***There is a special message at the end of this article***

2 Timothy 2:3 “Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.”

Each year, as we celebrate Veteran’s Day, we honor those who have served our country. I personally know a bit about this from the military perspective, as I served for just over twenty years in the U.S. Army. Many of our fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters have even made the ultimate sacrifice and laid down their lives in the line of duty. Though the type of battle experienced by military soldiers is different from that of Christian soldiers, the general principles are the same: each group has a Commander in Chief, each has a set of guiding principles, and both are extremely loyal. However, of the two groups, only one has an eternally significant mission; those who fill the ranks of this special group bear the honorary title “Soldiers of the Way.” Here is why:

The words of Paul to Timothy are just as relevant today as they were nearly two thousand years ago. Perhaps even more so as we find ourselves in the midst of the “great falling away” spoken of in Paul’s first letter to the saints in Thessalonica. ^[1] The faithful recognize this the most when looking around at the empty pews and the missing youth in congregations across the land. Here, we will discuss this departure and the vacuum created by it, which the remaining alive ones (1 Thess 4:15-17) are desperately attempting to fill as they continue marching steadfastly through much hardness as good “Soldiers of the Way.”

Recently, we defined the true essence of a disciple as one who was taught and able to teach others the original content and intent of the Bible. Simply put, a disciple is one who can grasp the truths of Scripture and pass them on to others. In our key text, Paul instructs one of his disciples, Timothy, and by extension, us, to endure hardness as a good soldier when accomplishing the task of discipleship, which is the act of passing on all that Jesus taught. Better said, a true disciple is all about making other disciples who learn and teach the Word of God… unadulterated. Before receiving the moniker “Christians” at Antioch (Acts 11:26), many referred to these first believers as ‘people of the way.’ Couple this with Paul’s encouragement to endure hardness while being like good soldiers, and you have the adopted term “Soldiers of the Way.”

As part of our examination, let us ask ourselves this question: how is it true that both the first church and the last church must endure hardships? The answer is quite simple, really. The church of the first century was a church that operated largely as a missionary organization in that they, by necessity, were forging into new territories with the gospel because the church was literally nonexistent in the areas in which they preached it. Therefore, the inhabitants of these territories were unaware of the need for Christ until they heard the gospel. Thankfully, many did hear the message of the early “Soldiers of the Way” and became disciples. However, many rejected the truth, and of these, some were so vehemently opposed to the idea that they were sinners in need of a Savior that they killed the apostles and many others who tried to share Jesus with them.

Sadly, the faithful of the end time’s church are operating in a world that is rapidly growing increasingly intolerant of the gospel message, as many no longer desire to recognize the fact that they are sinners in need of Christ, the Savior. The common thread amongst the early dissidents and those we are experiencing is the belief that one is just fine because they are “good people.” The only problem is that being a good person does not get us to heaven. Only doing the will of the Father does:

Matthew 7:21-23 “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” ^[2] emphasis mine

Included in this message about doing the Father’s will, we have the true reason for the falling away seen in the church: the idea that men are good people who can accomplish seemingly good things that they have decided to do while simply applying the name of Jesus to the endeavor. While this is a major part of the problem, this idea rests upon another that is actually the root of the problem: if men believe they are good enough on their own merit and action, they, by default, assume the position of ‘god’ of their own lives. Said more succinctly, men have chosen to rely on being good and, by extension, being their own god instead of relying on the one true God, thus the “Great Falling Away.”

Ever-increasingly, men have decided NOT to “Follow Jesus.” ^[3] Instead, they have decided to follow themselves, and the resulting departure is devastating the church, as we have known it.

By the way, in the truest sense, this errant behavior traces back to the original lie that derailed all who have fallen. First, Satan fooled himself and then many others that one could supplant God by assuming lordship of their own lives. For more on this, see the article “The Greatest Lie Ever Told: The Origin of All Lies.” ^[4]

Before moving on, it is paramount that we address the elephant in the room. Many mega-churches throughout the land seemingly defy the statements made here concerning decline. These churches, often having more than one campus, are thriving as the youth and masses flock to them. How does this depict a church that is waning and suffering the woes of the “Great Falling Away?” The answer may shock you.

Sadly, close examination of many of these churches reveals they are not churches at all. Instead, they are quite simply, “Social Clubs” that operate to please the hyphenated and the fallen. ^[5] Most of these churches rely on surveys and analytics to become exactly what those in the world want in a church. Because of this seeker-sensitive mindset, nearly every extremely large church operates in gross doctrinal error. This is because error must exist if one is to please everyone that attends and his or her greatly divergent lifestyles.

By the way, these churches make it a point to avoid bringing any type of offense to anyone except those who desire to remain doctrinally sound, as instructed by the authors of the Bible. Sadly, those who do strive to remain true to rightly divided Scripture often find themselves labeled old-fashioned and set in their ways. However, these are actually just set in God’s ways and acting just like the biblical examples of “Soldiers of the Way.”

In large part, those who wish to remain faithful to Scripture are seeing great diminishment in numbers as the ranks of those who will rise first (the dead in Christ) grow without replacement (1 Thess 4:16). The lack of replacement is in itself a sign of the end that we can liken to the days of Noah. Shortly before the flood, the sons of God (the godly men) began to marry the daughters of men (the ungodly), and the result was the type of hyphenation that we see taking place in our time. ^[6] This hyphenation clearly took hold so deeply that the sons of God became godless as only Noah and his immediate family, eight souls in total, survived the judgment meted out by God (Gen 6). ^[7]

Reflecting on Noah and his last pre-flood days may help when considering how to maintain the life of a “Soldier of the Way,” in this time of great departure from following God. Undoubtedly, Noah saw this very thing happening in his time, yet he stayed the course. We know this because Peter wrote this about him:

2 Peter 2:5 “And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;” emphasis mine

Notice that Peter referred to Noah as a preacher of righteousness. We know from previous study that the term righteousness simply means to be in right standing with God. Said another way, we must consider God’s will first, set about doing God’s will all the time, and persevere in this until we take our last breath. This is what Noah was and what he was calling for in a wicked and perverse generation. Obviously, the overwhelming majority of the people rejected his call for righteousness.

Like Noah, we live in a world filled with the ungodly, a world ripe for looming judgment. Hearing and believing the Gospel of Christ is the only way to avoid the imminent seven-year period of judgment we refer to as the Tribulation. Soon, the proverbial door through which we – those who are alive and remain (1 Thess 4:17) – escape will shut as we are raptured away just prior to the commencement of the Apocalypse. Therefore, like Noah, we must endure the hardships of our day and preach righteousness to as many as we can for as long as we can, even if they do not get into the ark (Jesus). However, we must not make the mistake of thinking we can do any of this in our own power. No, to be successful in this last day’s battle, we must be clothed in the full armor of God:

Ephesians 6:10-18 “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

“Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.” emphasis mine

Notice that Paul instructs us to “Put on” all of the armor of God. This implies we have a distinct responsibility to dawn each part of the protective gear provided by the Lord. Without His armor, we are more prone to injury or death, just like a military soldier. Also very important is the fact that each part of the armor of God is just that, God’s armor. We do not have to fashion any part of them. Instead, we must daily dig into God’s Word, seek His will, and be on a mission for Him. Simply put, we must remain in Christ. For it is in Him alone that we can do all things (Phil 4:13). If we continually do this, we will successfully operate in the spiritual armor that God fashioned for us.

Without the armor of God, even the best soldiers falter. Therefore, we must operate continually in it. If you think about it, being in Christ is altogether lovely. To be in Him is something we should desire, and this is, in the truest sense, what it means to put on the whole armor of God. After all, it is God’s power manifested through the Holy Spirit who resides within us that accomplishes anything above human capability, and we must be able to rely on power above ours in order to resist the wiles of the devil – from the spirit, not the flesh. With this in mind, the only way for us to persist as good “Soldiers of the Way” in a dark and dying world, in which we even see the church falling away, is to remain in Christ, always.

Conclusion

Our battle is not for the faint of heart. Truly, the hardness we must endure grows in intensity with each passing day. Soon, I believe we will even begin to see the type of persecution experienced by the first church as the powers of darkness continue to gain influence over the minds of our young ones. Therefore, it is vital that we persevere in our mission to share the gospel of Christ with anyone the Lord places in front of us. Above all, remember, we must not engage the enemy or attempt to engage in evangelism in our own power, for it is only in the Lord that we can succeed in these endeavors. After all, the Scripture tells us that we can do all things through Christ, which strengthens us (Phil 4:13). With this knowledge, after dawning the full armor of God, go forth and “Be – Salt and Light,” ^[8] as good “Soldiers of the Way.” ^[9]

***Special Message***

If you are looking for a place to call your home church and want to surround yourself with others who have a desire to be “Soldiers of the Way,” we extend a welcoming hand here at First Congregational Church of Hudson, Michigan. We are in the process of developing a new arm of our mission’s team called “Soldiers of the Way.” In short, this new arm will focus on local missions by way of servanthood evangelism in which we help those in the community that need it while sharing the gospel with the recipients in order to give them the opportunity to become “Soldiers of the Way” themselves. We pray that you consider and pray about joining us in this new endeavor.

***

I would like to take a moment and encourage every “Soldier of the Way” to keep up the good fight until there is time no more. Like Paul, we must press on in these dark days and trust in the one true light, Jesus. In fact, we must put all of our trust in Him. Doing so will ensure that we stay on the right path even when it seems like everyone around us is falling away. Keep on Keeping on, Soldiers!

Luke 21:36 “Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.”

Website: In His Commission

***

Special Message: View this week’s sermon, which features this article on our Facebook page.

[1] For greater understanding, see the article “The Falling Away.”

[2] “Unless otherwise noted, all biblical passages referenced are in the King James Version.”

[3] For greater understanding, see the article “Follow Jesus.”

[4] For greater understanding, see the article “The Greatest Lie Ever Told: The Origin of All Lies.”

[5] For greater understanding, see the blog post “The Church – The Social Club.”

[6] For greater understanding, see the article “The Hyphenated-Christian.”

[7] For greater understanding, see the article “The Fall So Great – That Only Eight – Entered the Ark.”

[8] For greater understanding, see the article “Be – Salt and Light.”

[9] For greater understanding, see the web page “Soldiers of the Way.”