I’m in the lord’s army

tEXT: 2 tIMOTHY 2:3-4

introduction: I want to look at what it means to be in the Lord’s Army

I.           mUST ENLIST

A.        Uncle Sam says “I want You”

B.        Jesus calls us to Himself

John 11:28 And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee.

II.         Must be trained

A.        Soldier must go through “Boot Camp” Basic Training”

B.        Jesus said “Follow Me”

1.      He trains by example

III.       must be equipped

A.        Sent out with proper equipment

B.        Paul gives list of our equipment Ephesians 6:13-18

1.      The belt of truth. The belt was used to hold the soldier’s clothing next to his body. This kept his clothing from flapping about and allowed him freedom of movement. The belt was also used to strengthen and support the body. The sign of the Christian soldier is the belt of truth...

a)      What specifically is the belt of truth? What is God’s truth that the believer is to put on?

(1)    First, Christ is the truth. The believer is to put on Christ

(2)    Second, the Word of God is truth. He is sanctified by the Word of God.

(3)    Third, speaking and living a life of truthfulness is the truth.

b)      The believer is to put on the Word of God.

c)      Truth does several things for the Christian soldier.

(1)    It keeps him from flapping about from one thing to another, from being tossed to and fro by every attack of the enemy.        

(2)    It keeps him from becoming entangled with the affairs of this life.

(3)    It supports him in the battles and trials of life.

2.      The breastplate of righteousness. The breastplate covered the body of the soldier from the neck to the thighs. It was used to protect the heart. The believer’s heart is focused upon the Lord Jesus Christ and His righteousness, and that focus must be protected. The sign of the Christian soldier is righteousness. When a man is saved, God imputes the righteousness of Jesus Christ to him, or to say it another way, God counts him righteous (see notes—§Galatians 2:15-16 for discussion). However, it is not enough to stand in the righteousness of Christ. The Christian soldier must protect his heart. This he does by living righteously. Righteousness keeps the heart from ever being wounded and losing its focus. The Christian soldier is...

a)      To strive after the very righteousness of Jesus Christ.

b)      To live righteously in this present world.

3.      The sandals of the gospel.

a)      The sandals were a sign of readiness—readiness to march and to do battle.

b)      The Roman sandals were made with nails that gripped the ground firmly even when it was sloping or slippery.

c)      The sign of the Christian soldier is readiness—a readiness to march and to bear witness to the gospel.

d)      Wherever the Christian soldier’s feet take him, he shares the gospel that can firmly ground a world reeling under the weight of desperate need and conflict.   

4.      The shield of faith in God.

a)      The word “shield” does not mean the small round shield which the soldier held in his hand to fight off the weapons of the enemy.

b)      It means the great oblong shield worn by the soldier to protect his body from the fiery darts thrown by the enemy.

c)      The darts were dipped in pitch or some other combustible material and set afire.

d)      When they struck, they served the purpose of small incendiary bombs. Satan has his fiery darts—those things that cause the believer...

(1)    To question his salvation

(2)    To question his call

(3)    To question if he is worthy

(4)    To question if he can really serve

(5)    To question if the project can really be done

(6)    To question, doubt, and wonder

(7)    To become discouraged, depressed, and defeated

(8)    To burn with passion and desire

e)      Such fiery darts often assault the mind—one doubting and evil thought after the other—fighting against the will—struggling to get hold of the mind and subject it to doubt or evil.     

5.      The helmet of salvation.

a)      The helmet covered the head and the mind of the soldier.

b)      The head, of course, was the core of a soldier’s power to wage war.

c)      His thinking ability was the most important factor in determining his victory or defeat. Therefore, the soldier needed a helmet to protect his head and mind.

d)      The sign of the Christian soldier is the helmet of salvation (deliverance).

e)      He must protect his mind and its thoughts, keeping all thoughts focused upon the Leader, the Lord Jesus Christ, and His objective of reaching the world with the glorious news that men can live forever.

f)       The helmet that protects the mind of the Christian soldier is salvation.

(1)    Unless a man has been saved, his mind cannot be protected from the fiery darts of temptation      

6.      The sword of the Spirit is the Word of God.

a)      The sword was a weapon used for both defense and offense. The sword was used both to protect and to fight off and slay the enemy.

b)      The sign of the Christian soldier is his use of the Word of God.

c)      By living in the Scriptures, he protects himself from the onslaught of the enemy; and he fights and wins battle after battle, day after day.

7.      Prayer

a)      There is the supernatural provision of the Christian soldier—prayer—a constant spirit of prayer.

b)      The soldier enters the conflict fully dressed and armed, but something else is essential: great confidence and assurance and courage. Such comes from a spirit of prayer.

c)      The following things need to be noted about the soldier’s prayer.

(1)    He must pray—always pray.

(2)    The soldier who is not always praying is not assured of God’s protection. The Christian soldier must pray all the time to maintain a constant unbroken consciousness of God’s presence and care. Such infuses the needed assurance, confidence, and courage. 

(3)    He must pray “in the Spirit,” that is, in the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of the only living and true God.

(4)    Prayer to any other god or to one’s own thoughts or to some other man-made god is empty and useless.

(5)    He must be sleepless in prayer. The Christian soldier must concentrate and persevere in prayer. He must go to the point of being sleepless in prayer—sometimes so intensely involved in prayer that he actually goes without sleep in order to pray.  

(6)    He must pray unselfishly. The soldier is not in battle alone; many are engaged in the same warfare. The outcome of the battle is determined by the welfare of all involved. The Christian soldier must pray for those who fight with him. The Christian soldier must pray as much and as intensely for his fellow soldiers as for himself.        He must pray for leaders in particular. Leaders, their decisions and example, often determine the outcome of the battle. The Christian soldier has leaders who teach and preach and administer throughout the church and around the world. Boldness and decisiveness and purity are needed to put the enemy to flight and to capture souls for the gospel

IV.      mustbe dedicated

A.        Nothing to distract

B.        We must be focused on God

Matthew 19:29 And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.

V.        must be faithful

A.        It is a requirement

1 Corinthians 4:2 Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.

B.        Faithful to the word

Titus 1:9 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.

C.        Faithul in small and big things

Luke 16:10 He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.

D.        Faithfulness has its reward

Matthew 25:21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

VI.      must believe in cause

A.        Christ exemplified this in His prayer

Matthew 26:42 He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.

B.        David believed there was a cause to fight Goliath

1 Samuel 17:29 And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause?

C.        We are to tell

Ezekiel 33:6-9 But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand. So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me. When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.