Acceptable Fight:

“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.” (1st Timothy 6:12, New King James Version).

 This is the key Bible verse for our “Come and See” devotional today.

All creatures fight for survival, especially when faced by predators and threats of competition. Each of us has a natural instinct to face up to danger and impending threats. However, not all fights are worth fighting and we must choose our battles carefully.  During the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ there was a critical time when, for the first time, He appeared vulnerable: this was when mortal men were sent to arrest Him as a result of His betrayal by Judas. The commotion that resulted during this hour of darkness at Gethsemane led Apostle Peter to use his sword to cut off the ear of one of the invading high-priest’s servants; however, Jesus rebuked him for fighting the wrong fight (read John 18 verses 10-11).

Our key Bible verse gives the words of Apostle Paul, who stated that the only acceptable fight for believers is to fight for faith. Faith is the platform on which successful lives are built, as the Bible confirms: “Now the just shall live by faith: but if any men draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.” (Hebrews 10:38, 21st Century King James Version). One element of that faith is to believe before seeing. Knowing this, the devil is committed to contesting every promise made by God concerning our lives. Every tough situation we may face is intended to try our faith but our source of faith is through God’s Word.

The battle of life is always about ‘what the Almighty God says’ and ‘what the devil says.’ This is the battle between Truth and Lies. We all know that God’s Words are true and He is also faithful. But the cunning words of the devil are wholesome lies, Jesus said “When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it” John 8:44 [New King James Version]

To fight the good fight of faith, we must activate the promises of God using His Words to win our battles. If we diligently search the Scriptures, we will discover appropriate divine provision to help us face every challenges for our victory. Faith was the only weapon Jesus Christ asked for to enable Peter overcome his pending trials as we read in Luke 22:32 “But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

After every fight, the victor is usually recognised and listed as a winner. Here we must refer to Hebrews 11, often known as the Faith Hall of Fame, in which the deeds of renowned Biblical figures are cited; the Hall of Fame cites Abel, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, to name only a few. They all made the list not because of their good wishes or intentions but because they won their battles and overcame their trials and misfortunes. They all fought the right fight (the fight of FAITH).  Your desired victory is firmly tied to the tenacity of your faith, because you are not different from the patriarchs, who through faith, ‘obtained excellent reports’ (Hebrews 11:2).

Let us pray: “Father, strengthen my faith to overcome all of my life’s challenges, to the Glory of your name,” in Jesus’ Mighty Name, Amen.

This message was brought to you by Evangelical Ministries International (EMI). We know this message has been a blessing to you. Please share your testimonies with us by visiting our website www.evangelicalministries.org or contact us on info@evangelicalministries.org. God bless you!