Jesus Loves the Christian Soldier

“When Jesus had finished saying all this in the hearing of the people, He entered Capernaum. There a centurion’s servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die. The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to Him, asking Him to come and heal his servant. When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with Him, ‘This man deserves to have You do this, because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.’ So Jesus went with them. He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to Him: ‘Lord, don’t trouble Yourself, for I do not deserve to have You come under my roof. That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to You. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.’ When Jesus heard this, He was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following Him, He said, ‘I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.’ Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well.” — Luke 7:1-10

Do you know how much Jesus loves the Christian soldier? In Luke, chapter 7, there is a Roman Centurion who has a sick servant and wishes to have Jesus “say the word, and my servant will be healed.” The Centurion did not feel worthy to have Jesus come to him. He was humbly willing to take Jesus’ word on faith, and faith alone! We then read Jesus’ wonderful declaration of this soldier’s faith, “I tell you I have not found such great faith even in Israel.”

I believe that this story is included in the Bible to give proof that indeed we as soldiers are favored by the Lord. The sheer comfort I personally find in knowing that as long as I am following the leaders appointed over me and taking care of those I am responsible to lead, then I am following God’s desire for us to serve. Consider the requirements to obey the governing authorities in these verses:

“Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. For he is God’s servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God’s servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience.” — Romans 13:1-5

“Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.” — Hebrews 13:17

We protect our country, and sometimes that takes extreme measures. But rest easy knowing that you are loved by God. For the spouses who are left behind for a tour of duty, your worry and concern about your loved one can be eased knowing that your loved one is complying with God’s command and finding favor with Jesus. At times when I wonder how I can be a Christian and a soldier, it gives me perspective to read God’s plan. Again, our spouses can encourage us to stay in the Word and meditate on God’s plan in order to provide a foundation to stay the course.

The wording of the Ten Commandments sharply differentiates between murder and killing. Consider what C.S. Lewis wrote about this in his classic, Mere Christianity: “It is, therefore, in my opinion, perfectly right for a Christian judge to sentence a man to death or a Christian soldier to kill an enemy. I always have thought so, ever since I became a Christian, and long before the war, and I still think so now that we are at peace. (published in 1952) It is no good quoting ‘Thou shalt not kill.’ There are two Greek words: the ordinary word to kill and the word to murder. And when Christ quotes that commandment He uses the murder one in all three accounts, Matthew, Mark, and Luke. And I am told there is the same distinction in Hebrew. All killing is not murder any more than all sexual immorality is adultery. When soldiers came to St. John the Baptist asking what to do, he never remotely suggested that they ought to leave the army: nor did Christ when He met a Roman sergeant-major — what they called a centurion. The idea of the knight—the Christian in arms for the defence of a good cause—is one of the great Christian ideas.”

As I look back on the events in my own life, I can now see how God was leading my personal spiritual growth, my circumstances, and my relationships. God chose me before I was even born (Psalm 139) and placed me in the Air Force directly after college (at the time I never had any intention of ever being in the military). Through military service, I found a place to belong, serving in a noble profession and cause—and He also gave me a loving wife and two children whom I adore. I had the opportunity to serve my country on active duty for over 23 years and currently am a leader in an ROTC program at the high school level. It is a high calling to be a Christian soldier, and I am grateful to be able to serve, lead and also to demonstrate Christ-likeness.

Faith is the cornerstone of Luke 7:1-10. It is my honor and privilege to declare God’s faithfulness to the next generations of those who make the choice to become Christian soldiers. (Psalm 89:1-2)

Questions to share:

1. How much do you actually trust in the Lord? Do you hold out anything thinking it is so important that you best take care of it yourself?

2. Have you shared your faith in trusting the Lord, His will not yours, with you spouse?