“Fight the good fight of faith” is a very popular phrase among Christians. But not many Christians can tell you how to fight the good fight of faith. We wage war against such things as abortion, hunger, inequality, religious freedom, racism, and a variety of injustices. However, our struggle is not a typical worldly conflict. The Bible says our fight is against principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this age, and spiritual wickedness in the heavenly places.
Nevertheless, while we fight the good fight of faith, we continue to wage war against each other in the name of God, and we ignore the true enemy that is responsible for our calamity. We fight those who oppose us in the name of faith when we should be fighting the good fight of faith. In this blog, I will share some interesting facts that every Christian should know about the good fight of faith and how we should fight 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
Faith is not just believing; faith is a real substance. It is the tangible quintessence that the things we hope for become so concrete that they become a definitive reality of those things that are not yet visible. Faith is the bridge that links you to the spiritual realm and makes God a touchable reality in your mind. While we walk by faith and we understand the power of faith and its ability to heal, we still do not know how to fight the good fight of faith.
The Good Struggle
Anything that glorifies God is good. I believe God calls our struggle the good fight of faith because when we fight to overcome evil He is glorified. But some Christians have misunderstood the Scriptures, believing their life’s assignment is to fight the unbelievers of the world. They believe their calling is to rid the world of sin and will defend God’s word by any means, including violence. They advocate for laws to force those who oppose God to keep His commandments. However, the God of the Bible is not forceful; He does not force Himself on anyone. Love and mercy are among God’s many attributes. God loves us even when we don’t love Him.
God expects that we fight the good fight of faith rather than fight a good fight in faith. There is a difference between “a good fight” and “the good fight”. You see, a good fight would imply that there is more than one fight. When we fight a good fight in faith, we fight many foes, including everybody that opposes our concept of God. However, when we fight the good fight of faith we fight only one enemy: Satan. He is the root and source of all the things we oppose. We don’t fight him according to our emotions, but according to the word of God. When we fight the good fight of faith we don’t fight to harm people, but rather to reconcile them, for Christians have a ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:19).
You Have Authority Over Your Battles
When I first got saved, like most Spirit-filled Christians, I was on fire for the Lord. I was commanding demons to come out of things that demons had no desire to be in. Like the time I laid my hands on my car on the side of the highway. I had this old Ford Fairlane 500 that used to act up when it was time to go to church. When we got ready to go to church that old car would start spitting and sputtering. One Sunday morning I had finally had enough. I pulled to the side of the highway, got out, laid my hands on the hood, and shouted, “I command you demon, in the name of Jesus, COME OUT OF MY CAR!” My wife and kids thought I was losing my mind.
After that, the car started up and I drove away. About a half-mile down the highway, the rear end of the car bounced up, and simultaneously the car made a loud noise that sounded like an explosion. I looked in the rearview and I saw a thick cloud of black smoke. Before I could consider what had just happened, that old car took off like a rabbit. I don’t know exactly what happened, but from that day forward that old Ford never gave us any more trouble.
What am I saying? I’m not saying that my car had a demon in it, but I am saying I recognized that I was under attack from the enemy and I responded to his threat aggressively and confidently in faith. You have authority over your battles, no matter the situation. When fighting the good fight of faith, remember that you have authority over all the power of the enemy (Luke 10:19). By faith, use it.
Watch Your Mouth
Words are our most powerful weapon. The Bible says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Proverbs 18:21). Nothing seems to trip a believer more than a loose tongue. That little thing in our mouths may be small, but it is the most significant weapon in our spiritual arsenal. Fighting the good fight of faith is not about swinging blows but speaking words. That’s right, words. Our words possess power. Speaking words of faith causes us to advance in the fight. When we listen to the lies of the enemy we begin speaking words of doubt, thus we stumble and retreat.
In the eleventh chapter of Mark, Jesus and His disciples were traveling from Bethany and the Bible says Jesus was hungry. Seeing a fig tree with leaves afar, He went to see if perhaps He would find some figs on it. However, when He got there He found none. In response, Jesus said to the tree, “No man eat fruit from you hereafter forever” (Mark 11:14 KJV).
The next day they passed by the tree and it was dried up by the roots. Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away.” Wait a minute! When did Jesus curse the fig tree? He never said, “I curse you, fig tree?” Jesus spoke down to the fig tree when He said, “No man eat fruit from you hereafter forever.”
Speak to Your Situation
Seeing the confusion on the disciples’ faces, Jesus said to them, “Have faith in God. For assuredly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain Be removed and cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says” (Mark 11:23).
As you fight the good fight of faith, remember that no one is perfect, and we all stumble in many things, especially with our words. The unique thing about words is you can’t take them back. Once you say them, they are gone forever. When you speak to your mountain be careful to speak words of faith.
If you’ve got an aching back don’t go around saying things like, “it is what it is,” and “This old back is killing me.” If you call things as they are, then what you see is what you will get. In the end, your back will probably kill you. Rather than speak negative words to an already bad situation, begin to speak words of faith. Instead of speaking down to your back, receive healing. Speak blessing to your back by saying, “Father, thank You for sending Your Son to deliver me from this awful pack pain. He was wounded for my transgression; He was bruised for my iniquities, and by His stripes, I am healed,”
Maintain a Good Testimony Throughout the Battle
It is easy to start name-calling and finger-pointing when you are in a fight. But be reminded that God calls the good fight of faith a good fight. Throughout the fight, God expects you to maintain a good testimony. Avoid religious debates; they only lead to strife and division. When the archangel Michael argued with the devil about the body of Moses he was not abusive nor insulting. He simply told the devil, “The Lord rebuke you!”
The life of the believer revolves around faith. When we fight the good fight of faith we must keep the emphasis on faith. By faith in the blood of Jesus Christ and the word of our testimony, God gives us victory.
And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.
Revelation 12:11
Remember: The Battle is the Lord’s
In 2 Chronicles chapter 20, Jehoshaphat, the King of Judah, faced certain destruction when the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir came against Judah in the Wilderness of Tekoa. Jehoshaphat was outnumbered and afraid. But he did not give in to fear. Instead, Jehoshaphat set his mind to seek God. He proclaimed a fast throughout all of Judah and the people gathered to ask for help from the Lord. Jehoshaphat prayed that God would judge their enemies. He reminded God that they were powerless against such a great multitude and he admitted that he did not know what to do.
During the assembly, the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel and he prophesied, “Thus says the Lord to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord’ (2 Chronicles 20:15, 17).”
The Battle is Spiritual
When Jehosaphat heard this, he and all of Judah and the inhabitants bowed before the Lord and began worshiping the Lord. Early the next morning, as Judah went out in the Wilderness of Tekoa to stand before their enemies, the Lord set ambushes against Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir so that they turned against each other and destroyed one another.
Perhaps your faith has been under attack and the odds are stacked against you. Friend, do not give in to fear, and don’t stop fighting. To stop fighting the good fight of faith is to stop believing in God. The Bible says that when we have done all that we can do, just stand. If you love God, trust God. Receive the prophecy spoken by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of Jahaziel, “Thus says the Lord to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of your great dilemma, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourself, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord.'”