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Living Hope Fellowship Church .... Sermons From the Pastor

SOLDIER

Training Material

by Pastor Kevin Badgley

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SOLDIER

Preface

(you in the army of the Lord)

The Bible is God’s Word and your military manual! Exodus 15:3 tells us that the LORD is a man of war!

Let’s quit fighting each other and gang up on the devil! God is looking for people to become generals and sons of God! Discipline yourself and do those things which are pleasing in His sight. Make up your mind to go all the way with God.

The church has confused discipline with bondage. In God’s Word, Ecclesiastes 12:13 tells us our duty. “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”

God gives us power to go beyond the call of duty! We have not fought like we should. Let your hearts be quickened to the discipline of living for the Lord Jesus Christ. Don’t let pride enter in, and ask God to set you free from fear, unbelief, and from being a coward.

SOLDIER

by Pastor Kevin Badgley

The Bible is the Word of Almighty God. It is also your MILITARY MANUAL. Exodus 15:3 says, “The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name.”

God is a God of peace only after everything is subdued under Him. The Lord will fight and wage war, and He will put the enemy under His feet. He will command other soldiers of the cross to do the same thing until all things are subdued. 1 Corinthians 15:28 says, “And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.” At that time Jesus will hand all things over to the Father, as the Supreme Commander and Chief.

Jesus Christ is the Captain of our salvation, and we are His soldiers. Ephesians tells us about our armor and how to use it. We know we are to pray always. Ephesians 6:18 says, “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;”

We are all soldiers. A saint, someone who is not perfect, yet is striving for the mark, is a soldier in the army of the Almighty God. Jesus Christ was in the bosom of the Father, yet He became a recruit. He went up through the ranks step by step, by temptation, trial, affliction, and torment. He went all the way through and learned obedience, so He could teach us obedience. He, the Captain of our salvation, was made perfect through suffering, and He teaches us the same thing (see Hebrews 5:8-9).

It seems the church has forgotten that it is in a war! Some say they are unworthy to wear the uniform, but God will train you! Then you will receive honor, and you have earned the right to wear the uniform. An “unworthy” attitude and a melancholy spirit will leave you when you begin to discipline yourself. Call the devil a liar, and do what God has called you to do! You will have confidence in the Lord if you do those things that are pleasing in His sight.

If you go around complaining how tough it is, or gripe about the food, you will not have confidence toward God. You can expect to receive no crown, no reward, and you will not defeat the enemy.

Fear of death and fear of coming under fire should not be in a Christian. Stand for God; be a Christian. You are called by the Spirit of our God. Be filled with the Holy Ghost and serve the Living God with everything that is within you.

Deuteronomy 6:5 says, “And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.” This is discipline. The word discipline comes from the word disciple. Acting upon what we have learned makes us able. Every soldier will go to war sooner or later, in one form or another. Many Christians hope to get saved and not have to fight, but there is a war going on in the spirit!

When the enemy faces a soldier who is not afraid, he will tremble in his boots! There were two real soldiers, Joshua and Caleb, out of twelve that Moses sent to spy out the land of Canaan. Numbers 13:30 says, “And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.” In other words, they said, They might be giants, and they might be powerful, but God will fight for us!

If you know that your Commander and Chief is no coward, and has gone through the same troubles and temptations you have, yet has come out 100% victorious, you can follow Him! No commander should ever lead without first being right along with everyone else. He has to do the push-ups, the running, the field work, and all of the artillery work. He is worthy to follow, because he has already been there.

When you call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, you call upon a man of war. Jesus is a warrior, and He makes warriors. He doesn’t call us to be wimps, two-faced ones, or hypocrites. He calls us to be soldiers. Submit to God, go through the training, do what the Word says, and God will make you a soldier in His army!

King David started out as a recruit. He was anointed with oil as a young boy by a prophet of Almighty God, and the Spirit of God came upon him. David learned to depend upon God when he had to fight against the paws of the lion and the bear. Soon he became a warrior in God’s army.

The first group David led was about 400 men who were in distress, in debt, and discontented. They were dissatisfied with the backslid leadership of the land. They came to David because he had the anointing of God!

David said in Psalms 16:8, “I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.”

I want you to think about a soldier and an army that is well equipped and supported by the gifts of the Spirit, as well as facilitated with the fruit of the Spirit, and the power and anointing of Almighty God.

The Bible says in Acts 1:8, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”

Ephesians 6:11 says, “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” Verse 14-18 says, “Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;”

You cannot be defeated if you fight God’s way. Christian ranks have been corrupted by cowards. We are being attacked on the right hand and on the left. People do not look to do battle on the forefront, where they can do the most damage against the devil; they look for the easiest way they can find.

Many Christians are fat, and lazy, and unbelieving. They won’t fast and pray. They have not got time for God. They are lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God. This depicts much of the army of the Lord today.

Signs, wonders, and miracles are rare, but God is looking for somebody who will believe! God does have a remnant, and the Captain of our salvation has not changed! He is still the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and we need to get up and get going behind Him! If you don’t feel that you are able, it is because you are not disciplined.

In the army, you are disciplined. Your uniform should not be wrinkled. Your shoes should be shiny. Things are crisp and tight. If you are not faithful in the little things, you won’t be faithful in the big things when the pressure is on!

Keep your appearance right for the Lord and the public so the world will look at you and say, There is one who follows Christ, and he does not vary. When he goes forward he has strength. He does not turn to the left or to the right. That Christian will not compromise. Only go to them if you really want God!

Many have been sent to war by their country and have given their lives in battle. Many who came back have been mocked and ridiculed, and some have come home absolutely insane. Some have taken their lives on their own soil, due to the rejection of their own nation that sent them. This is a tragedy and a crime. God help us, and forgive us for this sin. Many come home from battle, and people no longer respect them. There are real soldiers out there who still fight the battle. I have great respect for the military, because the glory and the guts can also get you killed. You don’t worry about dying or you wouldn’t go into any branch of the service.

Paul said in Romans 12:1, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” We are the servants of the King, but many only bring shame to Jesus Christ.

Those who have been wounded, and beaten, and those who are down need to know that Jesus Christ is still on the throne. He is still the Captain of our salvation. He still wants men and women to call upon the name of the Lord and do the works of God.

The church will rapture out as a glorious church without spot or wrinkle! They will stand right before the Lord, boldly coming to the throne of divine grace without sin or self-will, with only the will of God in their hearts.

The look in a soldier’s eyes is one of determination, yet one thing stands out to me more than anything else, and that is purpose. They have a reason to go through things. People with no purpose do nothing for the glory of God. They have no time for Jesus, and there is no blessing for those who are left behind.

Every one of us can achieve rank as we go up in this army of the Lord, but some are going to leave as a recruit if they don’t come on. Some people will never make it to a Private. Most people will never make it to Private First Class, or Corporal, Sergeant, Lieutenant, or anything else up the rank, when God is looking for people to be Generals! God is looking for sons of God! John 1:12 says, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.”

Generally speaking, you will have Privates fighting the Privates of the enemy. Sergeants fight Sergeants of the enemy. You will find the higher ranks fighting the higher ranks of the enemy, and if you don’t come up through the ranks you can’t fight but so high and so long. Part of you is going to be defeated if you don’t come on and get higher in the Lord.

Our soldiers are worthy of our respect and admiration. They love us enough to die for us if necessary. Folks, that is where the church needs to be. 2 Samuel 17:8 says, “. . . and thy father is a man of war, and will not lodge with the people.” He is sanctified and set apart. He is different, and the uniform looks different from the clothes others are wearing. That is one fashion that you don’t copy, because it is trademarked.

2 Samuel 17:10 says, “And he also that is valiant, whose heart is as the heart of a lion, shall utterly melt: for all Israel knoweth that thy father is a mighty man, and they which be with him are valiant men.”

They that be with the Lord Jesus are valiant. By the time He gets done with you, saving and filling you with the Holy Ghost, a holy boldness will come upon you. You will know that God is on your side; who can be against you? You need to witness for the Lord, and fight in the spiritual battlefield!

The fearful and unbelieving shall not inherit the kingdom of God (see Revelation 21:8). Many people are afraid that they aren’t going to heaven, and some are afraid to fight. You need to make sure you stay saved. You should read 2 Peter 1:1-11.

You will take that machine gun and take that hill and whatever else, if you know you are well trained to do it. If you are undisciplined, you can’t have confidence to do it, and you will spend more time in fear than you ever will in faith. The biggest battle that a soldier will ever face is between his ears. You will make up your mind to go all the way with God, or you will just claim His name.

If you call yourself a Christian, then walk as Jesus walked. People are making the decision whether or not to go all the way with Jesus. You need to go all the way with God. God is going to start gleaning to find His remnant. He gleaned Gideon’s army of 20,000 men, and when He got done only 300 were worthy. Only 300 out of 20,000 were sold out to the work of God. God said that He didn’t need the rest of them. They would only be in the way.

Go home and get the victory over fear, and then come back. Then get in the battle with God, and you can be victorious. It doesn’t matter if you want to be in a battle or not; you are in one. You are going to make a decision to go on for God or else. This isn’t being mean or hard. This is the way it is. Satan walketh about seeking whom he may devour. He will look at your sword, and he will try you, but you have the victory if you are walking with God.

A devil will go to his superior and ask for a bigger rank to try to take you down. Meanwhile, YOU seek God. When God has promoted you with more power, and the devil hits you again, you have a higher rank in the army. You don’t gain height except that you go through trials and testing. You will never gain rank if you are befuddled about what God isn’t doing in your life.

Every Christian is in God’s army for life; there is no retirement, but the benefits in this job are fantastic. However, you can work 99 years for God, and then in the last year you can curse God and die, and then you will go to hell. It is because you have abandoned God, and you have turned coward.

You may think you are not much of a soldier right now. Go through the training, do what He says, and He will make you a good soldier. Jesus Christ, our Captain, has never failed. He leads the army of the Lord with anointing, blessing, and the presence of God. Fight in this army, and whether you live or die, God will get the glory, and you will come out victorious! There is no losing for a Christian if you walk this walk. You may die in the process of living, but you will die with guts and glory. I would rather die believing God than live depending on the arm of flesh. We need to be totally dependent on God!

You are not independent. You are going to come under authority, and you are going to take orders from somebody, whether it be Jesus Christ or the devil. If you are indifferent you are already following orders from the devil.

2 Timothy 2:3-4 says, “Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 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.”

Ephesians 6:11-18 tells us to put on the whole armor of God. It describes in detail what to do. We have 66 books of the manual to read, and He sent His Spirit to teach us what we need to know. He will bring all things that we learn back to our remembrance at the very time we need it.

You will remember how to fight when the enemy is in front of you. You will know hand to hand combat. As soon as God begins to move you line upon line, precept upon precept, you need to engage the enemy. You cannot defeat him except you come against him in prayer.

I wore a uniform for 8 years as a prison guard. Those prisoners were told when to sleep, when to get up, when to move, and when to be counted. It is the same in the Lord’s army. However, there is a vast difference between the two groups. One is in bondage, and the other is under discipline.

The church has confused discipline with bondage. A lot of people think that doing your duty is bondage. The Lord God tells you in His Word what your duty is. Obey His commandments in His Word. God gives us power to go beyond the call of duty!

We have not fought like we should. We have fought only to occupy. Christians quote part of Luke 19:13 that says, “. . . Occupy till I come.” They use it to justify just filling a space!

God also said to Joshua in Joshua 1:7, “Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.”

If you are following rank, and you look the wrong way at the wrong time, you are in trouble, because you have messed up the whole body.

If both physical and spiritual soldiers had not won battles for our religious freedom, there wouldn’t be a home or a pot roast to go home to, or a church you could freely worship in. We must win the battle in the Spirit, or there will be no more sermons, and you will long for days when you could be in service and hear the preaching of the Word.

I’ve thought a lot about ways of survival, just living on the land, and ways of protecting my family. I thought I was pretty smart, but then one day the Lord impressed on me how it would really be. I would be demolished, because I didn’t go about it by faith. The Bible says that the just shall live by faith!

The fearful and the unbelieving shall not inherit the kingdom of God! They go to hell. If you don’t take the mark of the beast, but you still don’t believe God, what good will it do on judgment day? If you are saved, you may die here, but you will live forever in heaven.

Revelation 17:14 says, “These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.”

Joshua 6:5 says, “. . . all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him.” That is the assault from Heaven where the violent take it by force.

Let your hearts be quickened to the discipline of living for the Lord Jesus Christ, the soldier of the cross, the best that this universe has to offer. Don’t let pride enter in, and ask God to set you free from fear, unbelief, and from being a coward.

Quit your complaining, and get back to your first love of Jesus. Take up your weapons and go straight ahead. 2 Corinthians 10:4 says, “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds.” Praise God!

CONTACT INFORMATION:

PASTOR KEVIN BADGLEY

LIVING HOPE FELLOWSHIP, P. O. BOX 111, GRAND CHAIN, IL 62941

CHURCH / FAX (618) 634-2541

E-mail livinghopefellowship@lazernetwireless.net

www.livinghopefellowshipchurch.org

These condensed Bible studies have been published to help new Christians in their new walk with the Lord. Kevin Badgley, the author, is the pastor of Living Hope Fellowship Church.

This is a Living Hope Fellowship publication.