Fight the good fight of faith

1 Timothy 6:11-16

¹¹ But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. ¹² Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. ¹³ In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you ¹⁴ to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁵ which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, ¹⁶ who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.

Paul had been training and encouraging the work of young Timothy. Such training also included some warnings about the things Timothy should avoid.  In this final admonition, Paul had been talking about Timothy encountering false teachers.  He then moves on to some warnings about the love of money. I can almost hear the pleading tenderness in Paul's tone as he tells Timothy, "flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness."  Then Paul uses those words for which he is often remembered, "Fight the good fight of faith."

I have often wondered if anyone else viewed the constant struggle in the lives of people who desire to remain faithful yet find themselves as slaves to sin.....is it a battle to the end?  Paul is implying it is. 

Earlier this week when we looked at a couple of the Psalms of David, we saw in him a man who loved God, but found himself committing terrible sins.  David wrestled with sin like Paul wrestled with sin, and I think I am safe in saying we all can join them by putting our names on the same list. We might think Bible characters like David or Paul have the upper hand on us. Their battles were nothing like the ones we face. The truth of the matter is this, they were human just like we are human. Their struggles were like those we face today. And God who loved them and delivered them from the guilt and misery of sin does the same for us. 

That's why Paul, who classified himself as the chief of sinners, could encourage Timothy to fight the good fight of faith. Paul knew the victory that overcomes the world is faith.  He knew personally, and he taught Timothy and us, the fight is worth fighting and winning. 

As Paul came closer to the end of his life he wrote again to Timothy, "the time for my departure is near. ⁷ I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. ⁸ Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing."  2 Timothy 4:6-8

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