Christian Invincibility

2 Timothy 1:7
{7} For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.

In his book Southern Invincibility Wiley Sword, Civil War Historian, attempts to help us understand the bravery within the heart of the southern soldier. The subtitle “A History of the Confederate Heart,” tells the story of why defeat was so tragic in the lives of many southerners. Southerners viewed themselves as better than their northern counterparts. Confederate President Jefferson Davis remarked to his wife early in the Civil War that, “We are like the British. We think every Southerner equal to three Yankees at least.” To be sure there was in the Confederate heart a passion for bravery which overrode the facts and reality of the North’s greater ability to wage a lengthy war with greater resources and manpower. The loss of the war was a changing of a world view of personal superiority. Such a mistaken heart led to an inevitable defeat. Still wars that are won are won because of the daring of the common soldier who overcomes the fear of battle and marches forward even if victory is an uncertainty.

Paul states that we are not given a “spirit of timidity.” This describes a person who is a coward. It would be somebody who would run from a fight instead of standing his ground. Timothy fully understood the importance of the call upon his life. He also understood the fears that could grip his heart and cause him to give up that call. In his service as a pastor he was already a veteran of the battles one would face in guarding the gospel. No doubt he discovered quickly that guarding the gospel is not an activity for the lighthearted or fearful.

The fear of failure, the fear of the unknown, or even the fear of others often paralyzes the work of the gospel. Many a common Christian has not risen to accomplish uncommon things because of the crippling nature of fear. But Timothy is admonished to not be fearful. Remember, God has not given us a spirit of timidity. In the listing of grace gifts which the Lord has bestowed upon his church, there is no gift of fear. Our courage is also bolstered because we do not ride out to battle empty handed. God gives us three weapons to use in the fight to guard the gospel.

We have the weapon of power.
The word actually means ability. A frequent contrast of scripture is that God often chooses what we would think of as the least likely person to achieve success. The least likely one is endowed with a power that is beyond the realm of human ability. 80 year old men like Moses don’t walk around splitting seas in half everyday. But any person endowed with the power of God is able to accomplish that which God wishes for him to accomplish.

We have the weapon of love.
Guarding the gospel or guarding anything of value always brings up an activity of struggle. If there was no force attempting to change the gospel then there would be little need to guard it. Warfare presupposes the existence and activity of an enemy. It is easy for us to forget the overarching command of love when we struggle. But love is a weapon that not only overcomes a multitude of sins, it also has a way of disarming and changing the lives of those who come into contact with it. The world will never be interested in the gospel until the purveyors of the gospel love them the way Jesus does.

We have the weapon of discipline.
The term here refers to self control. The soldier who guards the gospel must be in the control of the activities of his own life. Timothy’s fears could not be overcome until they meet a resistance which is strong and practiced. Wars are not won by the mere material resources which are supplied to soldiers. Wars are won when such soldiers use their weapons to the best of their ability. Dirty rifles jam and misfire. Rifles not aimed well never hit their targets.

Are Christians invincible? As mere mortals we are not. But armed with the power and might of God we may be assured that the gates of hell themselves will never prevail against us. We are most certainly described as the sheep of Jesus’ flock, but it is the intent of God that every one of his lambs has the heart of a lion. Guard the gospel. It is your responsibility. With God’s help it is in the realm of your ability.