Dedicated soldiers are a dying breed, especially amongst Christians. Few people endure when the going gets tough or obstacles surface. The average Christian believes that God’s will involves no hurdles. In the secular world, drill sergeants, employers, and teachers spend a great deal of time and effort trying to instill discipline into those who grew up lacking character with little desire to succeed. This lack of character affects us all. Good soldiers endure hardness. They do not quit in the service of the Lord because of trials and tribulations. Neither do they allow themselves to be entangled in the affairs of this life. Their main desire is to please the very one who chose them to be a soldier in the first place.
Most battles won have been won because of being equipped with the proper weaponry. Though the substance may be different in Christian warfare, the same theme prevails. No believer is nearly as successful in battle as he is when he dons “the whole armour of God” (Ephesians 6:11). This armour assists the believer as he seeks to stand “against the wiles of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11). This armour defends the loins with truth, the vital organs with righteousness (Ephesians 6:14), the head with salvation (Ephesians 6:17), and the entirety with faith (Ephesians 6:16). The same armour provides the offensive weaponry in the word of God and prayer (Ephesians 6:17-18). Notice that the spiritual weaponry lacks any emphasis upon the physical.
The Bible clearly emphasizes that the Christian warfare is a “fight of faith” (1 Timothy 6:12) against spiritual foes (Ephesians 6:12). With this in mind, it only makes sense that the weapons used in this warfare would also be spiritual in nature. The Christian’s fight needs no physical arms, swords, or weaponry of any kind, yet the weapons of this warfare are “mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds.” Those religions (and cults) who use physical weaponry to convert others to their “faiths” have never done this at the Lord’s bidding or direction. The Christian faith never has nor ever will convert one single person through use of a physical sword or threat. Instead, God’s people are completely reliant upon the words of God and the God of those words.
The fact that the Bible describes the Christian life as the good “fight of faith” (1 Timothy 6:12) reveals that the believer’s warfare is spiritual and never fleshly. In like manner, the enemy lives within the spiritual realm and this battle cannot be seen with the eyes of flesh. The enemy does not simply reside in a country on the other side of the world. In fact, it is no person or people group on this earth. Believers are told that they do not wrestle “against flesh and blood.” Ultimately, the saints’ enemy is the Devil, but his minions include principalities, powers, the rulers of the darkness of this world, and spiritual wickedness in high places. This means that the saints should never look to flesh and blood (mere mortals) for the source of their frustrations or victories. The fight is one of faith; the enemy, the Devil and the Lord our spiritual Captain (Hebrews 2:10).
Most wars are instigated and then propagated by those with impure and mostly evil motives. Men fight these fleshly wars to satisfy their own lusts, yet the Christian warfare is ordered of the Lord. Unlike carnal wars, this battle is one of faith. The battle plans are given by the Captain seated in heaven, and these directives must be accepted by faith. In fact, the Bible refers to the warfare that is the Christian life as a “good fight.” At this present time, it is the only war declared with unwavering certainty to be ordered and completely ordained by God. Victories and defeats may not always be as visible, and the toll of wounded or killed will never be reported on the daily news, but the results of this battle have far greater significance than any war fought between two earthly people groups. Every Christian should be willing to fight the good fight of faith.
The scripture contains many admonitions to seek for knowledge. Today's passage says that knowledge is something that should be added to the foundation of faith. Yet, knowledge brings with it a set of temptations. Knowledge increases sorrow (Ecclesiastes 1:18), has potential to pervert (Isaiah 47:10), and when not handled properly, “knowledge puffeth up” (1 Corinthians 8:1). With this understanding, it should come as no surprise that the Lord would instruct us to add temperance to our knowledge. Knowledge without temperance leads to many pitfalls in an individual, church, or ministry. Our knowledge must be balanced by temperance.
Today's passage presents a list of qualifications for a man who desires to be a pastor holding the office of a bishop. Though this list specifically deals with a ministry office, it could serve as a list of admonitions for anyone desiring to serve the Lord. Bible teachers and preachers often focus on a few of the most publicized qualifications while neglecting some of the others. For instance, very rarely is much attention focused on the necessity of temperance in the life of the man of God. Temperance plays an important part in the life of God's servant. Failure of those in leadership to be balanced will lead to a whole church full of people lacking temperance. This same truth holds for anyone who leads or serves in any ministry of a church.
Fruit thrives within the right environment with the proper living conditions. The same holds true concerning God's virtues in the life of a Christian. It is God's indwelling Spirit that provides the fertile environment necessary for every believer to cultivate these virtues. They include love, joy, peace, and faith. Only as Christians submit to the leading of the Holy Ghost can we fully access these virtues. Though mentioned last in the list from Galatians, temperance is another of the important virtues making up the fruit of the Spirit. Though frequently neglected, temperance is no less important than the other virtues naturally growing in the life of a fertile believer. A disregard for the proper mix in the Christian life causes imbalance. Believers who fail to cultivate stability and peace by not yielding control to God's indwelling Spirit never realize their God-given potential.
Athletes understand the importance of being temperate in their training. They incorporate a variety of exercises to strengthen each body part thus maximizing their potential. Limiting training to one aspect causes the athlete to lose his edge. It is important to realize that exercise is only one part of the training regimen. For instance, no serious athlete ignores the importance of a balanced diet rich in nutrients. Dedicated athletes strive for a corruptible crown by implementing temperance in all things. Believers seeking a spiritually incorruptible crown should learn from the athletes who incorporate temperance. An athlete missing out at the finish line results in sadness. The Christian's failure to incorporate balance will cause him to lose rewards at the judgment seat of Christ. This is the greater loss.
Searching a modern dictionary for the words temperance or temperate likely yields a definition limiting temperance to self-control or abstinence from alcohol. However, the scripture infers a much broader and deeper definition. Studying the root word temper offers a better biblical definition of the word than today's typical dictionary definition. Temper is an action word that means to mix something. Although the Bible contains only a few uses of the words temperate and temperance, these words mean to be balanced or to have a proper mix. Paul’s message, as he reasoned with Felix, included a message of temperance. Improper balance is one of greatest problems plaguing modern Christianity. It can best be seen in the tendency to lean either toward absolute truth without love or love without seeking the balance of presenting the whole counsel of God.
