The Good Fight of Faith (2)

1 Timothy 6:11–12 NKJV

11 But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. 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.

We are called to lay hold on eternal life by fighting the good fight of faith.

There is a good fight that we have to fight. This Fight is a fight of faith.

All of God’s promise comes tho us through Faith. However, Faith involves battle, a battle to attain the things that we believe in.

Matthew 11:12 NKJV

12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.

The Kingdom of God is here for you to posess but it would not be without a fight.

Those who possses the kingdom of God are those who fight their way into it.

Example Israel and the promise land

We have to fight through those things that resist us from possesing those things that are rightfully ours.

The flesh.

1 Corinthians 9:24–27 NKJV

24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. 25 And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. 26 Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. 27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.

The greek Word translated Descipline “hypopiazo”, to bruise the body by striking a blow.

The essence of Paul message is,m the body is an adversary that one has to overcome inorder to win the prize of the crown of life.

Why is the flesh an adversary

Galatians 5:16–17 NKJV

16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.

The flesh desires is contrary to the Spirit.

The Parable of the Sower and the Seed in Matthew 13.

Those who fell on thorny grounds, did not produce fruit.

If one does not fight against the desires of the flesh then these desires will choke every word that is sown into our life so that faith is not produced.

Walking by Fight and not by the Sight of the flesh

2 Corinthians 5:2 NKJV

2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven,

Romans 4:19–21 NKJV

19 And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. 20 He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, 21 and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.

The World and sin

John 17:14–16 NKJV

14 I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

John 16:33 NKJV

33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

The world is not going to make it easy for us to inherit God’s promises, to inherit the Kingdom of God.

IT will try to entice us and turn us away from posessing the Kingdom.

It will try to discourage us, by persecuting, intimidating, despising and rejecting us.

Yet we have to resist the world, we have to fight for what we bellieve.

Matthew 13. Those who fell on the stony grounds are those who receive the word with joy but when they are persecuted by the world, they lose their faith and walk away from the kingdom.

Jesus Christ has overcome the World, we will fight until we overcome the World.

This is part of the good fight of faith.

Sin

Hebrews 12:1–4 NKJV

1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. 4 You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.

Jesus said be failthul until death.

Genesis 39:10 NKJV

10 So it was, as she spoke to Joseph day by day, that he did not heed her, to lie with her or to be with her.

The Devil

Ephesians 6:10–18 NKJV

10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—

There is an hour of darkness, a time where will have to go one on one with the devil.

When we will our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the prince of the power of the air,

Matthew 4. Jesus was taken to the wilderness by the spirit to be tempted by the devil.

The Spirit will lead us to place where we find ourself in arena with the devil and will have to fight him. So we will win through the Sword of the spirit of God which is the Word and prayer.

God will equip us with the armour of God, and place us in an arena with the devil expecting us to defeat him.

2 Timothy 4:6–8 NKJV

6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 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.

Prayer

Psalm 144:1 NKJV

1 Blessed be the Lord my Rock, Who trains my hands for war, And my fingers for battle—

Psalm 18:34 NKJV

34 He teaches my hands to make war, So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.