No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. 2 Tim 2:4 (NKJV)
Christian soldiers engaged in warfare.
This phrase makes me cringe a little when you think about how we interpret warfare. It conjures up images of fighting, violence and being against others.
What does it really mean to be a “Christian Soldier?” What are we “fighting” for? Who is the enemy?
There are two kingdoms, light and darkness, love and evil, God and the world. The ‘world’ does not mean the ‘people in the world’… it speaks of things that are in contrast to the love of God: hatred, segregation, abuse, evil, torment, lies, gossip, neglect, indifference, apathy… all the things that are not born of or enhance love – love being God and His Kingdom.
By law, a Roman soldier could not engage in any other kind of business like husbandry, merchandise etc, so that he was free to carry out his duties (which mostly took place among the people). One of the root words for ‘soldier' is the Greek word ‘lego’ which means “to speak to, affirm over, teach, exhort, advise, to command, to call by name, to call.” Which explains how the soldier is to treat others, and how he is to respond to orders (calling). This is not a scripture about militantly fighting people to stand up for what we believe in. It’s speaking to the heart of how we engage this grand, beautiful life and the people around us.
The word entangled means “to weave in, and be intertwined.” It describes a person entangled in his clothes, like a runner whose garments has entangled his legs, hindering his ability to run.
The battle isn’t person to person, race to culture, generation to generation…
It’s between love and hate; peace and fear, faith and apathy, being healed or staying broken, to forgive or to despise, to show kindness or take revenge, bitterness and compassion, hope and evil… You fight darkness with light… not more darkness…
If you get tangled up with hatred, malice, gossip, pride and more, it only trips you up in the end. Get intertwined in God so that you are free to carry out the duties of faith, hope and love like a skilled warrior.
“There is a way of making the actions of common life subservient to the purposes of divine grace. This is the Christian’s business.” – CH Spurgeon
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