Drafted into His Service

During the time the United States was involved in the Vietnam War, I became eligible for the draft. There were a lot of young men in the same boat that I was, and I can tell you that we weren’t real happy about it. But if I had been called by my country, I was willing to go and serve.

As Christians, we have been drafted into God’s army. You, as a child of God, are going to be a soldier. The choice is whether you will be a good soldier or a bad one. If you’re going to be a true follower of Jesus Christ, the battle will rage. And your choice in this battle is whether you will win or lose, whether you will advance or retreat on the battlefield.

Some Christians are shocked to find that the Christian life is not a playground but a battleground. They want to live on easy street. They want to kick back and just count their blessings. That isn’t the way it works.

The apostle Paul wrote, “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12).

In the Christian life, you will be either advancing or retreating. By advancing, I mean that you will be used by God. He is looking for men and women who are ready to step onto the spiritual battlefield and make a difference. But we must make that choice.

It’s time to get out of our foxholes. It’s time to dust off our clothes, to shine up our armor, to sharpen our swords, and get on with it. Because, like it or not, we have been drafted into God’s service.