both spiritually and emotionally, inch by inch. There are about 1.2M Christian military service members on active duty, standing guard around the world in defense of our freedoms. Additionally, there are about 7.7M veterans who have also served, living out their own battles, scared from past wars or just struggling to transition out of the military.
All are in need of community to stay engaged and fighting for Jesus. All of us are in need of encouragement to share the love of Jesus.