The Fight of Faith

We are in a race and are soldiers on a mission (2 Tim. 2:3-5). Inasmuch as we may want to have things smooth and have a smooth ride and walk with Christ, truth is many a times it will not be like this. We are in the fight of faith, fighting to defend our faith:

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. 1 Timothy 6:12

The above verse means that there is a fight of faith, a fight that involves our faith. As I have said before, our foundation as believers is God’s Word, and our faith is what anchors us on Him, through His Word (Rom. 10:17). Without faith there is no salvation. Without faith there is no connection with God. Faith is the bridge that links us with and keeps us in God. This is why the devil will always be after your faith, to shake and make it fall. He tried it with Adam and Eve, causing them to doubt God’s goodness and intentions for them, and tried to do it with Jesus, hence the questions, “Has God indeed said…” and “If you are the Son of God…” (Gen. 3:1, Matt. 4:3,6). He still does the same with us, using various forms, and such questions as, “If God really loves you…”, “If you are a child of God, why aren’t you getting this or that? Why’re you stuck in this situation?” “Did God really say you shouldn’t do this?” and on and on he goes. All this is aimed at our faith.

With this in mind, and with the knowledge that we are in a war, we ought to have a strategy to defend our faith, to remain in a position of believing at all times. We ought to know the devil’s schemes, stop being ignorant of them (2 Cor. 2:11), and start walking with a strategy to not only win but continually walk in victory in our journey of faith. Paul said that he didn’t fight as one beating against the air (1 Cor. 9:26), which sadly is how we fight sometimes, not knowing who our enemy is, what he is after, his schemes etc. For this reason we have continued to hand him victory on a silver platter, when he manages to make us fall through temptation, doubt God, waver in faith and so on.

We are spiritual beings, living in physical bodies. For this reason, our warfare isn’t carnal/physical, rather spiritual. When the enemy attacks you, since he walks in the spiritual realm, he starts in the spirit then manifests the attack in the physical realm. If we’re ignorant of his schemes and spiritually insensitive we'll fail to see it’s him attacking us and either be passive or fight physically, addressing the physical people or situations he uses to attack us, hence losing the battle. The Bible says:

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ… II Corinthians 10:3-5

If and when we know of the devil's schemes, we’ll be sober and vigilant (spiritually alert and sensitive), and tactfully fight back. Now the fighting back part is also something that has to be guided by the Spirit of God and by His Word, otherwise we’ll find ourselves fighting as ones beating against the air (1 Cor. 9:26).

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. 1 Corinthians 9:26-27
Picture person A locked in a dark room with others, then we have person B who has  night-vision enabled glasses, such that he can see in the dark. Picture person B hitting person A on the head then hiding, since he can see him. Person A, since he can’t see his attacker but has a desire to retaliate will find himself just throwing fists and kicks all around aimlessly, hoping that one will land on the attacker. Some blows and kicks will land on innocent people around, and when the lights are turned on the guy may still continue to fight an innocent bystander, convinced that this is the attacker. This is how a good number of Christians are today, sadly. If they don’t know they're being attacked, they don’t know who their attacker is, where he is, how he’s attacking them and so on. For this reason. They throw kicks and blows either at innocent bystanders or people being used to attack them, or aimlessly binding, rebuking, destroying, loosing etc. the devil. All the while the devil is miles away, having disappeared after launching His attack.

Jesus talked of a king going to fight who first sits down and considers the enemy and his own ability, whether he's able to take an enemy with 20,000 men with 10,000 men, and knows whether to proceed or ask for peace (Lk. 14:31-32). We have to fight the fight of Faith with knowledge and spiritual soberness, knowing the schemes of our enemy. For example, one of the most common ways the devil attacks us and often wins because of our ignorance is through our weaknesses. If someone has for example anger problems that he/she has never dealt with the roots of the same with God, the devil will often use this, as he brings people and situations to target this person. At this point, ignorance may cause the person to start fighting the people and situations, either physically or even in prayer, binding, loosing, rebuking, destroying etc., and it’s all in vain as they have opened a wide door into their lives through which the devil can walk into and out of their lives as he pleases. Until this person deals with the root of the problem, allowing God to work on their hearts and anger, then they'll always fight a losing battle, having their fellowship with God through faith always affected and wavering: one minute they're up, the next down, in the process missing out on what they'd have received from God at that moment. For others, it’s a weakness of gossip, and they keep dancing to the devil’s tune, not doing anything about it. One may ask, “What do you want me to do, Sam?” 

First of all, as long as we keep embracing bad habits as part of us and our lives and believing nothing can be done to change then we’ll keep losing the battle. God is able to turn anyone around and transform their lives, turning their weaknesses into strengths (2 Cor. 12:8-10). For this to happen however, we have to surrender these weaknesses to God, with faith that He can change us (Heb. 11:6). Then, we have to cooperate with Him in ensuring that these weaknesses no longer have power over us, rather that the grace of God prevails in and through us (Rom. 8:14). For example, when someone knows they have an anger problem, they should turn to God in humility for Him to show them how to deal with it, then since they know this is how they give the devil a foothold (Eph. 4:27), purpose to be sober and vigilant, spiritually spotting attacks that come through this weakness and spiritually dealing with the situation. For instance, if I know I have anger issues, I should get in the Word and see what God says about anger, then live out the Word by the help of the Spirit, constantly depending on Him to tell me how to handle situations that prompt me to get angry and instead use these situations to apply the Word. The same applies to weaknesses such as gossip, lust, jealousy, greed, bitterness etc.

It doesn’t help for one to rebuke weaknesses or rebuke the devil when he comes through their weaknesses, if they still keep holding on to the weaknesses ‘helplessly’ and not allowing God to work on them. Again, this is fighting a losing battle. The Bible tells us:

But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. James 4:6-7

Before we resist the devil, we have to humble ourselves before God, then submit to Him. Submitting to God equates to submitting to His Word, meaning we're living as His Word instructs. If we’re still enjoying and holding on to our vices and weaknesses, no matter how much we rebuke/resist the devil he won’t flee, as we’re not submitting to God, and are losing the fight of faith. If we submit to God and His Word, we'll find ourselves doing less resisting of the devil, as we'll close off his loopholes and entrance into our lives. Which is easier, keeping a thief out of your house or chasing one who's already inside? For some of us, we've allowed the thief into our house, and keep struggling to defeat him, but aren’t willing to let go of that which keeps him around (vices, sin, weaknesses). No matter how much we rebuke and resist him, as long as the door is open through our love for what God hates, our hearts remain his home. This is tough but true.

After we've surrendered to God to work on our weaknesses, we have to now be alert not to give the devil a foothold back into our lives, as we keep submitting to God's Word. If I know that hanging out with certain friends is what triggers lust/drunkenness/gossip etc., if at all I've surrendered the weakness to God I'll now be dependent on God to help me stay away and tread carefully as I abide in the Word:

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the Lord , and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper. Psalms 1:1-3

As we stay away from the counsel of the ungodly, paths of sinners and seat of the scornful, we have to now stay in the Word. Doing one without the other will result in failure (staying with them but not abiding in the Word, or abiding in the Word and holding on to them). As we flee youthful lusts, we have to pursue righteousness, peace,

Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. II Timothy 2:22

But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. 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. I Timothy 6:11-12

Above all else, we have to purpose to walk in the Spirit and be Spirit-led, as this is how we'll be able to fight effectively, whether the battle is from within (temptations, weaknesses and vices) or from without (persecutions, afflictions, trials etc.):

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. Romans 8:14

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. Galatians 5:16-17

If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Galatians 5:25

One thing is paramount if we have to successfully fight and win the fight of faith: we have to realise how precious and our faith is (2 Pet. 1:1), that it is the devil's bulls-eye in our lives, and be willing to do whatever it takes to guard it. The enemies of our faith are many, and if the devil won't get us through our weaknesses (temptations), he'll try using other people (persecutions), storms and fires (trials and afflictions) and so on. Ours is to remain in God in faith, abiding in the Word and walking in the Spirit, and victory will be our portion all through. There's nothing as precious as our faith, so we must be able to guard it more than we guard anything else:

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, 8 whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:6-9

Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ.. 2 Peter 1:1

Faith is how we came to Christ; faith is how we remain in Him, and how we'll be united with Him with joy and in glory. The question is, are we willing to hold on to Christ, by extension hold on to faith? If yes, we have to fight faithfully and wisely. Jesus gave His all to give us this faith; are we willing to do whatever it takes to keep and guard it?

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. 1 Timothy 6:12

Blessings. 

    Sam Gitonga

Sunday Service Teaching, Transformation Ministry, Ruiru. 


Sam is the Youth Leader at Teaching Transformation Ministry. We are located along the Thika-Ruai Flyover Junction (at the Thika Rd./ Bypass intersection), Next to Eastgate Restaurant.