Jesus said, “Can you imagine a king going into battle against another king without first deciding whether it is possible with his ten thousand troops to face the twenty thousand troops of the other?” (Luke 14:31, The Message) Giving consideration to the context of this statement, it is clear that Jesus is speaking to the subject of discipleship – specifically, the cost of being a true disciple of Jesus Christ.

Discipleship. What exactly does this entail? What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. In its simplest form, the word means to be a follower of someone. There are those who are disciples of certain philosophers, or certain politicians, or political systems, or religious systems. In other words, they follow the principles of these entities. So, from this most simple definition, a disciple of Jesus Christ would be one who adheres to His teachings.

Now, one can be a follower of another’s teachings and simply espouse those teachings from his/her personal “pulpit”, or platform. In other words, they can present the arguments of the one they follow. They may be able to quote certain statements, or have a systematized presentation of their mentor’s teachings. One can be this sort of disciple without ever really committing themselves to those teachings. For example, one might become a disciple of the teachings of a certain political philosophy, such as communism, without ever becoming a communist. They may be able to give a detailed speech espousing the basic tenets of communism, making such a persuasive argument for this philosophy that many in their audience embrace it. However, the one presenting the speech is a disciple of communism only in the sense that they have studied it and are able to explain it in a clear, concise way.

In the verse quoted above, Jesus is saying that it is not enough to be able to say that you are a disciple, or even to be able to give a clear, concise explanation of the basic tenets of the Christian faith. He is saying that it is essential to count the costs of being a disciple, before one actually becomes a disciple. And in this particular statement on the subject of discipleship, He says that there is a cost involved. In essence He is saying that being His disciple is not an easy path to follow. To make sure everyone would understand the costs of discipleship, Jesus made some of the most difficult statements you can find in the Bible. Allow me to share a few just so we grasp the gravity of this subject.

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters – yes, and even his own life – he cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:26,27)

“No one who puts his hand to the plow, and looks back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:62)

“Whoever desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” (Mark 8:34)

This is just a small sample of the many verses in which Jesus described the subject of discipleship. To follow Him one can not only embrace His teachings intellectually, but one must commit to His teachings, giving careful consideration to the extreme costs involved.

To be a follower of Jesus Christ means that we are willing to engage in spiritual warfare. The teachings of Jesus go against the grain of secular reasoning. One cannot be a disciple of Jesus Christ while at the same time embracing the things of this world. Paul admonished his readers to be “in the world, but not of the world.” We are in the world by necessity, but we embrace the world by choice. If I claim to be a disciple of Jesus Christ, then I am in a spiritual battle against the things of this world. The Apostle John said that the world is already in a state of passing away. He warned us against the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. These are all part of the world that is passing away. If we embrace the worldly philosophical thoughts of men, then we find ourselves in opposition to the teachings of Jesus.

Thus, the battle. As followers of Jesus Christ, we must understand that we are in a battle with spiritual forces. We must have on the full armor of God (see Ephesians 6 for a description of this armor) if we are to be successful in the battle. We cannot fight this battle in the power of our humanity. If we strive to do this, we will surely and utterly fail.

So, are you ready for battle? Have you made an all-out commitment to be a follower of Jesus Christ, regardless of the cost? Have you considered the gravity of your commitment, and are you willing to stand for Jesus regardless of the spiritual forces of darkness that might assault you? Jesus said that there would be many who will stand before Him at the judgment, and recount for Him all the things they had done for Him. However, many will hear the sobering words, “Depart from me, you workers of iniquity, I never knew you.” There are many who profess His name, but are not true followers. They blended in with the world. When the spiritual battles ensued around them, they just blended in with the crowd. They traveled the broad road that leads to destruction.

Only those who truly commit to Jesus Christ as both Lord and Savior are the ones who travel the narrow road that leads to life. If you are traveling that road, you will be called upon to show your true commitment. Are you battle ready?