“We are soldiers in the Army; we have to fight, although we have to die; we have to hold up the blood-stained banner…”
Season one of Youth S.O.U.L., a TBC radio programme mainly for youth, although it has wide appeal to all ages, was all about “recruitment.” We explored being recruited into God’s army, entering the talking stage with Jesus, and maintaining the relationship with prayer and quality time.
In the real world, people in the military, clubs, businesses, etcetera may go to seek out people to recruit to be a part of their group. In a spiritual context, “recruitment” involves persons who know Jesus and are in the Kingdom of God going out to seek and find those who are lost (unsaved). When you accept the call of Jesus and accept Him as your Lord (Commander) and Saviour, you’ve been recruited into Jesus’ Kingdom.
After an army officer enlists a rookie, he or she will have to go through a crucial period that is dubbed “the enlistment.” It is a time when the recruit will be trained and prepared to officially join the army.
So, how does this relate to us?
Similarly, enlistment is a “training ground” in the Kingdom of God, a process that starts right after we’re recruited. After we come to Christ, God will have each of us in a period of preparation to be fit—to receive testing to become the officers He has called us to be! James 1:4 tells us this.
Everyone who accepts the call of Jesus has to go through this testing and preparation process. “Chicken isn’t ready to eat unless it is cooked under fire and made tender for our eating purposes.” This is the core of the enlistment—to be placed under tests and under fire for God’s purpose. Going through the fire may mean that we have to grapple with testing, temptations, sinful addictions, and external factors like friends and family; we will explore these and more during Youth S.O.U.L. radio episodes this season.
THE PURPOSE OF THE ENLISTMENT
God is purposeful and intentional; He always tests us with an aim in mind. What is the purpose of the testing, you may ask? For one, the testing proves that your faith was genuine if it was and reveals that it wasn’t genuine if it wasn’t. If you renounce your faith in following Jesus while going through hard times with your family or while facing opposition from friends, for example, then Jesus knows whether or not you truly accepted the call—whether your faith was genuine or not.
In addition, the testing also builds your endurance. Think about it. Have you ever seen a soldier do a fitness test in a movie or a commercial, gritting their teeth and pushing on through rain and mud because of their drive to become a soldier? They get stronger as they train.
During enlistment, going through the hardships builds our faith. Our reliance and confidence in God get stronger, and we’re able to overcome difficulties.
Contrastingly, if soldiers are not active in training and preparation, their muscles will begin to weaken. Idle thoughts may flood their minds and shift their focus if they do not remind themselves of their mission and duty. When we accept Jesus’ call, the enemy will try to take away the joy of being His children and enjoying His Presence. The enlistment process therefore encourages us to remain alive in our faith, constantly pursuing a deeper understanding of our Creator, and accepting the trials as they come for the sake of building our endurance (James 1:3).
May this be your stance: “I am a soldier on the battlefield waiting to hear the voice of my commander, Jesus. If you call my name, I will answer a billion times.”
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Join us every Friday at 6 p.m. on TBC Radio, 88.5/.9 fm, as we discuss a variety of topics affecting youth. Follow us on: Instagram:@youthsoul_tbc; Tiktok:@youthsoul.tbc; Youtube:@tbcradio