GOD’S SOLDIERS, TAKING THE BATTLE TO THE GATES

INTRODUCTION:
We are strangers and pilgrims on the earth and also soldiers of Christ and must live in order that He
who called us is pleased with our conduct.It is Him we live to please not ourselves, if we have been
called out of darkness into His marvellous light (2 Cor 5:15). Everyone saved by the Lord has been
called to be His servant and to fight His battles but one who is still bound and struggling with sin and
sinful habits even in the secret can never be a warrior for the Lord because his internal weakness (no
matter how small it may look) will become the entry point for the enemy to strike and gain victory.
Before we begin to look at the comportment and attitude of a soldier, first would you like to sit down
and ask yourself these questions sincerely? “Have I been enlisted into the Lord’s army? Am I saved
from all my sins? Have I become washed clean in the blood of the lamb and has the Lord become a
personal saviour to me?”These must be settled if you will be a true warrior for the Lord and do His
will.
It is very important therefore, to understand what pleases Him so that we can live the kind of life He
expects us to.
1.0 WHAT DOES THIS IMPLY? 2 Tim 2:3-4
It is clear from the above text that soldiers don’t get entangled with the affairs of this life (civilian
affairs and viruses that makes one impotent) but remains focused on his assignment without any
distraction. Out location for this battle is in this world where we don’t belong so we must be wise as
serpents and harmless as doves if we will not be carried away (Matthew 10:16). Now we must look at
some of these entanglements and civilian affairs that can make a promising soldier ineffective,
unproductive and unaccomplished.
2.0 ENTANGLEMENTS AND VIRUSES. 1 John 2:15-17 (Living Bible)
A. The lust of the flesh which manifest itself in sexual lust and the desire for sinful immoral
pleasure.
1 John 2:15-16, 2 Tim 2:22, 1 Cor 6:18-20, Galatians 5:19
Many men and women of destiny who were on their journey into fulfilling God’s purpose and
becoming relevant for God in their generation have been made to become a piece of bread by this
virus of sexual lust. Anyone who will become anything for God must not be entangled with this virus
and must flee anything that appears like it. It manifests in activities like;
 Lust and sinful thoughts
 Pornography and Masturbation
 Fornication and adultery
 Lesbianism and homosexuality
 On-line sex etc.
These activities have a way of incapacitating a man and making him useless both here and in eternity.
Can a man have fire in his bosom and not be burnt? Fornication is a sin against your body (God’s
temple) where He wants to dwell.
I. God’s expectation on handling our body. 1 Cor 6:20, Romans 6:12-13, 1 Thess 5:22, 1 Tim
5:1-2
Your body is the temple of God through which the Holy God wants to carry out His work on the face
of the earth and it must be kept holy for Him to freely work. Anything that appears like evil must be
abstained from and you must flee without bargaining for any self confidence will land you in trouble.
Even in relating with the opposite sex, everything must be done with all purity for God sees the heart.
If any evil thought is beginning to arise in your heart, you must plead with the Lord to remove it now.
II. Dangers and consequences of engaging in immorality
 Separation from God’s holy presence.
 Facing the judgement of being destroyed by God. (1 Cor 3:17)
 Ending up in hell. (Gal 5:21)
 Reduction in your potentials both academically and in other aspects.
 Guilt and shame.
 Inability to accomplish God’s purpose.
B. The lust of the eyes which manifests in the desire to get anything you see (covetousness) and the
pursuit of money. Luke 12: 13-15, 1 Tim 6: 6-10, 1 John 2:15-16
The desire to possess things that pleases the eyes has slain and drowned many in the waters of this
world not allowing them to get to their destinations. It is what makes men to be driven with the
pursuit of money and blind to the will of God and has landed many into many troubles they never
bargained for even leading to their deaths.
I. Money: A master to those who love and desire it. Matthew 6:24 1 Tim 6:10
Money has obviously become a very necessary tool for carrying out different activities on the face of
the earth. Nevertheless, Jesus made it clear that there are only two ,masters - God and Mammon
(Money). Since we must use money in our everyday life, we must seek God’s wisdom to see His
perspective in order that we (in a bid to use money for His own glory) don’t end up as slaves to
money.
II. God’s perspective on His servants’ handling of money.
 Assignment and Consignment.
Every man who has been saved by God has been saved to serve Him completely and accomplish a
definite purpose in His eternal program. Read Luke 1:74-75, Ephesians 2:10.
For every assignment God gives a man, He attaches a consignment commensurate to that assignment.
Read Genesis 1:28-30, Exodus 31:1-6, 1Chronicles 28:20-21.
What is the implication of this? What is the danger of receiving your consignment without knowing
your assignment in life?
The first task of every man or woman that has been saved is to discover his or her assignment in life.
When assignment is not known, consignment will definitely be misapplied.
Whenever God gives a man his assignment for life, he does not expect that man to go about looking
for how to provide for himself or the work of God he was saved to accomplish.
Looking for what to eat, clothes to put on, or a house to dwell in was never part of God’s
commandment to the man He created. Read Genesis 1:28-30, Matthew 10:9-11, Luke 10:4-7,
Matthew 5:24-34.
In light of this concept of assignment and consignment, how do you think a soldier of the Lord
should respond to money that comes into his hand?
C. The pride of life. 1 John 2: 15-16, Psalms 49:6-9, Luke 12: 16-21
The confidence that comes with the possession of property and wealth accumulation is a false
confidence . It is of the world and a warrior must not get entangled with that knowing fully well that
he is a sojourner here and is taking nothing from here to his country 1 Tim 6:7.
The world is passing away: 1 Tim 2:17, 2 Peter 3:9-12
A man on a journey of destiny with vision walks with a full knowledge that all these things are passing
away.
3.0 GLEANINGS FROM WARRIORS GONE BEFORE
We will now look at some examples of warriors that have gone ahead to pick lessons from their lives.
A. Joseph: Gen 39:1-23; 41:14-44.
Notice the constant report of God’s presence with Joseph and that he was a prosperous man even as
a slave and discuss God’s perspective of prosperity.
Also discuss his reaction to the entanglement of fornication.
B. Esther: Esther 2:1-4, 7-10.
Notice the requirements that Esther met to be qualified to be the queen and save her people. Discuss
the value of keeping your body.
Also discuss the possible reason why she pleased everyone she came by.
C. Judas Iscariot: John 12:3-8; Acts 1:16-18; Psalms 41:9
Notice the desire for money that never left him and how it ended him up.
D. Esau: Gen 25:27-34, 26:34-35, Hebrews 12: 16-17
Discuss Esau’s profanity, his nonchalant attitude to spiritual things and his immoral lifestyle.
Also notice that afterwards when he came to himself he couldn’t get the blessings even with tears.
E. Dinah: Gen 34:1-2
Notice the way she was defiled on her first attempt out of the covering the Lord placed over her.
4.0 GOD’S EXPECTATION OF HIS YOUNG SOLDIERS Psalms 127:3-5, Matthew 16:18, Psalms 144:12
The battle has come very close to us even in the church as our youths are wasting away before our
eyes and the sin and internal weakness has let the enemy penetrate through. If we must arise as
God’s soldiers and arrows in His quiver to do His will, then we must get rid of all these viruses and
carry the battle to the gates of the enemy not as weaklings who are entangled but as His own mighty
men grown up in their youth.May the Lord make us His arrows that will speak to the enemies at the
gates.