Fight The Good Fight of FAITH!
Four times in the Scriptures, we read that the Lord will fight for the people of His covenant (Exodus 14:14; Deuteronomy 1:30; Deuteronomy 3:22; II Chronicles 20:17). Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil (I John 3:8). We believers are called to fight one fight, and that is to keep our faith. We must always fight the only fight, and that is to keep the faith. That fight will require all our determination. That fight is not for the faith to keep things or just to prosper but to defend and stand for God in whom we have faith. Faith simply is loyalty to God, and loyalty is binding ourselves with God who will never fail. In this fight of faith, we prove our fidelity to God, and only to God!
Apostle Paul describes this fight in clear terms: “But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called, and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate, that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing, which He will manifest in His own time, He who is the blessed and only Potentate (Sovereign), the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen” (I Timothy 6:11-16).
I want to draw your attention to I Timothy 6:12: “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called, and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”
In his admonition to Timothy “Fight the good fight of faith” by the “good confession in the presence of many witnesses,” Apostle Paul refers to the perfect example of “Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate” in the next verse.
Timothy was encouraged to fight the fight of faith with good confession in the presence of many witnesses just as Christ Jesus demonstrated His faith by His confession before Pontius Pilate!
“The confession of faith” takes on an entirely different meaning! The passage refers not just to the private and personal confession of faith to make ourselves strong, but it is a bold declaration of our faith in God and faithfulness to God whom we represent before all witnesses outside, especially when we are put on trial, and our life is on the line! Examples of fighting the fight of faith in the Old Testament are Daniel who was cast into the lions’ den, and Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednego who were thrown in the fiery furnace. They proved their loyalty to God with their lives on the line.
Let us look at the above passage in the original Greek.
Fight (verb)!
The Greek word used for “fight” as a verb is “ag-o-nid-zom-ahee” which has the following meanings:
· To enter a contest!
· To contend in gymnastics games!
· To contend with adversaries, fight!
· To contend with facing difficulties and dangers!
· To endeavor with strenuous zeal, strive to obtain something!
Fight (noun)!
The Greek word used for “Fight” as a noun is “ag-one” which means the following:
· An assembly, especially an assembly met to see games!
· The place of contest, the arena or stadium!
· The assembly of the Greeks at their national games, hence the contest for a prize at their games generally, any struggle or contest!
· A battle!
· An action at law, trial!
Faith (Greek: “pis-tis)”
The Greek word means the following:
· Conviction of the truth of anything, conviction or belief respecting man’s relationship to God and divine things, trust and holy fervor born of faith and joined with it our Relationship with God – the conviction that God exists as the Creator and Ruler of all things, the provider and bestower of eternal salvation through Christ!
· Relating to Christ – a strong and welcome conviction that Jesus is the Messiah through whom is salvation in the kingdom of God!
· Predominant and absolute trust in God and Christ, springing from faith!
· Fidelity, faithfulness – the character of one who can be relied on!
The expanded meaning of the Paul’s admonition (in Greek) is as follows:
“Fight the good fight of faith” – “Fight the moral, noble, and honorable fight with excellence and eminence with your adversary with strenuous zeal, in like manner as entering a contest to contend in gymnastic games and also in an assembly of war games, to keep the faith (keep your conviction of the truth, trust, and holy fervor born of faith on God, the conviction that God exists and He is the Sole Creator and Ruler of all things, the Provider and Bestower of eternal salvation through Christ Jesus, and a strong and welcome conviction with predominant and absolute trust that Jesus is the Messiah through whom is our salvation in the kingdom of God)!”
Simply put – “Fight like a trained warrior and gladiator in the coliseum in front of all your witness the good and moral fight to defend and not deny your faith in the immortal, invisible, and only wise God and His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, through whom is our salvation in the Kingdom of God!”
Fighting the Fight of Faith with Bold Confession!
“Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called, and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate.”
Jesus did the same before the Roman Leader, Pontius Pilate – Jesus stood for the truth; He stood for His Kingdom which was not of this earth; and He did not deny the purpose for which He was sent from above!
Fighting the fight of faith is like facing the mob in the arena or standing in a trial before the mob to represent our One True God!
Here is Jesus’ trial before Pontius Pilate:
Pilate: “Are You the King of the Jews?” (John 18:33).
Jesus: “Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning Me?” (John 18:34).
Pilate: “What have You done?” (John 18:35).
Jesus: “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here” (John 18:36).
Pilate: “Are You a King then?” (John 18:37).
Jesus: “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause, I was born, and for this cause, I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice” (John 18:37).
Pilate: “What is truth?” And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, “I find no fault in Him at all” (John 18:38).
Pilate: “Where are You from?” (John 19:8). “Are You not speaking to me? Do You not know that I have power to crucify You, and power to release You?” (John 19:10).
Jesus: “You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore, the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin” (John 19:11).
Conclusion of the trial: “Now Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross. And the writing was: ‘JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS’” (John 19:19). Jesus of Nazareth was crucified but acknowledged that He was KING OF THE JEWS!
Jesus was calm before Pilate representing the Kingdom of God and standing for truth. Fighting the fight of faith displays such boldness of faith before the world.
Apostle Paul Fought the Fight and Finished His Course!
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing” (II Timothy 4:7-8).
The same Greek words are used in this passage (II Timothy 4:7-8) for fighting (verb), fight (noun), and faith as they are used for the above verse, we had expanded from I Timothy 6:12.
Paul entered the arena, faced wild animals and mobs, took on persecutions and trials, and victoriously won the contest by fighting the good fight of faith, and received the crown. His life was over but in victory and not in defeat!
Paul was in the arena!
Paul was before different mobs!
Paul was on trial several times!
Paul had many tribulations of nakedness, perils, swords, and shipwreck, and was beaten continuously 39 times for five times!
Through it all, he fought a courageous fight of faith!
He defended and kept his faith in Jesus whom he served as a bondservant!
He triumphantly finished his course!
As we stated above, the fight is for a crown – the crown of righteousness!
Paul received it!
So will every one of us who fight the good fight of faith and finish our race!
We will be tested and tried for our faith, and when we face such a trial in our life, we must boldly and uncompromisingly fight the fight of faith, keep the faith, and finish our course in victory to hear our Lord say, “Well done, you, good and faithful servant…enjoy the joy of the Lord!”
Prayer
“Heavenly Father, I love You and adore You and bow down before You. I thank You, Lord, for reminding me that I am in a battle to fight the good fight of faith and boldly declare it before my family and before the world. By Your grace and the power of Your Holy Spirit, I will, to the very end. I will finish my race in You. I am Yours and Yours alone, my Lord. In the Precious and Wonderful Name of Jesus, I pray. Amen! Amen!!”
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John Jeyaseelan
Global Prayer Center | prayer | 701 Bill France Boulevard, Daytona Beach, FL, USA
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