<\/p>\n
\u201cFight 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\u201d (1 Timothy 6:12).<\/p>\n
THOSE WHO WISH TO \u201cLAY HOLD ON ETERNAL LIFE\u201d MUST \u201cFIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT OF FAITH.\u201d There is no path to heaven that doesn\u2019t lead through territory occupied by the devil. If we\u2019re to reach our desired destination, we\u2019re going to have to fight. Indeed, it sometimes seems that we have to fight every step of the way.<\/p>\n
We should be careful in our conclusions, though. Just because we\u2019re experiencing conflict, that does not by itself guarantee we\u2019re on the right path. There is such a thing as carnal combat, and those who engage in it often don\u2019t have the honesty to see that their agenda is their own rather than God\u2019s. But even so, there is no denying that warfare is inevitable if we\u2019re serious about seeking God. To reach forward, we have to struggle with sin.<\/p>\n
Are we cowardly?<\/em> If we\u2019re too timid to fight for what\u2019s right, we won\u2019t make it to heaven. In Revelation 21:8, the list of those who will be lost eternally is headed by the \u201ccowardly.\u201d If we take the course of least resistance, we\u2019ll end up somewhere other than the realm where God is. It takes courage to seek Him truthfully.<\/p>\n Are we careless?<\/em> Considering the intensity and intelligence of our adversary, we ought not to be naive. We\u2019re being nothing more than silly if we think we can serve God faithfully and never experience any difficulty. Peter said, \u201cGird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ\u201d (1 Peter 1:13).<\/p>\n Unfortunately, we often think of the \u201cgood fight of faith\u201d as a war against other people who (we presume) are not as committed to God\u2019s truth as we are. However, as often as not, the thing that must be fought is not an outward foe but some inward temptation. The good fight of faith is, first and foremost, a personal struggle<\/em> against what the devil is trying to do to us.<\/em> We need, then, to \u201cresist him\u201d (1 Peter 5:9). We need to fight for our lives with commitment and courage. We need, with real indignation, to draw the line and refuse to yield a single inch to our adversary.<\/p>\n \u201cJesus invited us, not to a picnic, but to a pilgrimage; not to a frolic, but to a fight\u201d (Billy Graham).<\/p>\n Gary Henry \u2013 WordPoints.com + AreYouaChristian.com<\/p>\n