Miles Christi! I am a Soldier of Christ! There’s so much interfering in the way of doing what God has called us to do. As an adult, it’s a little easier. I don’t have to worry about popularity, school, peer pressure, or any of that stuff. Still, I’ve been in your shoes. I know what things conflict you and what challenges you have to face in order to fulfill your calling.
In the U. S. Army, a “brigade” is a large group of soldiers. I would like to see God raise up an army of believers (Militia Christi) who will be sold out to the Lordship of Jesus Christ: to advance the Gospel and glorify Jesus Christ. I chose the military theme on purpose because I recognize that in order to achieve the goals that we’ve set out to accomplish, we have to discipline ourselves and become mentally tough and fully devoted, much like soldiers preparing for war.
When the verse from 2 Timothy 2:3-4 talks about “enduring hardship,” that’s exactly what it means: there is a price to be paid if we are to reach our objective. In a physical war, every inch of ground is bought with the blood of the soldiers who are attempting to advance against the enemy. In our spiritual war, every square inch of ground that we conquer has been purchased by the blood of Jesus, along with our sweat and tears.
I was a real soldier. I can testify that, while you are fighting, nothing else matters. You can’t worry about what your family is doing back home. You can’t worry about your mom and dad, your girlfriend, or your bank account. The only thing that matters is accomplishing the mission and staying alive. Anything that doesn’t accomplish one of those goals is a distraction, and should be treated as such.
God tells us in the scripture above that, if we hope to accomplish the goals that He has for us, then we need to have a similar devotion to Him and His Lordship in our lives. It also tells us that the only way to please your commanding officer (Jesus Christ) is to set aside every other concern in life and fight the war.
You can be a soldier of Christ! God equips us with the weapons of our warfare to fight the enemy. We must wisely use these weapons to bring others to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, and into the fullness of His Holy Spirit through His Bride the Church.