2 Timothy 2:3

‘Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.’

He is also, like Paul himself, to face up to any hardship to come as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. The Lord’s army is on the march, the comforts and entanglements of home life have been left behind, and he must be ready to face both physical shortages and danger, and spiritual battles. He must especially recognise that such a life will often result in hardship and require perseverance and endurance, something that he must take on himself without regret because he has become one of Messiah’s chosen conscripts. And such a life is also required to be a life of discipline and obedience, and of keeping the weapons of their warfare constantly ready for battle (Ephesians 6:10-18).

Paul knew well some of the hardships of a soldier’s life first hand from the soldiers to whom he was manacled. Did he count as one of those hardships that, whether they liked it or not, they no doubt had to listen to the Gospel from him time and again? Hopefully for some it would turn out to their good, but for many it was probably seen as a great trial. For other references to the soldier-like nature of the Christian life see for example Romans 6:13; Rom 7:23 ; 1 Corinthians 9:7; 2Co 6:7 ; 2 Corinthians 10:4-6; Ephesians 6:11-18; 1Th 5:8 ; 1 Timothy 1:18; 1 Timothy 6:12. See also Philippians 2:25; Philemon 1:2