The Spiritual Soldier

The people were following Jesus in great numbers, but for the wrong reasons. So He made a series of statements intentionally designed to thin out the ranks. He wanted to be left with those who really wanted to follow Him, truly committed disciples and soldiers.

Let’s look at the qualities Jesus wants in the soldiers He is enlisting in His service. We can see just what He expects in the Gospel of Luke:

Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them, “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. . . . So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple. (Luke 14:25–26, 33)

Here Jesus laid out plainly what is necessary to be His disciple, to be a soldier in His service. In essence, Jesus said, “If you want to follow Me, you must love Me more than anybody else.” If someone is trying to hold you back, say to that person, “I’m sorry, but I am following Christ. If you want to walk with me, come on. You can be a spiritual soldier with me.”

A spiritual soldier must also forsake all he or she has for Jesus. That means you take everything in your life and say, “This belongs to you, Lord.”

That is what it means to be Jesus’ disciple. That is what it means to be His soldier: you love Him more than anyone, more than anything—just as He loves you!