Soldiers Don't Run: Enduring Hardship in the Army of God
Dr RJ Sing, 1 hr 32 min
Originally recorded as “A Good Soldier of Jesus Christ”
Sermon outline
Every believer has been enlisted as a soldier in God's army, so stay strong, stay faithful under pressure and fight with the language of faith instead of quitting.
Main text
- 2 Timothy 2:1-5
Opening
He leads the tithes and offerings with a confession and prayer in tongues, thanking God that the gates of hell cannot prevail against the church. He mentions the marvellous Sunday service and the leaders' meeting that ran from four to eight that evening, then says that tonight he wants to speak 'in just a few words' about being a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
Be strong in the grace: faithful men and women stick with the cause
Paul tells young Timothy to be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus and to commit the things he has heard to faithful men, which means there can also be unfaithful ones. Faithfulness is not clapping, singing or looking smart on a Sunday; faithful people stand the test of time and are still standing when others quit. God tells you to be strong, so you have the ability to be strong.
Illustration: The divorce notices at the back of the newspaper: when you read that someone else is getting divorced, you do not phone your wife and say you are getting one too. When other people are crazy, you do not get crazy.
“Faithful men and women stand the test of time. When others quit, they are still standing.”
- 2 Timothy 2:1-2
Endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ
Paul uses military language because the church is not a bunch of weaklings but a committed army. Criticism will come, people in church may not like you, and your family may attack you for following Jesus, but soldiers do not cry and run; they keep pushing forward. Your consistency is a witness to the unsaved people who are watching you.
Illustration: Young soldiers on the news who are wounded, stitched up in a military hospital and then ask for their uniform back because their friends need them. And the unsaved neighbour who hears your car start every Sunday morning, then notices when it stops starting and decides he is glad he never went to church.
“Soldiers don't run. They fight. And they keep on fighting.”
- 2 Timothy 2:3
- 1 Timothy 6:12
- 2 Timothy 4:6
You are engaged in warfare
No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life; that verse is your job description. Your battle is not with people but with spirits, principalities and powers, so a sudden pain or money that does not arrive should not make you doubt your calling. Instead of phoning your auntie, pray in tongues, speak to the money and send the angels, because God has given you power of attorney. In a war there are casualties, so do not ask the pastor why some fall; keep fighting.
Illustration: Nobody asks a president why soldiers died after he sent troops to war; when they left home they knew some might come back in body bags. A soldier who ignores the commander's warning gets shot, and the troops mourn him and fight on.
“You're not living a tiptoe in the tulips type of sunny life. You are engaged in warfare.”
- 2 Timothy 2:4
- Ephesians 6:12
- Hebrews 1:14
The kingdom of God has an army
When you were born again, God enlisted you in the army of Zion, whose King is Jesus, with ranks from generals to ground troops, and an enemy country, the kingdom of darkness, that will try to make you defect. The kingdom has a constitution (the Word), a taxation system (tithes and offerings) to fund the work of rescuing people, ambassadors, a police force in the cell leaders who check on you, and a ballistic missile system in the Holy Ghost. A good soldier is not the one who just smiles on Sunday but the one who brings people to church, prays, gives, and can take an instruction without pride.
Illustration: Try telling the government you will not pay your taxes. And praying in tongues is like pressing a button that sends a missile to someone in Timbuktu or America, because there is no space or time in the kingdom of God.
“So Jesus, when you were born again and you were saved, God enlisted you as a soldier in the army of God. Now my question is, what type of soldier are you?”
- Colossians 1:13
- 1 Peter 5:8
Compete according to the rules: the Christian life is for the tough-hearted
Paul adds the picture of an athlete who is only crowned if he competes by the rules. Some will faint and fall, but others will win, so decide you are one of those who keep running. You do not operate by feeling: spirit, soul and body each have a vote, so keep your spirit charged and your mind renewed so that the two can overrule a tired body and get it to church.
Illustration: The 'three votes': the mind says 'I don't feel like going', the body agrees, and the spirit loses two against one, unless a renewed mind sides with the spirit.
“The Christian life is not for wimps. Christian life is not for sissies. It's not for weaklings.”
- 2 Timothy 2:5
- Luke 17:32
Rejoice when you are persecuted, and do not dig pits
Jesus said you are blessed when people revile you and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, so slander is a reason to rejoice, not to cry. The kingdom of heaven is God's way of operating: those who come against you will pray and it will not work, while you pray and heaven moves. Do not worry about people digging a pit for you; just make sure you are not a pit digger yourself.
Illustration: When people slander you, he says, open the (non-alcoholic) champagne and have a party.
“Don't worry about people digging pits for you.”
- Matthew 5:10-12
- Ecclesiastes 10:8
Don't break your hedge with your mouth: speak the language of faith
Like Job, every Christian has a hedge of protection, but a believer can break it with his own mouth, because death and life are in the power of the tongue. The people of Zion speak the language of faith, not what they see, hear or feel: tell people all is well, call your needs met, and bite your lip until you stop speaking negatively. Do not trust a doctor's report or the petrol price above God's Word; your pay cheque is not your source, the script about your life has been written, and you have a beautiful life.
Illustration: Queues of cars at the garage the night before the petrol price went up, all to save a few rand; and the Lord telling him while he was driving to say aloud that he could never be nervous and anxious again.
“Your paycheck is not your source. It can never be your source.”
- Job 1:10
- Proverbs 18:17-21
- Mark 11:23-24
- Romans 4:17
- James 3:4
- Isaiah 53:5
- 1 Corinthians 2:4
- Psalm 82:6
Putting it into practice
- Decide you will not quit or run when criticism, church problems or family pressure come.
- Be consistent in church attendance, because unsaved neighbours and family are watching.
- When pain or lack shows up, pray in tongues and speak the Word over it instead of complaining.
- Take instruction from spiritual leaders without pride, and pray for those who fall rather than asking why.
- Guard your mouth: speak the language of faith and stop repeating what the doctor, the news or your feelings say.
Closing
He has the church confess that they are good soldiers and tells Satan the session has been training. He says he has only given his introduction and will pick up the hedge and Ecclesiastes 10:8 next week. He then prays for the sick, teaches that the anointing enters through the mouth, ear and eye and that people should not step back out of it, invites people to receive Jesus, pronounces the benediction and sends Pastor Wesley and others to lead the new converts in prayer.
Declarations he led
- Lord, this is my tithe. This is my offering. I'm a cheerful giver in the name of Jesus.
- I refuse to be a runner.
- I have the ability to be strong.
- I'm a good soldier of the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm steadfast. Strong. I'm not a quitter. I only run the race of faith. I never run backwards. I never look backwards.
- I'm a good soldier. I'm strong. I'm durable. I'm steadfast. I'm committed. I can take an instruction. I can take an order. I can move forward. I'm not a crybaby. I'm strong in my faith, I'm moving in the power of His might, the Holy Ghost is in me, I have the mind of Christ.
- Satan, I want to remind you, this was a training session, I've now been instructed. I know my position, I know my rank, I know my file, I know how to execute, and you are executed out of my life, out of my finances, out of my body.
- I have a beautiful life.
- I've got my miracle. The thing that I've desired. It's mine. I'm leaving this place activated with the power of God.
In his words
- “Faithful men and women stand the test of time. When others quit, they are still standing.”
- “Soldiers don't run. They fight. And they keep on fighting.”
- “So it's not about prosperity and about a good car and about a good house. It's about a cause.”
- “If I'm going to make you sad, who's going to make me glad?”
- “A good soldier doesn't cry. He sees darkness and says, let there be light.”
Every scripture in this message
- 2 Corinthians 3:17
- 1 Peter 1:23
- Matthew 16:18
- Ephesians 6:10
- 2 Timothy 2:1-5
- 1 Timothy 6:12
- 2 Timothy 4:6
- Ephesians 6:12
- Hebrews 1:14
- Colossians 1:13
- 1 Peter 5:8
- Luke 17:32
- Matthew 5:10-12
- Ecclesiastes 10:8
- Job 1:10
- Proverbs 18:17-21
- Mark 11:23-24
- Romans 4:17
- James 3:4
- Isaiah 53:5
- Matthew 5:13-14
- 1 Corinthians 2:4
- 1 Corinthians 1:25
- Matthew 17:27
- John 2:1-11
- Genesis 1:3-4
- Psalm 82:6
- Mark 5:27-28