The Battle Is On: Are You AWOL or All In?

This study is based on the sermon titled The Battle Is On: Are You AWOL or All In? by Matthew Maher below.

The Christian life is not a playground but a battleground, as Pastor Matthew Maher reminds us. In 2 Timothy 2:3-4, the Apostle Paul calls believers to endure hardship as good soldiers of Jesus Christ. This call to perseverance demands a single-hearted devotion to our Commander, uniting our hearts to fear His name (Psalm 86:11). A divided heart, easily distracted and discouraged, is ill-equipped to face the spiritual battles that arise in a fallen world. Instead, we are to trust God’s grace to develop us through every trial and teach us the resilience necessary to fulfill our calling.

Hardship, while painful, is often the crucible in which endurance is forged. As Psalm 119:71 says, “It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes.” Pastor Matthew Maher highlights how affliction strengthens conviction and prepares us for greater service. David’s unseen faithfulness as a shepherd made him ready to face Goliath when the time came (1 Samuel 17:34-37). Similarly, God uses seasons of hidden preparation to strengthen our faith, ensuring we are fit for the public battles ahead. As Charles Spurgeon noted, “The Lord gets His best soldiers out of the highlands of affliction and sorrow.”

Being a good soldier requires a single-minded focus on pleasing God, the One who has enlisted us. When we live to please Him, the distractions of this world lose their grip on our hearts. Faith calls us to count the cost and make it count, knowing that faith without sacrifice is worth nothing. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer famously said, “When Christ calls a man, He bids him come and die.” This mindset transforms how we live, work, and serve, reminding us that the ultimate reward comes from the Lord (Colossians 3:23-24). Let us take up our cross daily, guarding against entanglements and striving to please the One who has called us to His mission.