Apostle Paul in training his son Timothy for ministry, tells Timothy what serving the Lord means by giving 3 examples:-
1. Like a soldier
2. Like an athlete
3. Like a farmer
2 TIMOTHY 2:1-2 NKJV
You therefore, my son, BE STRONG in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
And the things that you have HEARD from me among many witnesses,
• COMMIT these
• to FAITHFUL MEN who will be able
• to TEACH OTHERS also.
2 TIMOTHY 2:3 NKJV
You THEREFORE must ENDURE HARDSHIP as a GOOD SOLDIER of JESUS CHRIST.
2 TIMOTHY 2:3 TPT
Overcome every form of evil as a VICTORIOUS SOLDIER of JESUS the Anointed One.
2 TIMOTHY 2:4 NKJV
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 TIMOTHY 2:4 EASY
Any SOLDIER who FIGHTS in a war DOES NOT
• BECOME BUSY with OTHER things.
He only wants to fight well to make his captain happy.
2 TIMOTHY 2:4 CEB
Nobody who SERVES in the MILITARY
• GETS TIED UP with civilian matters,
so that they can please the one who recruited them.
2 TIMOTHY 2:4 ICB
A SOLDIER wants to please his commanding officer, so he DOES NOT WASTE his TIME doing the things that most people do.
2 TIMOTHY 2:4 MSG
A SOLDIER on duty DOESN’T GET CAUGHT UP in making deals at the marketplace.
He CONCENTRATES on CARRYING out ORDERS.
2 TIMOTHY 2:4 TPT
For EVERY SOLDIER
• CALLED to ACTIVE duty
• must divorce himself from the DISTRACTIONS of this world
• so that he may fully satisfy THE ONE WHO CHOSE him.
EPHESIANS 6:10 NKJV
Finally, my brethren,
• be STRONG in the LORD and in the POWER of HIS MIGHT.
EPHESIANS 6:11 ICB
Wear the full armor of God.
Wear God’s armor so that you can fight against the devil’s evil tricks.
EPHESIANS 6:12 ICB
Our fight is NOT against people on earth.
• We are fighting against the rulers and authorities and
the powers of this world’s darkness.
- We are fighting against the spiritual powers of evil in the heavenly world.
EPHESIANS 6:13 ICB
That is WHY you need to get God’s full armor.
Then on the day of evil you will be able to STAND STRONG.
And when you have finished the whole fight, you will still be STANDING.
EPHESIANS 6:14 TPT
Put on TRUTH as a belt to strengthen you to stand in triumph.
Put on HOLINESS as the protective armor that covers your heart.
EPHESIANS 6:15 TPT
STAND on your feet ALERT, then you’ll ALWAYS be READY to SHARE the blessings of peace.
EPHESIANS 6:15 ICB
And on your feet wear the GOOD NEWS of peace to help you stand strong.
EPHESIANS 6:16 TPT
In every battle, TAKE FAITH as your wrap-around SHIELD,
• for it is able to extinguish the BLAZING ARROWS coming at you from the evil one!
EPHESIANS 6:16 NKJV
ABOVE ALL,
• TAKING the SHIELD of FAITH with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
G2983 taking
Original: λαμβάνω
Transliteration: lambanō
Phonetic: lam-ban’-o
Thayer Definition:
to TAKE with the hand, lay hold of,
any person or thing IN ORDER to USE IT.
to take up a thing to be carried
to take upon one's self
• to take what is one's own, to take to one's self, to make one's own
to CLAIM, procure, for one's self
to associate with one's self as companion, attendant
Strong's Definition:
[probably objective or active, to get hold of; whereas G1209 is rather subjective or passive, to have offered to one;
while G138 is more VIOLENT, to SEIZE or remove]) :- accept, + be amazed, assay, attain, bring, X when I call, catch, come on (X unto),
+ forget, have, hold, obtain, receive (X after), take (away, up).
G2375 shield
Original: θυρεός
Transliteration: thureos
Phonetic: thoo-reh-os’
Thayer Definition:
a shield, a large oblong, four cornered shield
Strong's Definition: From G2374;
a LARGE shield (as DOOR shaped) :- shield.
G2374
Original: θύρα
Transliteration: thura
Phonetic: thoo'-rah
Thayer Definition:
a DOOR
used of any opening like a door, an entrance, way or passage into
The shield of faith is symbolic of TRUST and RELIANCE on GOD.
It represents the believer's CONFIDENCE
• in GOD'S PROMISES
• and HIS ABILITY to protect and defend them.
Just as a soldier uses a shield to protect himself from the enemy's attacks, so too does the Christian use faith to protect himself from the attacks of the devil.
The imagery of "fiery darts" in Ephesians 6:16 is significant.
In ancient warfare, soldiers would sometimes dip their arrows in pitch and set them on fire before launching them at their enemies.
These fiery darts were particularly dangerous because they could cause both physical and psychological harm.
In the spiritual sense, the fiery darts of the wicked are the
• TEMPTATIONS,
• DOUBTS,
• LIES and HALF TRUTHS,
• FEARS,
• WORRIES and ANXIETIES
that the devil uses to try to undermine the faith of the believer.
The Roman soldier’s shield was called a scutum.
Most scutum consisted of wood covered by an animal hide with metal trim around the edges.
It was not what most of us imagine, something circular and small like a trash can lid (like what a knight in the Middle Ages carried).
Instead, it was quite LARGE, ranging about two to three feet wide and four to five feet long, resembling a HEAVY-DUTY DOOR.
As you can imagine, it took TRAINING and STAMINA for a Roman soldier to CARRY his shield.
Fighting a fight of faith is not easy
You need spiritual strength to take up spiritual armour
Another neat fact is that a soldier could crouch his entire body behind his scutum when needed.
In addition, soldiers could link their scutum together to form a turtle-like shell over the top of their entire unit.
UNIFIED as ONE, they could shield each other from falling during vicious attacks.
If we have faith in Christ, this will influence the WAY we LIVE.
Our faith can guard us during trials in the same way a shield would during battle.
For example, when doubt creeps in and our beliefs are questioned, our faith in Christ will protect us.
We can STAND FIRM in knowing what we believe.
EPHESIANS 6:16 ESV
In ALL CIRCUMSTANCES
• TAKE UP the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;
In Every situation, You decide to make a decision to STAND and ACT on God's Word.
In the world, your business and job, you wake up,
get up and go to work.
BECAUSE you have made a decision to go to work.
You go exercise, workout.
You took the action of getting up... aggressively
• commanding your body to do what your mind has decided.
WHY?
As a GOOD VICTORIOUS SOLDIER of our Lord Jesus Christ,
• we need to be STRONG in our spirit.
So that our SPIRITMAN can make SPIRIT led DECISIONS in our everyday lives to SERVE and please our LORD JESUS and WIN the fight of Faith.
Grow from faith to faith