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2 Timothy 2:3

In this chapter the apostle uses three analogies: the soldier, the athlete, and the farmer. The military analogy is Paul’s favorite, not because he was a soldier, but because in the Roman Empire it was common to see soldiers.

Verse 4: No soldier allows himself to be involved in the affairs of civilian life, for if he did he could not please the officer who enlisted him.
When a man becomes a soldier, he is separated from the society with which he has been familiar all his life and introduced to a new and highly specialized community. He is stripped of his own clothing and clothed in government-issued equipment. His comings and goings are done only under orders or with express permission. He sleeps where he is told to sleep and eats what is given to him. In fact, his life is at the disposal of the government; if the occasion arises, he may be considered expendable for strategic reasons. This is the consecration of one enlisted for war; in every detail, we have a complete parallel to the life of a believer wholly given to Christ. The soldier cannot be discharged at any time, no matter how desirable it may be. He is not his own, but belongs to someone else.

The athlete does not win the prize unless he follows the rules (v.5) - The athlete has no chance of victory unless he obeys the preconditions; he must undergo the necessary training and follow a certain diet.

And the hard-working farmer must be the first to reap the fruits of his labor (v.6) - In order to reap the harvest, the farmer must exhaust himself in labor, preparing the land, sowing the seed, watching for drought and pestilence, until finally he enjoys the fruits of his labor.

With these analogies, Paul means one thing. For whether it is the soldier's expectation of obtaining final victory, the athlete's vision of receiving the crown, or the farmer's hope of reaping the harvest, EACH SUBMITS HIMSELF TO DISCIPLINE AND TOIL FOR THE SAKE OF THE GLORY THAT WILL COME.