Do you consider yourself a soldier? Part of a vast army? Do you ‘take orders well’ – do you trust your training? Or do you think you shouldn’t be part of the front lines? One thing the foot soldier needs is trust in those in command and those mates to the right and left. Do you trust your leader? Your fellow soldiers? Is your leader following the One in charge?
Or maybe you think that though you accepted Jesus as Lord, you didn’t sign up for any army. Oh yes you did! What you need to realize is that this is no puny army you are a part of. This army is the Lord’s and we are equipped, trained, prepared to fight the enemy and defeat him. We have everything we need to be victorious.
Context: 1 Corinthians 12: 14-21, Preparation/Equipping: Ephesians 6: 10-17, 2 Corinthians 10:4-6, Purpose: Ephesians 4: 14-16
When you accepted Jesus you became an enemy of the devil. He doesn’t want you saved, but if you are, he is going to do everything he can to make certain you aren’t fruitful. The devil and his agenda is made apparent in scripture and very visible in our day-to-days. Just remember that our equipping is designed to defeat and overcome any of his schemes. We are never in this battle alone, even when we get separated from the main our mates.
You will always be a soldier but also realize that you have everything you need to be an effective soldier. However, don’t take my words that being a soldier is a walk in the park. Every soldier has his/her responsibility and the effectiveness of the army is contained in how we each do what our assignment is. Take as your context 1 Corinthians 12: 14-21 AMP, verse 18 says:
“But now [as things really are], God has placed and arranged the parts in the body, each one of them, just as He willed and saw fit [with the best balance of function].”
This is the best definition of who we are together as a body and as an army. Since this is the training and situation for us all, then if we trust our training, we can trust our fellow soldiers in theirs. We also need to remember
“The weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood]. Our weapons are divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying sophisticated arguments and every exalted and proud thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought and purpose captive to the obedience of Christ, being ready to punish every act of disobedience, when your own obedience [as a church] is complete.” (2 Corinthians 10:4-6, AMP)
Ephesians 6 talks about our equipping – the full armor of God. (6: 10-17) We have all the necessary parts to be effective soldiers. But our ‘enemy’ is not other people, the purpose of God’s army is to touch lives but to do this we need to do what Ephesians 4:14-16 teaches:
“let us grow up in all things into Him [following His example] who is the Head—Christ. From Him the whole body [the church, in all its various parts], joined and knitted firmly together by what every joint supplies, when each part is working properly, causes the body to grow and mature, building itself up in [unselfish] love.”
This is the description and definition of God’s Army. Besides… if you read the end of the book (Bible) you’ll see that we win because our Lord has ‘finished’ all that needs to be. He overcame so we could become overcomers.
