COMMANDS:
1. Be strong in grace.
2. Entrust the Gospel to faithful men.
3. Endure hardship as a good soldier.
4. Don’t get distracted.
5. Live to please Christ.
These verses are about training men for spiritual leadership. Second Timothy was written by the Apostle Paul to his personal disciple in ministry, Timothy. Paul was in prison, his remaining days on earth few. The Holy Spirit through Paul urged Timothy to entrust to faithful men the Gospel he had been given, so they could go on to teach and train others. The men who were trained must serve with one overriding purpose—to please the One Who enlisted them as soldiers. Their enlistment officer is also their Commander in Chief, their Savior and King, Jesus Christ.
Spiritual leaders are taught here that they can please their Lord by suffering (enduring) hardship as a good soldier. Paul draws our attention to the highest qualities of good soldiers.
Consider these observations about enduring hardship in the context of the military analogy:
Hardship is a fact of life in Christian ministry.
A good soldier accepts suffering as an ongoing reality. The level of suffering may change based on battle conditions, but he expects suffering. The New Testament emphasizes hardship in Christian ministry, but sometimes leaders neglect this truth while training men for leadership.
Endurance through hardship is fundamental for a good soldier.
Paul suffered much; Timothy had seen it. Paul called upon Timothy to continue to endure through hardship with Paul for the Gospel, though they were geographically separated. Timothy was also to train others to endure suffering for Christ’s sake. Paul exemplified faithful endurance to Timothy; now Timothy must exemplify the same to inspire new recruits.
What must a soldier endure to be a good soldier? He must endure intense training to get in shape and acquire skill for battle. When battles rage, he must put down his fears, struggle against overwhelming weariness, and lay aside grief over fallen comrades. He must withstand the psychological pressure of being far from home and isolated in highly uncomfortable settings. In times of quiet, he must weather the hardship of boredom and inactivity while waiting for that sudden call to arms. Then there is the need to endure the pain from the wounds of war, those obtained by fighting with the enemy as well as those obtained through accidents and even friendly fire. And what of battle fatigue, dealing with traitors, hunger and privation, possible captivity as a prisoner of war, or the risk of losing life or limbs? There are many parallels to Christian ministry.
Endurance requires single-minded devotion.
Paul warned against getting entangled “in the affairs of everyday life.”2 Single-mindedness, the ability to shut out everything extraneous is the key to success in virtually every area of life. The pleasures and priorities of the world must not be allowed to distract the good soldier from his life’s purpose to please Jesus Christ. In times of hardship, the soldier must remain single-minded.
Strength to endure comes from Jesus Christ.
Paul told Timothy, “Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” A Christian soldier is not expected to dig deep and find within himself everything needed to endure suffering in this spiritual war. Men in training desperately need to understand this foundational truth: Without Him we will fail!
Endurance will be rewarded.
A good soldier who faithfully fulfills his duty in any and all circumstances, even at great personal sacrifice, proves his love and loyalty, pleasing his Commanding Officer. A “well done” from Him and rewards to lay at His feet should motivate His troops.
Tenacious perseverance through the grace of Christ enables us to become and remain good soldiers. Those who endure hardship serve their Lord with honor.
This article was first published in GFA’s Summer/Fall 2025 issue of Sowing & Reaping.
1 Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from the NASB® New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
2 R. Kent Hughes and Bryan Chapell, 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus: To Guard the Deposit, Preaching the Word (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2000), 195.