Qualities of a Good Soldier of Jesus Christ

One day our lives will end! One day, each person on this Earth will be just a memory to those who live on this planet.
When the time comes to leave this world, what kind of legacy will you leave behind? When people remember the kind of person you were, will they remember you as a soldier of Jesus Christ?
Would you like to know what are the qualities of a good soldier of Jesus Christ?

Jesus was a good soldier! Even as we honor our war dead and our risen Warrior, there is another great group of soldiers that come to mind today.

The time to think about these things is now. Once you are gone, it will be too late forever! When Paul approached the end of his life, he languished in a Roman prison.

But, from that cell, the great Apostle took steps to ensure that he would be remembered as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. He took the time to write to young Timothy and give him the secret to becoming a good soldier. It is that thought that we would like to consider as we think together about the qualities of a good soldier of Jesus Christ. We invite you to stay.

What are the qualities of a good soldier of Jesus Christ

With the initial thought, let’s see in light of God’s word what it means to be a good soldier of Jesus Christ and how you can become one:

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A good soldier of Jesus Christ is a follower

It implies constant relation :

• The first step is to join the military.
• No one can be a soldier of Jesus Christ until they join the military.
• This is accomplished only by receiving Jesus as our Savior, John 3: 3; Ef. 2: 8-9; Acts 16:31.

It implies the range :

• There is always someone taller than you.
• It is the same with the army of the Lord.
• Every child of God is below Jesus and is responsible for following Him and His will for their lives , 1 Cor. 6: 19-20 . (Sick, God always has a way of downsizing – Ill. Gideon, Judges 7: 1-9 – From a general to a sergeant to a soldier!)

The rule implies:

• Refusing to follow orders is treason!
• When we are in the Lord’s Army, we have an obligation to obey his orders to the death!
• Note the call of Christ that has not changed, 16:24 .
• When we refuse to live as the Lord wants, then we have crossed the line from follower to traitor – James 4:17 .

He is faithful  can be seen in:

Your patience :

• Endures difficulties and does not give up.
• The good soldier of Jesus Christ realizes that there will be problems on the way and he will not go astray because of them.
• Understand that pain is often part of the Christian experience, John 16:33.
• Remember that the Christian is called to face life with extreme patience – 12: 1 .
• In the New Testament, the characteristic of a man who does not deviate from his deliberate purpose and his loyalty to faith and piety even by the greatest trials and sufferings.

Your priorities :

• Seek to please the Commander.
• Note that the good soldier of Jesus Christ has no higher goal in life than to please his Superior.
• The good soldier knows that anything that interferes with his performance in the army must be eliminated.
• The good soldier wants to please his Superior and does whatever he has to do to do that job!

Who is the first thing in your life?

• Whatever or whoever, that’s your God!
• Pleasing Jesus should be the first priority of every child of God –  1 Cor. 10:31; 1 Cor. 6:20 .

Your practice :

• Keep the truths of faith.
• The good soldier of Jesus Christ takes care of the things that are given to him.
• He is determined to do a good job and refuses to do anything that brings dishonor and disgrace to his Superior.
• So it is with the Christian soldier.
  • You want to live your life in a way that honors the Lord and does not dishonor .

It is familiar  there are some things that the good soldier of Jesus Christ knows. You are familiar with:

With the sound of the voice of the commanders:

• John 10: 3-5 ) The way to become more familiar with the voice of the Lord is to spend more time listening to it.
• Do this by getting into the Word.
• Do you know him when he speaks?

With the ability to use your weapons:

• 6: 10-18 ) The good soldier of Jesus Christ knows that he is involved in a deadly war and knows that the only way to be successful in the fight is to be proficient in the use of spiritual weapons.
• You and I would do well to learn the art of spiritual warfare if we are to triumph for the glory of the Lord.

With the Enemy strategy:

• 2 Cor. 11:14; 1 ) The good soldier of Jesus Christ knows that the enemy is always active and never rests.
• The good soldier knows that the enemy is cunning and always attacks, but he also knows that the Lord is there to help him, 13: 5 .
• He knows that regardless of the trap, God will open a way of escape for him, 1 Cor. 10:13 .
• The good soldier studies the methods of his enemy and learns his weaknesses and these feats to the best of his ability.
• The good soldier of Jesus Christ needs to be wise in the ways of the devil and needs to know that the Lord Jesus is greater than any enemy we face, 1 John 4: 4 )

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With the shadows of his friends:

• 11:25 The good soldier of Jesus Christ not only cares about his own well-being, but also looks out for the well-being of his fellow soldiers, Gal. 6: 2 .
• Learn about them by being around them.
• It is necessary for the Lord’s soldiers to train together.

He is a fighter  Pablo makes 3 statements in this verse that describe the good soldier

He is determined:

• The good soldier does not retreat from the enemy, he does not flee from a fight.
• Instead, he stands his ground and fights the battle until the battle is over!
• Many Christian soldiers have withdrawn from battle! I challenge you not to be among that number! 1 Tim. 1: 19-20 )

He is driven

• The good soldier of Jesus Christ realizes that the battle does not go according to his time frame.
• He knows someone else is in charge for the duration of the battle, but the good soldier is bound to finish.
• The good soldier is in the battle to the end. Are you?
• What would it take for you to quit smoking this morning?
• Many Christians are one disaster and one service away from renouncing the Lord.

He is dedicated

• The good soldier of Jesus Christ is dedicated to fulfilling his oath.
• You are determined to live for the Lord regardless of the personal cost.
• The good soldier keeps the faith, right?
• You keep it by living it, sharing it, and defending it all the time.
• Faith is precious to the good soldier and he does everything in his power to keep it pure and unblemished.

Is a finisher

He has a resolution:

• The good soldier of Jesus Christ is in him for the long term. He doesn’t give up at the first sign of trouble.
• He is a consummate.
• God give us Christians with a finisher attitude. We need some to keep things these days!

He has a reason

• Why does the good soldier endure difficulties, remain in the fight, follow the Leader unselfishly?
• The good soldier knows the price his Superior paid to get a place in the army.
• The good soldier of Jesus Christ knows that his Lord loves him and that Jesus died to open a way of salvation for him.
• Therefore, love the Lord and no price is too high for a good soldier to pay.

He has his reward

• The good soldier of Jesus Christ ends his career because he knows that at the end of the war, every act will be rewarded by the Commander-in-Chief.
• For those who remain in the battle, a joyous day of blessing will come.
• Here the Lord will say: “Well done, good and faithful servant …

What will be waiting for you when you meet Jesus?

How to be a soldier of Jesus Christ

Now, let’s look at other points that are important to become a good soldier of Jesus Christ. In this part of the study we will draw on Galatians 5:22 . Without further ado, we show you the following qualities that you must possess if you want to belong to the army of Jesus:

1.  A good soldier of Jesus Christ has Self-control.

Among the qualities required of army soldiers is this:

• They must be masters of their forces
• Respect the adversary
• and take care to save populations.

Reading these mentions leads one to think that it is a beautiful theory because the innumerable conflicts in the world reveal atrocities, terrible excesses. There is even talk of rape as a weapon of war.

In some cases, prisoners are far from benefiting from preferential treatment .

For the soldier of Jesus Christ, it is essential that these characteristics do not remain in the stage of beautiful evangelical concepts. The disciple is animated by a deep desire and a real determination to put into practice the teachings of the divine Master. Luke 11:28 .

Virtues of the soldier of Jesus Christ

To be the owner of one’s own strength is to be the owner of oneself. This virtue is part of the fruit of the Spirit. In  Galatians 5:22 , “temperance” means “self-control, quality of those who are masters of their desires and passions, especially the appetites of the senses, self-control over self-control, moderation.”

1. Obviously, loss of control results in physical violence.
   1. For example : In France, 1 woman dies every 3 days as a result of blows from her spouse. We must also consider all those who do not die but who are wounded and deeply traumatized. Christian families must be careful to protect themselves from such acts.
2. In some cases, children are victims of attacks on their physical integrity. The Bible supports the punishment of the body as part of a just and balanced education. Pro19: 18; 22:15; 23:13; 29:15; 29:17 .

According to God, spankings are part of the range of educational means. It is not about violence or poorly controlled anger that would result in harmful injury to the child. These are not traumatic blows.

• They are simply physical corrections wisely administered to make the child accept obedience to parental authority.

The problem lies in imbalances and excesses. Before, in many families education was too harsh and rigid with inappropriate corporal punishment.

Today, laxity, lack of rigor, carelessness, ” light ” education are widespread. Some countries have even passed laws prohibiting spanking. Christian parents should focus on biblical guidance when raising their children.

Another part of self control

Self-control is, in a sense, the control of physical strength. Another aspect must also be taken into account: the impact of language .

Misuse of it can destroy, devastate, hurt. People may never have hit someone with their fists, but they have been violent with words.

Santiago clarified that he is full of deadly poison when under the influence of bad human nature. James 3: 8 . It is possible to traumatize a person with violent words. Jer 18:18 .

A believer can sing with great enthusiasm during worship, formulate beautiful prayers, impress with his praises, and sadly indulge in criticism, slander, and slander against those around him. James 3: 9-12 .

Temperance

Temperance is the art of taming and channeling words and attitudes. Thus, the soldier of Jesus Christ able to control his words can be an instrument of blessing for others.

You are invited to become aware of the immense benefit of gracious, kind words. At a time when medicine cabinets are full of medicines and when the individual has the reflection of treatments to alleviate his aches and pains, biblical teaching must be carefully considered.

Men and women of God communicate healing, restoration, relief through their words. Pro12: 18 . The soul is often affected by real suffering such as:

• Dark and negative thoughts
• Depression
• Low morale

Many encounter these realities. To lift up the afflicted, the frustrated, the disappointed, God seeks disciples who heal and bring true relief through appropriate words.

Positive effect of words

Beneficial words are sweet to those who suffer. The Bible compares them to a honeycomb. Pro16: 24 . They have a blessed effect on the inner being. However, this verse goes further.

Point out that encouraging and constructive words produce a positive result in the body. Thus, this passage allows us to reach the following conclusion:

• ” The soldier of Jesus Christ is capable of promoting the healing of the soul and therefore of the body with words impregnated with love, compassion, patience, encouragement, appreciation .”

It is, therefore, a psychosomatic reality. In fact, when morale rises, the body is more easily led down the path of restoration. On the contrary, the body sometimes remains a prisoner of certain diseases because the soul and spirit are very disturbed.

Of course, all of this must be considered in conjunction with the wonderful action of the Holy Spirit that comes into play when the recommendations of Scripture are put into practice.

The church as another medium

A healthy church is characterized by Christians who bless and avoid cursing. Several questions should be asked:

1. When was the last compliment you gave?
2. Are you used to encouraging others?
3. What is the dominant trend: blaming or being thankful for who others are and what they do?

Someone may say: ” But it is not in my nature to tell people that I appreciate them, they have not educated me to do that .” It is important, then, to allow ourselves to be transformed by the Holy Spirit to increasingly assume the nature of Christ.

Jesus knew how to encourage, value, stimulate with positive words. Matthew 8:10; 25:21; Mark 5:34 . Pablo knew how to praise his companions. Rom 16: 3-4; 16:12; 2 Timothy 1: 16-18; 4:11 .

Therefore, to please the Lord, it is a matter of refraining from malicious, derogatory, hurtful words. Control of the lips is a fundamental quality. However, the divine requirements go further. It is appropriate to be a source of life with words that produce blessing, restoration, and healing. Ephesians 4:29.

2.  A good soldier of Jesus Christ has respect.

Another quality of the military is respect for the adversary. To make the spiritual analogy, it should be noted that the soldier of Jesus Christ avoids making a mistake about his enemy and shows deference to those around him.

In fact, a believer can spend many years of his existence making a dramatic mistake: becoming the wrong opponent.

The human being has in front of him satan who seeks to turn the hearts away from the Lord, keep them in disbelief, present multiple temptations to lead to sin, destroy lives, seduce, accuse.

Who to attack?

He is the real adversary. Some oppose the Gospel and Christians. 2 Timothy 4:14 . However, it is essential that the disciple avoid fighting with others.

Ephesians 6:12 . It is better to distinguish behind conflicts the one who exploits the weaknesses of human nature to amplify disagreements and aggravate disputes.

Spiritual maturity leads us to understand that the devil sows discord and discord in human relationships. In  Matthew 13: 24-30 , the word ” tares ” has the Greek root of the word ” discord .”

Acting as a Soldier of Jesus Christ in Respect

Therefore, the husband should avoid considering his wife as his enemy, the wife as her husband as his enemy, parents and children as his adversaries, and vice versa.

Believers of a different opinion should not be seen as opponents. Whoever has a divergent vision should not seek to defend it at the cost of a destructive struggle for fraternal communion.

At the end of his journey, Paul claimed to have fought the good fight. 2 Timothy 4: 7 . He carefully avoided provoking and sustaining fights and conflicts. He chose not to waste time and energy on pointless and pointless discussions. 2 Timothy 2: 23-24 . If there is a good fight, there is a bad one. Diotrephes got caught. 3 John 9:10 . Alexander the blacksmith too. 2 Timothy 4:14 .

In the congregation

Since all Christians are different, there can be many points of disagreement. When mismanaged, they lead to conflict. Within the framework of the life of the assembly, the sensibilities are different in terms of the musical style, the choice of songs, the vision of the children, the choice of the colors of the rooms of the future place of worship …

Pablo and Barnabas had a dispute over Marcos. Acts 15: 36-41 . The first did not want to take the one who had abandoned them on his previous missionary trip.

The second chose to take on the challenge of giving a new chance to a Christian who has encountered failure. We can ask ourselves the question:

Which was right? Definitely both! Pablo’s position is understandable insofar as it is respectable to avoid soliciting people who might fail again.

But, fortunately, Bernabé agreed to take risks by allowing Marco to return to his mission because this company was crowned with success. In fact, Paul later recognized the usefulness of whoever wrote the Second Gospel. 2 Timothy 4:11 .

Spiritual intelligence

Regardless of this reflection, it is worth noting the intelligent and spiritual management of this divergence. Their view being different, the 2 apostles have certainly parted ways.

But they did not criticize or slander each other. The biblical writings do not mention in any place an inappropriate attitude of the 2 protagonists. Paul did not discredit Barnabas by condemning his vision.

Barnabas did not reveal their divergence. They had distant sensibilities on one point, but they agreed on the essentials: saving people. They focused on this fundamental aspect and fought the good fight.

What is the responsibility of the soldier of Jesus Christ

Soldiers of Jesus Christ have the responsibility to seek the priority in the eyes of the Lord: the growth of the church in quality and quantity. Satisfactory quality is achieved when disciples favor the following:

• Fraternal communion and cultivate unity
• Peace
• respect
• delicacy in relationships
• love
• acceptance of others
• Humility
• the forgiveness
• the grace
• and mercy

All these aspects are essential. Numerical growth is provided by the Holy Spirit who blesses the testimony of Christians. Acts 9:31 .

Give up defending a position

In certain circumstances, the good fight consists in giving up defending a position, a project, an orientation to promote God’s work and peace.

Paul denounced the attitude of some believers in Corinth who went to trial to support his cause. They got the wrong opponent. He fought a bad fight. According to the apostle, they should have given up their right to glorify the Lord and avoid fratricidal conflicts. 1 Corinthians 6: 1-8 .

Let us know how to lose to gain divine approval, let us know how to actively participate in the peace of the community, let us know how to discern the traps of the enemy so as not to fall into them, let us know how to Adopt appropriate attitudes and words to increasingly resemble the model, perfect and contribute to the growth of God’s work, let us know how to care for one another. 1 Corinthians 12:25 .

conclusion

Would you classify yourself as a good soldier of Jesus Christ? You probably recognize areas where you could be a better soldier. If so, we challenge you to come to the Lord right now and let Him do things the way they should be. If you’ve never joined the Lord’s army, today would be a good time to make it happen. When you leave the scene, will it be said that you were a good soldier of the Lord? Can be! But that is up to you!