Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. (2 Tim. 2:3)
Expanded Passage: 2 Timothy 1:3-14; 2:1-7
America’s semiquincentennial is just ahead. (That’s not a word you hear every day!) On July 4, 2026, the nation will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Red, white, and blue will be the national color scheme, and patriotism—the right kind of patriotism, one can pray—will flourish across the land. Part of the celebration will focus on those who fought to win (and later, those who fought to preserve) that freedom.
Paul could relate. Military metaphors are common in his letters, from the whole armor of God (Eph. 6) to the good fight of faith (1 Tim. 1; 2 Tim. 4). In this second letter to Timothy, Paul compares our spiritual struggles to warfare, with all the deprivation and hardship associated with soldiering. Being a Christian is a lot like being a soldier, but the stakes are even higher. Spiritual battles determine spiritual destinies for all eternity.
When Paul was writing his letter to Timothy, he was in a Roman prison, surrounded by soldiers. They didn’t realize that Paul was a soldier too, and they certainly didn’t realize that this man in chains was winning his war! Paul’s prayer was that Timothy would win his war as well.
Two thousand years later, may that be true of us as well.
Onward, Christian soldiers!
Bob Black is a third-generation Wesleyan minister and professor emeritus of religion at Southern Wesleyan University (SC).
© 2026 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
