Toughen Up and Tighten Up

Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. II Timothy 2:3-4 (KJV)

When a soldier first enters military service, he is sent through boot camp to be trained, toughened up, and to have the slack, or disobedience, pulled out. They may have to tighten things up in him because they are teaching and training him to take orders. This is intended to save his life and the lives of others on the battlefield so the enemy doesn’t take them out. If a soldier is loose, won’t take his training seriously, and doesn’t know how to take orders, he will come out of basic training unprepared. This not only makes him weak and undisciplined, but it makes him a danger to himself and his fellow soldiers. However, when he is obedient and takes orders, he is developed and toughened up to go through the roughest battles he’ll face.

As we are toughened up by the things we go through and endure, it develops us. We become tried and tested in God’s Army. Christ is our Commander-In-Chief since he conquered every foe. As we follow Him, we’ll come out on the other side of the fight victorious.

Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. I Timothy 6:12 (KJV)

As we fight the good fight of faith, we’ll be toughened up by what we go through, We’ll become hardened and strong like steel to withstand harsh, long conflicts. As we tighten up the whole armor of God, keeping it all in place and intact, we will fight a good warfare, standing and holding our ground- and even taking ground (Ephesians 6:10-18).

Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses. Joshua 1:3 (KJV)

As we go into enemy territory, we will possess the ground upon which we place our feet, using our spiritual weapons against spiritual enemies and conquering every foe.

So, go through what you’re going through. let it make you better, stronger, wiser, and better-equipped to handle tough and hard times. Know that God is making you harder than the hard times, stronger than what you face, and wiser to take out strongholds.

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) II Corinthians 6:12 (KJV)

As we suit up in God’s whole armor, using the weapons He’s given us, we win the war on evil and every wicked thing. We defeat every opponent knowing that it is God who gives us the victory and always causes us to triumph in Christ.

Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. II Corinthians 2:14 (KJV)

We’re taking back all that the devil has stolen, spoiling the spoils of war. We are going through and coming out victorious on the other side. As we fight, God fights with us, guaranteeing that we are the winners!