“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” (1Timothy 6:12).
Fight the good fight. Paul encouraged Timothy a young pastor whom he mentored with these words. Paul would write to Timothy in another letter just prior to being martyred that “[he had] fought the good fight, [he had] finished the race, [and he had] kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:7) So what is the good fight? I think sometimes, as Christians, we fight but we forget to ask ourselves whether or not we are fighting the good fight.
So what is the good fight? First of all, to fight a good fight, one must prepare. The most important thing is to first join the team. Accept Jesus Christ as Savior. If you want to fight the good fight, join the team. All are welcome and the dues has already been paid (John 3:16).
The next step is to learn the plays. If you are going to be an effective participant on any team, you must understand the team’s philosophy and know their plays. I remember something I learned while playing high school volleyball. I was lucky enough to participate on teams that went undefeated for years. Our coaches knew how to build a team and they made us work hard.
I’ll never forget the daily doubles we began weeks before school ever started. We ran, we did sit-ups, push up on our fingertips, we ran sprints, we did jumps and ran stair laps and more for what seemed like months before we ever touched a volleyball. Our warm-ups equaled a normal person’s total workout and then we began to practice. We ran drill after drill and only after a few weeks did we actually scrimmage – really play the game with one another.
All that and there is one thing I remembered in high school. There was a girl, who was very good at the game. She should have been on the team. She maybe should have been on the team before me. However, she was not chosen, I overheard the coach’s comments because she was not a part of our group. Those of us who were on the team had become close friends. We knew what the others were thinking and we could finish each others’ sentences. We were not just a team, we were a family. These coaches knew that it was not just skill that built a winning team; it was a team of people invested in the game, in the coaches, and in each other. We fought to win, because of our love for our coach, our love for the game, and our love for each other.
If we want to fight the good fight, we must become part of the team, not just join the team. We need to get to know and love our Coach. We must love the process of being refined to kingdom standards. The workouts can be brutal, but they pay off in the end. We need to get to know our family members (other believers) and grow to love them in a sacrificial way. We will fight the good fight when we have spent time preparing and become willing to spend ourselves for the kingdom, our Lord, and others.
We fight the good fight when we defeat our enemy. In order to defeat our enemy, we must first identify who that enemy is. I will boldly tell you that our enemy is not the current president, or society, or the laws of the land. While those things may or may not be tools of our enemy, they are not our enemy. Our enemy is Satan and he is already defeated by the blood of the Lamb. We fight the good fight when we know that the battle is already won for us (Revelation 12:11).
When we know Jesus and we know our position in the kingdom as overcomers (victorious in Christ), we will be empowered to fight the good fight. We put on the armor of God first: truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, salvation, the Word of God, and prayer. This armor is designed to protect you from the attacks – the fight – of our enemy. Once we are arrayed in protective “gear”, we are ready to fight the good fight. So what are our weapons of choice? 2 Corinthians 10:2, tells us that “the weapons of our warfare are not [earthly physical]”. So what are we to use for weapons to fight the good fight?
Fruit; I believe the Word the Lord would speak to us today is that the good fight is fought with the fruit of the Spirit. Fight the good fight with love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Fight the good fight with those things that build up and do not tear down. Fight the good fight with uplifting words and encouragement. Speak the truth in love; don’t think more highly of yourself than you ought. Live a life of compassion that moves you to act in sacrificial ways.
Fighting the good fight contains anything that lifts high the name of Jesus. It builds the church and brings salvation and healing to lost and broken souls. Fighting the good fight leaves your own soul deeply satisfied even though sacrifice is measured.
Paul went on to say to Timothy in his first letter, “Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life” (1 Timothy 6:17-19). Steer people to good works. Do what builds up and encourages the church.
When all was done for Paul, he was able to say that he had fought the good fight. Don’t you want to be able to say that when your time is drawing near? Paul said there was a reward waiting for him, “there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day.” He also said that crown of righteousness was “. . . not to [him] only but also to all who have loved His appearing. The crown of righteousness awaits you, too, if you will fight the good fight.
Don’t get lost in angry arguments and trying to fix people. Don’t get stuck in judging people and trying to fit them into your comfort zone. Seek to uplift, love, and value people wherever they are at. Remember that people are not your enemy; they are your assignment to love and encourage. Be in the Word daily so you can build a firm foundation. Get involved in a Bible study and don’t forsake going to church and being a part of God’s family (Hebrews 10:25). Share the good news of Jesus Christ. Tell people what He has done for you. Fight the good fight and achieve a crown of righteousness on that Day (2 Timothy 4:8).