Spiritual Teammates: Sun-Athleo
As a Christian, you do not have to struggle alone. Your fellow Christians are sun-athleo—athletes together with you.
That was one of the primary points in the sermon I preached last week on Philippians 1:27-2:18. The main idea of the message was that we live worthy of the Gospel by living through Christ, like Christ, and for Christ.
Whatever Happens…
In developing the background to the message, I noted that to see our desperate need to live through Christ, we have to begin with the context that precedes Philippians 2. In Philippians 1:27, Paul shares the foreboding words, “Whatever happens…” As Paul pens these words he’s in prison—in chains for Christ. And it’s not just Paul who is suffering for Christ. In verses 28-30, Paul explains that the Philippians are also being persecuted and opposed. They are also suffering on behalf of Christ. They are going through the same struggle that Paul is going through.
The word “struggle” relates to an athletic contest, with all the strife, exertion, and hardship connected with it. Paul writes to real people with real problems out of his and their very real struggles. It’s as if Paul says:
“We don’t know what might happen next. We don’t know what new opposition, what new opponent we might face tomorrow. We don’t know what new suffering and struggle tomorrow might bring. We don’t know how the world might try to beat us up and beat us down.”
Do Not Be Frightened
That’s why in Philippians1:28, Paul prays that the Philippians would not be frightened by those who opposed them—by the world that sought to knock them down for their gospel faith. “Frightened” pictures a timid, scared, or skittish horse. It means to be startled, terrified, fearful, worried, anxious, and overwhelmed.
Have you ever felt like that in life? Have you ever been beaten down by life? Let’s be honest, when life is knocking us down, for most of us most of our prayers are all about, “Lord, change my circumstances. Please make life easier. Rescue me from these hard times!”
But in this context of real people with real problems, Paul’s not satisfied simply to change their circumstances or their feelings. He’s focused on changing their character as he writes in Philippians 1:27, “Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.”
This word “conduct” was associated with the practice of good citizenship in the Roman Empire. It was used in Paul’s day to exhort Roman citizens—who were free and not enslaved—to live up to the privileges and responsibilities they had as citizens.
In Philippians 3:20, Paul reminds us that our citizenship is in heaven. We could paraphrase Paul like this.
“Behave as citizens of heaven, in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Even when you’re opposed, persecuted, suffering, struggling, and beaten down by this world, live like citizens of Christ’s kingdom—of the next world, of the world to come. Christ has broken the chains of sin and freed you from Satan’s power—so live like the new person you already are in Christ. When the world knocks you down, don’t turn to the world for answers. The world teaches us to live as citizens of earth: through self, by self, for self. God’s Word teaches and empowers us to live as citizens of heaven on earth: through Christ, like Christ, and for Christ’s glory.”
Sun-Athleo 
Paul understands how difficult it is to live a godly life in an ungodly world. That’s why he describes in Philippians 1:27 how we stand firm when the world wants to knock us down. “Stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel.”
The word “contend” is a compound word made up of sun which means with and of athleo which means athlete. We don’t stand firm alone, we stand firm together. This means that members at your church are a team—striving and standing firm together. It means that Christian husbands and wives are a team—striving and standing firm together. It means that Christian parents and children are a team—striving and standing firm together.
When I counsel couples, they often come to me “at each other’s throats!” The wife perceives her husband to be her enemy. The husband acts as if his wife is his adversary. So, I’ll start the biblical counseling session by saying, “Your spouse is not your enemy. Satan is your enemy! Let’s work together as teammates, as soul mates to defeat your true enemy—Satan!”
That’s also true of us as brothers and sisters together in Christ. We stand firm and contend together as spiritual Olympic athletes living as teammates through Christ.
Join the Conversation
Who is your sun-athleo? Who are your spiritual teammates helping you through Christ to live for Christ? For whom are you a sun-athleo?
RPM Ministries: Equipping You to Change Lives with Christ’s Changeless Truth
