A Mature Church’s Leadership Engages In The Fight of Faith

Introduction

Think about the upcoming fight between legendary boxer Mike Tyson and Jake Paul.

Tyson, known for his ferocity and unmatched power in the ring, is returning to face Paul, a younger and less experienced fighter.

Both men are preparing for a battle that requires not only physical strength but also mental toughness and strategy.

Tyson has years of experience, yet he still has to train rigorously to prepare for a fight like this.

Paul, while new to boxing, has invested countless hours into developing his skills, knowing he’ll face one of the sport’s greatest.

This fight highlights an important truth: whether you're seasoned or new, entering the ring means engaging fully.

You can’t coast on reputation, nor can you rely on beginner’s enthusiasm.

It takes intentional effort, focus, and determination to come out on top.

In 1 Timothy 6:11-12, Paul uses the metaphor of fighting to describe the Christian life.

He urges Timothy to "fight the good fight of faith," reminding us that life is indeed a battlefield, and we must be prepared.

Like Tyson and Paul, we need both training and perseverance to stay in the fight.

Our battle is not against flesh and blood but against spiritual forces, and our weapons are faith, righteousness, and perseverance.

Tyson and Paul will step into the ring with clear goals, fully prepared for the challenges ahead.

Similarly, we are called to fight the spiritual battles before us with the same focus, strength, and faith, knowing the stakes are eternal.

Main Idea: Life is a Battle Field and You Must Know How to Fight!

Just as Tyson and Paul prepare with purpose and discipline, we’re called to fight with intentionality.

Paul instructs Timothy to ‘fight righteously’—not just to resist, but to actively pursue righteousness, godliness, and love.

Let’s look at verse 11 to see what that means for us.

1. Fight Righteously (vs. 11)

1 Timothy 6:11 (ESV)

But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.

Paul just finished with the inevitable peril of the false teachers - “…some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.”

But do you notice what Paul does next?

He turns his attention back to his son in the faith, Timothy.

“But as for you, O man of God, flee these things…”

What things?

Different doctrines, a wicked and godless attitude, unhealthy controversy, and a love of money.

Remember verses 9-10?

1 Timothy 6:9–10 (ESV)

But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

Don’t be like this, Timothy! “Flee (run away from) these things!

A pastor ought not be involved in false teaching!

A pastor ought not be chasing after money.

They should run from them and run toward truth and trust.

Believers are to put those things off.

But also, but they are also to put some things on.

Look again at the text.

1 Timothy 6:11 (ESV)

But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.

Timothy was charged by Paul to not only flee certain things, but to chase after other certain things.

Righteousness – Living in alignment with God's standards and justice. Biblically, righteousness involves doing what is morally right and just in God’s sight. It reflects a life obedient to God’s commands and is exemplified by living with integrity. (Psalm 11:7, Matthew 5:6)

Godliness – Reverence and devotion to God, reflected in a life that honors Him in both attitude and action. Godliness means having a heart that seeks to please God, striving to be like Him in character, and prioritizing spiritual over worldly pursuits. (1 Timothy 4:8, 2 Peter 1:3)

Faith – Trust and reliance on God and His promises. Faith is the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1). It is demonstrated through belief in God’s character and actions, even when we cannot see the outcome. (Hebrews 11:1, Romans 1:17)

Love – Selfless, sacrificial affection that seeks the good of others. Biblical love, or "agape," is a choice to act for the benefit of others, as Christ did for us. It is characterized by patience, kindness, humility, and forgiveness. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7, John 15:13)

Steadfastness – Endurance and perseverance, especially in trials. Steadfastness means holding firm to faith, hope, and commitment, even when circumstances are challenging. It reflects a resolve to remain faithful to God over the long haul. (James 1:12, 1 Corinthians 15:58)

Gentleness – Strength under control, characterized by humility and grace. Gentleness is not weakness but the ability to respond to others with patience and kindness, reflecting Christ’s humility. It is a fruit of the Spirit and shows sensitivity in dealing with others. (Galatians 5:23, 2 Timothy 2:24-25)

What a list! Think of this list like the attitudes and actions of a warrior for Jesus.

Paul is preparing Timothy for the inevitable fight he will face.

And in order to fight this fight well, Timothy must be righteous, godly, full of faith, loving, steadfast, and most importantly, gentle.

When we think of warriors we think of tough, worn, battle-scarred, rough and ready, physically fit.

But this is not the list of characteristics from God’s perspective.

Why must God’s warrior be the characteristics listed here?

Because, these characteristics are those of Christ. Jesus is the epitome of these characteristics.

He is the ultimate Righteous warrior.

And the more we become like Him the more we will chase away the darkness and promote His marvelous light.

Pray for his transforming grace!

Jesus is righteous

As His followers, we must fight righteously too.

"When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die." - Dietrich Bonhoeffer

This echoes the call to a life of surrender and spiritual discipline.

Bonhoeffer reminds us that true spiritual warriors "die" to selfish pursuits and worldly desires, choosing instead to pursue the righteous and godly traits of Christ that set them apart in a dark world.

Let me encourage you to find a trusted accountability partner with whom you can regularly discuss your progress in fleeing from harmful attitudes or behaviors and pursuing godly characteristics.

You could meet or check in weekly, asking each other specific questions about areas like righteousness, faith, or gentleness.

This regular accountability creates a supportive environment where each believer can receive encouragement, gentle correction, and prayer as they strive to live out the qualities Paul lists.

It turns the "fight" into a shared journey, reinforcing that we’re not alone in our pursuit of Christlikeness.

Review - Life is a Battle Field and you Must Know How to Fight

Fight Righteously

2. Fight a Good Fight of Faith (vs. 12)

1 Timothy 6:12 (ESV)

Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

What in the world does Paul mean by this?

He describes the fight of faith as a military conflict that must advance its mission.

Isn’t this an exciting picture?

There is a war going on in the world, and it’s about advancing the faith.

But what is this faith?

Listen to the words of Jude 3…

Jude 3 (ESV)

Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.

Do you see what Jude says?

Believers are to “contend” or fight for the faith!

This faith is the system of belief revealed in the Scriptures.

Believers must fight to advance the faith in a world full of unbelief.

Our battle isn’t fought with bazookas, tanks, bombs, or machine guns—no way!

The fight for the faith is carried out through the power of the Holy Spirit, using the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.

These are the weapons God has entrusted to us.

For what purpose?

That we might advance the Kingdom of God as His people (the church) rescue more and more prisoners of darkness and transform them into people of light.

Look at what else Paul says…

1 Timothy 6:12 (ESV)

Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

Take hold! In other words, get a grip on the fact that God gave you eternal life.

Life is hard. Ministry is messy.

It is easy for us to get our focus on the wrong things.

Life can easily distract us from those things that are truly important.

What is truly important? Eternal life!

When my mom died…

At that moment, when mom took her final breath, she “took hold of eternal life.” That’s all that mattered!

Friends, Paul is telling Timothy to not wait until we die, but to live today in light of eternity today!

Take hold of it!

Philippians 3:20 (ESV)

But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,

Colossians 3:2 (ESV)

Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.

Timothy was “called to eternal life”

By the way, you don’t make that call, God does. God’s sovereign, effectual call on your soul draws you to Him.

John 6:44 (ESV)

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.

He’s the one that calls us.

He’s the one that draws us to himself.

He’s the one that bridged the gap between God and us.

Jesus Christ - the mediator, stood in that gap so we could have a right relationship with the God who created us.

Have you taken hold of eternal life?

How do you do this?

Romans 10:9–13 (ESV)

because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

When you, by faith, confess that Jesus is Lord (God very God) and believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, you will grab hold of eternal life.

You will be saved. You will be born again!

Timothy confessed publically that this took place in his life.

He publically shared, perhaps at his baptism, that God had gloriously redeemed him.

Public confession is such an important part of the Christian life.

The confession doesn’t save you, but it does solidify the reality of your salvation.

“If you CONFESS that Jesus is Lord.”

Have you confessed publically that Jesus Christ is the LORD and SAVIOR of your life?

If you have not, you are not saved and you are therefore not safe from the wrath of God.

Confess that Jesus is Lord! Believe in your heart that the resurrection of Christ is a historical fact.

These two things are crucial in God’s salvation process.

On two seperate occasions, I witnessed two men in my office confess that Jesus is Lord and believe that God raised Christ from the dead.

And guess what. God saved them. Right in my office these men went from darkness to light.

Colossians 1:13–14 (ESV)

He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Ephesians 5:8 (ESV)

for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light

There is nothing I want more than for you, today, right now, in your seat, in the depths of your heart, than to be saved.

To have a right relationship with God through the work of Jesus Christ on the cross.

There is nothing I want more than for you to grab a hold of eternal life.

And when you do, you will have the capacity to press on in this life with the purpose of driving the faith forward in a culture in desperate need of eternal life.

Have you trusted Christ?

Are you fighting for the faith?

Review - Life is a Battle Field and you Must Know How to Fight

Fight Righteously

Fight a Good Fight of Faith

3. Fight to Please the Lord (vs. 13-16)

1 Timothy 6:13–16 (ESV)

I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he will display at the proper time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.

If you have done any counseling with me you will probably know this verse…

2 Corinthians 5:9 (ESV)

So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him.

As believers in Christ we must fight to please the Lord.

Pleasing the Jesus with our lives should be very important to us.

Paul charges Timothy to live in a way that is pleasing to God.

Notice in his charge who he appeals to for authority.

He does not appeal to himself, but instead the text says…

1 Timothy 6:13 (ESV)

I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession,

What do you notice in this verse? Paul’s authority is God. What does Paul say about God?

God is THE life giver -

Christ Jesus gave the good confession - What was Jesus’ good confession before Pilate?

John 18:33–37 (ESV)

So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?” Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”

Jesus’ good confession was that He was and is the long awaited for Messiah.

That He is the Savior who came into the world to rescue sinners from eternal condemnation.

And it was this good confession that got Him killed.

Frankly, I would call that the best confession ever.

Why?

Because that confession led to the Savior’s death. That Savior’s death led to life for you!

And so, based on the authority of this God and Savior, Paul charges Timothy to…

1 Timothy 6:14 (ESV)

to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,

What commandment?

Most likely either what is written in this letter or even broader than that, the entire bible.

In other words, keep following the message of the Bible.

Be unstained.

Be free from following a life of sin.

Reproach = (Free from) disappointment and disapproval.

The point is that Timothy was charged to live a holy life spelled out in the Word of God so that the Word of God would be help in high esteem to those who see him live it out.

Think of it this way - “You are the only Bible some people will ever read.”

Believers are to walk in holiness and righteousness until Jesus comes to get us!

I cannot wait to hear that call!

1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 (ESV)

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.

Encourage one another with these words!

We are to, as Hebrews 10 tells…

Hebrews 10:23–25 (ESV)

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

And don’t worry about when this will take place.

1 Timothy 6:15 (ESV)

which he will display at the proper time—

When God is ready to return, He will come.

We don’t need to worry about the day or the hour.

What we do need to concern ourselves with is are we living in a way that is pleasing to Him!

What we do need to be concerned with is praising Him properly.

This is why Paul ends this section with a doxological prayer of praise! take a look…

1 Timothy 6:15–16 (ESV)

which he will display at the proper time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.

Jesus is the blessed and only Sovereign - the word Sovereign can be translated “powerful”

Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords - indicating that His power and authority are over all things.

Revelation 19:16 (ESV)

On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.

Jesus is immortal - “deathlessness” He has risen from the dead and death hold no power over my Jesus!

Jesus is engulfed in unapproachable light - The focus is the glory of God! Who can stand in the presence of the full glory of God and live? No one!

Why the focus on the glory of God?

Because, remember the false teachers Paul was talking about last time?

Remember how he told Timothy to fight the good fight of faith?

There were and are opponents to the ministry of the gospel.

And sometimes the opposition seems fierce and overwhelming.

But remember who is on your side!

The only Sovereign King of kings and Lord of lords who is immortal and is beyond our comprehension.

Paul focuses on the glory of God in order that the corresponding smallness of Timothy’s opponents might be seen.

Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 2334.

We have nothing to fear.

We have nothing to dread.

There is no one who can stand against the ONE who stands with us!

So our goal isn’t to worry about the battle, but instead be pleasing to the One who will battle with us, through us, and for us.

"The destined end of man is not happiness, nor health, but holiness. God’s one aim is the production of saints. He is not an eternal blessing machine for men; He did not come to save men out of pity; He came to save men because He had created them to be holy." - Oswald Chambers

Questions to ask yourself each day this week…

“Did my thoughts, words, and actions today please the Lord?” and “Where did I rely on God’s strength rather than my own?”

This daily practice keeps us mindful of our calling to live unstained by the world, helps us stay aligned with God's will, and reminds us of His glory as the King of kings who stands with us in every circumstance.

Review - Life is a Battle Field and you Must Know How to Fight

Fight Righteously

Fight a Good Fight of Faith

Fight to Please the Lord

Conclusion

As we close, remember that, like Tyson and Paul, we’re stepping into a battle every day.

But our fight is different—it’s for righteousness, for faith, and for a life that pleases our Lord.

We’ve been called to fight with endurance, discipline, and focus, holding tight to the eternal life God has given us.

Are we fighting in a way that truly reflects God’s character?

Are we advancing our faith?

Are we striving to please the One who called us?

Oswald Chambers said,

‘All God’s men are ordinary men made extraordinary by the matter He has given them to do.’ - Oswald Chambers

Step into your ring, hold tight to God’s call, and go fight the good fight of faith—knowing He will make you extraordinary in the battle He has set before you.”