In verse 25, Paul describes Epaphroditus as, my brother, co-worker and fellow soldier (Philippians 2:25).
Why does Paul call him a fellow soldier? They’re not in the army, they’re not at war.
Paul uses this term for an important reason. What do soldiers have in common? A common mission and a common enemy. When we become followers of Jesus:
You and I have a common mission – to advance the kingdom of God. Where there is brokenness and injustice, we’re called to bring hope and healing. We do this in our homes, in our workplaces, in our community and in the world. We do some of this on our own, but we mostly do it together with God’s people – the church. This is our common mission.
But we also have a common enemy. Paul says …our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (Ephesians 6:12)
Satan is called the ruler of the kingdoms of the world. He’s not happy when God’s kingdom advances against his own – so what does he do? He attacks God’s people. How does he do it? He uses lies and deception.
That’s why when we face suffering and adversity, we’re vulnerable to the Enemy’s attacks. He’ll attack our hearts, our faith and our unity – why? Because he knows that if we lose hope, we’ll be tempted to give up on God, on his people and on the mission he’s given us.
