The Fourth Sunday in Lent (NTA)

1 Corinthians 9:1-2, 19-27
1 Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are not you my workmanship in the Lord? 2 If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you, for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. 2001 (1 Co 9:1–2). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.
19 For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. 20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. 21 To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. 23 I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.
24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. 27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. 2001 (1 Co 9:19–27). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

How do you train to be a soldier for God? Do you run everyday? Do you lift weights and practice fencing? Soldiers practice fighting with other soldiers so that when they face the enemy they will kill or destroy the enemy. Soldiers fight with armor and weapons to raze buildings to the ground and kill other humans.

Soldiers of the cross fight not only against princes of this world, but against demons. Christians need to fight with the full armor of God. They need to be well trained like any athlete or soldier.

How do you train for battle with demons and unbelief? Just like St Paul teaches us. We train by practicing. We train by reading scripture and strengthening our faith. We lift weights of doctrine. We practice by attacking one another in training combat. We ask questions and study for the time will come when each of us will have to stand and fight.

But we do not fight alone. We fight with the sword of the word of God. We fight with the Jesus Christ on our side.