Fight the Good Fight (by Cathe Laurie)
“Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses” (1 Timothy 6:12 ESV).
The Spiritual Battle Is Raging
While there is certainly a time to “turn the other cheek,” don’t forget there is also a time to “turn over the tables.”
The spiritual battle is raging all around us. We see a fight in the heavenly realms over the souls of Christians, individuals, children, marriages, families, churches and church leaders, and nations and rulers of nations.
As bizarre and difficult as it may be to imagine, I think of the battle scenes over Middle Earth in the film The Lord of the Rings. We, too, are fighting. All Christians, like it or not, are in a fight in this life. We are in the “latter days,” which Jesus said would be characterized by intense tribulation.
“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12 KJV).
Fight the Good Fight
As I sit in my kitchen this morning, I am keenly aware there are good and evil spiritual forces arrayed around us. I am also keenly aware that it is my call to persevere as a spiritual warrior in the face of all forms of opposition ultimately inspired by Satan.
It is not a time to sit idly by. As Paul told Timothy, it is time to “fight the good fight of the faith” (1 Timothy 6:12 ESV). As followers of Christ, we cannot become complacent and watch the evil powers of the world take over. Just as Jesus turned over tables in the temple (Matthew 21:12–17), it is time for us to put on our armor, pick up our swords, and step into battle.
“Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:13–17 NLT).
We have all we need through His Word and the Holy Spirit to face down the enemies, and He has given us our marching orders.
We must defend what we know the Bible defines as good, true, and pure. Through our prayers and joyful and hardy resolve, let us fight back against the onslaught of the enemy’s strategies to take this world for his own.
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Cathe Laurie is the founder and director of the Virtue women’s ministry. She is also a featured speaker on The Virtue Podcast, at Harvest events, and the author of As I See It. You can find her weekly articles here on harvest.org.
