Enlisted for Battle

As Christians, the day we decided to follow Christ by being born again, was the day we joined God's military service. It does not matter whether you are male or female, young or old, we are all in God's army. In 2 Timothy 2:3, the Christian is called, the good solider.

A description of the role of soldiers says that "They are trained to engage and neutralize enemy combatants in international armed conflicts."

As Christians we are not engaging in a physical battle, rather it is a spiritual one in which our enemy is the devil, and he wants to devour us (1 Peter 5:8). The good news is that our God has not left us unequipped. Rather, He has provided us with a full kit called the armour of God (Ephesians 6:13 -17).

Just as soldiers protecting a nation undergo training to prepare them for war, so we too as Christians need to be prepared. Sometimes, the war may be sudden, without any prior warning, hence it is worth being prepared at all times. Because we know we are enlisted for battle, we should continually equip ourselves.

We can do this by:

(1) Living with the consciousness that we are God's children on a mission (2 Tim 2:4)

(2) Studying God's word (Ephesians 6:17)

(3) Praying earnestly and continually (Ephesians 6: 18)

(4) Fellowship with one another (Psalm 133).

Remember, as a solider, things may become difficult and we may be discouraged at times, but we have been warned about this (John 16:33). We must stay strong and be courageous (Joshua 1:9).

In the end, either because Christ comes or we pass on, I pray we all finish well and have a good testimony like Paul, that we fought the good fight (1 Tim 6:11).

(By Opeyemi Odejimi)