Soldiers.
"Chosen to be a soldier."--2 Tim. ii. 4.
Are you a soldier? You ought to be, for you have been chosen to be a
soldier in the glorious army of Jesus Christ.
You ought to be, for you have been "received into the congregation of
Christ's flock" at your baptism, and engaged "manfully to fight under His
banner against sin, the world, and the devil, and to continue Christ's
faithful soldier and servant unto your life's end." You can never undo
that, even if you are a deserter, and found in the enemy's ranks. The
Captain of our salvation will not undo it, for He is ready to receive
you, if you will but come and enlist now. Now, this very morning, come and
enlist! This very morning ask Him to receive you into His noble army, and
to give you first the shield of His salvation, and then the whole armor of
God, and to "teach your hands to war and your fingers to fight," and to
give you victories every day even now, and to let you share His grand
triumphs hereafter.
Perhaps you know that you have enlisted already, you know and love your
Captain, and He is enabling you, even if very feebly, yet really, to fight
the good fight of faith? How came you to enlist? Was it any credit to you?
Oh no! it was all His doing. It was He who chose you to be a soldier, not
you who chose Him to be a Captain. And then He sent not some dreadful
cannon roar, but the sweet bugle-call of His love to win you to join His
ranks. And now He fights not only with you, but for you. In His war
"nothing shall by any means hurt you," for "He was wounded" for you. Your
life is safe with Him, for He laid down His own for you. By His side you
can never be vanquished, because He goes forth "always conquering and to
conquer."
"Stand up, stand up for Jesus!
Ye soldiers of the cross;
Lift high His royal banner,
It must not suffer loss.
"From victory to victory
His army shall be led,
Till every foe is vanquished,
And Christ is Lord indeed.
"Stand up, stand up for Jesus!
The trumpet call obey;
Forth to the mighty conflict,
In this His glorious day!"