2 Timothy 2:3, 4: “Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.”
Men, if any one of us was a commander with a commission from our government to handpick a special task force to conquer a strategic enemy stronghold, would we choose men with blunt, rusty, and decayed weapons? It is absurd to even imagine such a thing. There is something wrong with the current character and discipline of a man, even though he was considered useful in the past, if he carries a blunt and corrupted weapon.
Jesus Christ, our supreme Commander and Chief, only chooses overcomers, those who have overcome in the past and who are continually overcoming.
Revelation 2:26, 27 says: “And he that overcometh and keepeth my works UNTO THE END, to him will I give power over the nations: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron.”
Revelation 17:14 says: “These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are CALLED, and CHOSEN, and FAITHFUL.”
Men, there are far too many who are not ready and prepared for true engagement in the Lord’s battles. Maybe one of the main reasons is that we have not been raised with the mentality that the Bible instructs us to be soldiers (2 Timothy 2:3, 4).
As fathers, we must raise our sons and daughters to be flashing and gleaming swords in spiritual warfare.