Fight the good Fight

Read 1 Timothy 6.

The phrase has become a common one.  It is often used in a secular context in recognition of one who faithfully struggled either physically or ideologically.  Unfortunately, that is a misuse of Scripture as it fails to finish the sentence.  Further, the intent of verse 12 looks forward, not backward.

The Apostle Paul admonished young Pastor Timothy to "Fight the good fight of the faith."  He went on to say, "I charge you in the presence of God...to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ." (vv.13-14).  This refers to the struggle of discipling one's character (v.11) while serving in a culture of differing doctrines and false teachers (vv.3-10).

Indeed, it is a struggle.  The Greek word for "fight" is an athletic term, describing a disciplined struggle of someone contending for a prize.  The English word "agony" comes from this root.  Fighting for the faith is not fun.  There will be agonizing times in confronting teaching that contradicts the Scriptures.  A compound of the same word is in Jude 3, admonishing believers to "contend for the faith."  The point is that we are never to back down when our faith is challenged.  We are to be agonizing in the struggle for the Gospel; willing to go toe to toe, if necessary.

Some will accuse us of being narrow-minded, old fashioned, out of touch with culture and not up to date.  We may face being marginalized, ostracized, criticized, and worse, being dismissed as irrelevant.  But the truth is this: We will never be effective as followers of Jesus in the world, nor prove the genuineness of our love for people, if we do not firmly stand for what we say we believe.

Two insights in preparing for the fight:
1. Remember who the real enemy is.
Our true foe has always been the Devil and his demons who are the sources of "arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God" (2 Corinthians 10:5).

2. Ready yourself to communicate the truth.
1 Peter 3:15, "But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect."  Those last three words demonstrate our Christlike character while we contend for the faith.