Transformed: Becoming Who God Created You To Be. (A Soldier)

INTRO:

Imagine you’re on a long road trip in your old, reliable car, driving through rough, stormy weather and winding roads. It’s tiring, and sometimes you wonder if you’ll make it, but then you remember: you’ve got the map, and you know the destination—a beautiful, peaceful home where you’ll be welcomed with open arms. As a follower of Christ, life on Earth is like that road trip. We face spiritual battles along the way, but we hold onto hope, knowing Jesus has already paved the road to eternity. Each bump and detour is just part of the journey leading us to our forever home with Him.

This one is for the younger generation:

Imagine you’re playing a high-stakes video game, constantly facing tough enemies and challenging levels. It’s intense, and sometimes you feel overwhelmed, like the battle won’t end. But then you remember: you’ve already seen the game’s ending—you know the final victory is yours because the developer promised you’d win and reach the ultimate reward. As a follower of Christ, life on Earth is like that game. We face spiritual battles daily, but we hold onto hope, knowing Jesus has already secured our eternal victory. Each struggle is just a step closer to our forever home with Him.

This one is for the married couple:

Imagine you’re going through your daily routine—waking up early, heading to work, paying bills, and keeping the house in order. It’s repetitive, and sometimes it feels like a grind, with challenges popping up like unexpected delays or frustrations. But then you remember: these routines are part of a bigger journey, like steps on a path leading to a long-awaited retirement at your dream destination. As a follower of Christ, life on Earth is like those daily routines. We face spiritual battles in the struggles, but we hold onto hope, knowing each day is a step closer to eternity with Him. The routines, though tough, are part of the journey to our forever home.

SEGWAY:

When we pause to reflect, we realize that life is about far more than our daily routines; struggles; or the strife we face here on Earth.

It’s more than just about starting a family, going to school, earning a degree, landing a lifelong career, buying a house, driving fancy cars, attending trendy events, or worrying about who we will marry or how many kids we well have.

Instead, life is more about navigating the ongoing struggle between good and evil, ...… and the choices we make in this battle ultimately determines where we'll spend eternity.

So with this in mind, …..

As followers of Christ, even though we're constantly in a spiritual battle during our time on Earth, we can hold onto hope because we know it's leading us to our eternal destination with Him.

HERE IS THE BOTTOM LINE:

As Christ-followers, we're in a constant spiritual battle until we reach our eternal home.

Let not look at spiritual attacks as .… we’re doing something wrong …..

Let’s look at them as verification of whose we belong too.

This week we are ending our Sermon Series - Transformed: Becoming Who God Created You To Be.

This week we are going to see that God created you and me to be Soldiers in His Army.

Go ahead and say that out loud, “I’m a Soldier”

Have you ever thought about this fact .....… that when you accepted Christ into you life you were enlisting into the Army of God.

Warren Wiersbe, in his book “Be What You Are” states, “Whether we like it or not, we were “drafted” when we trusted Jesus Christ as our Savior and were born again into the family of God. “

Every child of God is a soldier in God’s army, either a good one or a bad one.

In fact, the very first mention of the church in the New Testament includes the military image of conflict: Matthew 16:18 “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

This is the picture of an army storming the gates and attempting to conquering the city.

As Christian soldiers, we are following a Commander .....

.… who has been rejected by the world.

As far as the unsaved world is concerned, Jesus Christ is a loser and not worth following.

We need to remember this .....

When it comes to following Jesus Christ, it is impossible to be neutral.

(Matthew 12:30 “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.” ).

(Exodus 32:26 “then Moses stood in the gate of the camp and said, “Who is on the Lord’s side? Come to me.” And all the sons of Levi gathered around him.”).

Church, Moses’ cry still goes out today.

It’s worth considering that if you’re not experiencing any challenges, struggles, or opposition from the enemy, it might be a gentle nudge to reflect on your journey with Jesus Christ and see if there’s room to grow closer to Him.

Think of it like this …..

The Enemy has no reason to waste energy encouraging those already on his side.

You might be asking ......… “Who is on his Team?”

Here is a couple of indicators …..

You might be thinking, its those who don’t come to church (Not really)

Its those who are in the bars on Saturday night.

Yea, but the bible give specific details to who is part of Satans Army ......

Those who have no desire to “Seek first the kingdom of God.” (Matthew 6:33 “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”)

Those who do not “keep His commandment.” (John 14:15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”)

Those who “have lost their first love.” (Revelation 2:4 “But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.”)

Those who don’t love their neighbor as themselves. (Mark 12:31 “The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”

MAIN POINT:

God created you and me to be soldiers in His Army.

Come on, repeat after me, “I’m a Soldier.”

BODY:

What does this look like? (Have them Stand)

Let’s look at 2 Timothy 2:1–4 and see what Paul has to say about this:

“You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also. Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him.”

When it comes to being a soldier in the Army of God, I want to point out 4 things.…

We are CALLED to be a part of the Army of God.

Do you realize that from the moment SIN entered into the world God has been calling us.

Look at Genesis 3:9 “But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”

The word “Called” is the Hebrew word that means (to call, summon, announce, proclaim)

The Bible does not explicitly state that believers are "called to be part of God's army" in those exact terms, but several passages use military imagery to describe the Christian life and the spiritual battle believers are engaged in.

These passages often emphasize the call to stand firm, fight the good fight, and serve God faithfully in the face of spiritual opposition.

One of those pericope’s can be found in Ephesians 6:11–13 “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.”

Another one is what we just read 2 Timothy 2:3–4 “Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him.”

So what does this mean …… YOU are called!

Look at your neighbor and tell them, “YOU’RE CALLED!”

The second thing ..…

2. We are EMPOWERED to be a part of the Army of God.

Paul describes the spiritual nature of the believer's battle:

The Holy Spirit equips and empowers believers to live out their faith and engage in spiritual warfare.

Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

The Holy Spirit provides power for witnessing, serving, and standing firm in the face of opposition.

Romans 8:26–27 “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”

The Spirit strengthens and guides believers, especially in moments of weakness, equipping them for the spiritual battles.

The 3rd thing ....

3. We are ARMED ..… with the Word of God.

The Bible, as the "sword of the Spirit," equips believers to combat lies, temptation, and spiritual attacks.

Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

The Word of God is a powerful weapon for discerning truth and defending against deception.

Psalm 119:105 “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

Scripture provides guidance and direction, equipping believers to navigate spiritual challenges and attacks.

The last thing .…

4. We are STRENGTHENED ..... by Prayer and Fellowship.

Prayer and community equip believers by fostering spiritual growth, encouragement, and intercession.

Philippians 4:6–7 “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Prayer equips believers with peace and protection, guarding their hearts and minds.

Hebrews 10:24–25 “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”

Fellowship with other believers equips us through encouragement and mutual support.

SEGWAY:

So lets recap ..…

We are Called

We are Empowered

We are Armed

We are Strengthened

I want us to recognize this today ...… You are becoming an awesome Soldier for the Lords Army!

Do you know who you are?

You are not targeted because of who you are ..… but because of whose you are. 

Whose Army you belong to.

But the Lord wants you to know this ...… “You’re a force to be reckoned with.”

Illustration: the top individuals on the opponents team was who we focused on. I played and they would double team me or try to keep the ball from me.

The opponents of MJ would try to double team or keep him from getting the ball. 

I remember playing a High School football game. Our coach gave us a speech before we took the field and fired us up.

He told us that our opponent had a superstar running back.

He said this, “Let’s go out and see just how much of a superstar he is”.

We hit that guy a little harder.

We would gang tackle him.

All of our attention was on that running back.

Why? because he was a force to be reckoned with.

Because of who dwells within you, “YOU ARE A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH.”

Why?

Because you are enlisted into the Army of God.

You are a soldier in Gods Army!

This is who God created you to be!

Stop looking at it as “you are doing something wrong” and that’s why you are under assault.

Your under spiritual attack because “You’re a force to be reckoned with.”

CONCLUSION:

I want to do something as we close out our time together.

When I enlisted into the Army I had what was called a “Swearing In” ceremony!

I feel led to do this .....

Have them stand and repeat after me .....

"I, [state your name],

do solemnly swear

that I will faithfully follow

and serve the Lord Jesus Christ,

my Savior and King,

defending His truth and gospel

against all spiritual forces

of darkness and deception.

I will bear true faith

and allegiance to His Word,

the Holy Bible,

and commit to living a life

of righteousness, love, and obedience

to His commands.

I will stand firm

in the spiritual battle,

equipped with the armor of God,

and follow the guidance

of the Holy Spirit.

So help me God."