Temple Baptist Church - 5-25-2025
2 Timothy 2:1-4; 4:6-7
Introduction:
Genesis 4:8 And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.
The first war in the Bible was a spiritual one. This set the foundation for every physical and spiritual war that would occur in the future.
The first war in the Bible had a God hater, Cain, and a casualty, Abel. Wars are fought because the ungodly hate God and the people of God.
Genesis 4:25-26 And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew. (26) And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the LORD.
2 Timothy 2:1-4 Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. (2) And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. (3) Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. (4) No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.
2 Timothy 4:6-7 For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. (7) I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:
Hebrews 11:13-14 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. (14) For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.
Jude 1:3-4 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. (4) For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
A. In our texts for this morning, we find older men “passing on the torch” to younger men who will continue the fight. Throughout the Word of God, from Genesis chapter 4 (Adam to Seth), one generation passes away while another rises to carry on the struggle of perpetual war. There are physical wars and there are spiritual wars. And someone must stand in the gap and fight.
B. War is an unfortunate reality, but also an absolute necessity. Without wars, the world in general would be subjected to slavery. War is also an art! You win wars through training, strategy, and will. “Fortune favors the brave” is a Latin proverb that dates back to ancient Rome.
1. The Lord is “a man of war.” Exodus 15:3 The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name.
2. King David, a man after God’s own heart, was “a man of war.” 1 Samuel 16:18 Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, that is cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the LORD is with him.
3. The Lord trained King David in the art of war! Psalms 144:1 A Psalm of David. Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight:
a) In Basic Training, where you get into shape to fight and begin to learn weaponry, David killed a lion and a bear, but also honed his skill with a sling. 1 Samuel 17:34-36 And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: (35) And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. (36) Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.
b) In Advanced Infantry Training, where you learn to use weapons of war, David slew Goliath. 1 Samuel 17:50-51 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David. (51) Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled.
c) In Wars, David slew his ten thousands. 1 Samuel 18:7 And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.
d) In your Bible, we find mentioned:
War – 225 times.
Wars – 15 times.
Warfare – 5 times.
Battle or battles – 178 times.
Fight – 115 times.
Fightings – 2 times.
Fought – 64 times.
Soldier or Soldiers – 37 times.
Kill or killed – 232 times.
C. Tomorrow is Memorial Day. A day in which we remember our war dead. Multitudes of young men and women have given up their futures to secure ours! Often, we hear the words: “Freedom is not free!” Our freedom here in the greatest nation on earth is founded on the shed blood of its patriots.
D. In war, there are wounds and casualties (deaths). Speaking of soldiers, someone said, “All gave some and some gave all.” Soldiers are necessary in both war and peace. They are essential in war to win and in peace to protect. Many young men and women gave up their futures to protect ours.
Over 1,300,00 known deaths with almost as many wounded. Close to 50,000,000 have served. As I drive down one of our country roads, I always look to the right where a modest home sits on a little hill. I remember visiting that home where a man and his wife lived years ago. On the fireplace mantle was the picture of a young soldier, their only son, who died in Vietnam! A horrendous price paid by just one family, and a sorrow that never died in this life.
E. Not everyone is or has been a professional soldier, but we are all soldiers. Our warfare is not with guns and knives; it is a spiritual one. Paul, when writing to the Corinthian church said:
2 Corinthians 10:3-4 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (4) (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
F. Today, we are in a spiritual war as God's children. We must train for war, have a biblical strategy for war, and have a will to fight. As Paul continues instructing Pastor Timothy, he likens Timothy to a soldier at war. We must recognize that we are in a perpetual state of war as God’s children.
G. Paul admonishes Timothy to be a “good soldier.”
1. A good soldier must take orders well. We have our military instruction manual in our hands this morning.
2. A good soldier must learn to use his weapons in a correct manner. Basic Training and Advanced Infantry Training are necessities. We have the Sword of the Spirit so let us learn to use it rightly.
3. A good soldier gets along with his brothers. Their lives depend upon each other and there is no color, ethnicity, or division in a foxhole.
4. A good soldier must learn to identify and neutralize his enemies. You do this by holding the lines. Everyone behind is a friend, and everyone in front is an enemy.
5. A good soldier stays in good shape. The Daily Dozen, the running while singing cadence. The forced marches with full equipment.
6. A good soldier must have a determination to finish the task before him. To fight without compromise or quitting.
7. A good soldier must learn to adjust to adverse circumstances and endure hardness.
8. A good soldier is proud of who and what he is.
H. We are soldiers: either good or bad; ready or not ready; dependable or not dependable! I look back over my short stint in the military and see many likenesses to the Christian life and the pastorate.
J. One day, there will be “war no more.” But, until that time, we must continue to fight the good fight of the faith once delivered!
Jude 3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
1. We must war for our nation - Psalms 9:17 The wicked shall be turned into hell, [and] all the nations that forget God.
We must not give up on America because it is a good land, a God given land, and is under constant attack from both without and within. We must fight our outside enemies! We must fight our inside enemies!
2. We must war for the Faith - Jude 3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
The Word of God is under constant attack, but we stand and fight for it. It is a good fight! It is a right fight!
3. We must war for the Old Paths - Jeremiah 6:16 Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.
The old ways of holiness and separation are under constant attack, but we stand and fight for them. It is a good fight! It is a right fight!
4. We must war for our Families - Psalms 78:5 -8 For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children: 6 That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children: 7 That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments: 8 And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.
Our families and children are under constant attack, and we must stand and fight for them. It is a good fight! It is a righteous fight!
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