"Fight the good fight of the faith." 1Timothy 6:12
Christianity is not a passive religion that advocates waiting for God to act. We must have an active faith. Other words from Paul to Timothy in surrounding passages suggest that he flee, pursue and take hold. Uh-oh when do we flee and when do we fight? Not an easy decision to make all the time. I have fled when I should have fought and I have fought when I should have fled.
The key word in this verse is 'good'. There are good and bad fights, and good and bad flights, so to speak. So the question is begging, fight or flight. Back to the word 'good'. If it is a good fight it is one that is definitely glorifying of Him For example; picking a fight with the devil is not glorifying to God, whereas defending yourself from Him is glorifying to Him. Picking a fight with the devil is like rushing hell with a squirt gun. Not wise, and a rather amusing illustration. Whereas resisting the devil is a good fight, because in doing so, God promises us that satan will flee. Fighting the world is a foolish bout, and resisting the temptations of the world is a good example of God's victory already won within us. We should choose our fights wisely and with His counsel.
I hope you are only fighting the good fights and not the bad ones. May He give you wisdom in choosing your battles and opponents, your foes and fronts. Do not assume He is on your side unless you know for sure you are on His side in every fight of your life. There is a time to fight and a time to flee. For example, sexual sin is a time to flee and a biblical principle is a time to fight. If we learn to fight and flee at the right times we can save ourselves a lot of time and trouble. So fight or flee, just ask Him first and follow His directions.
Battle-worn,
Pastor Fred
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Great points, Pastor! A humorous, though tragic, sidebar to these truths is the quote that I picked up in this morning's newspaper bridge column: "Those who flee temptation generally leave a forwarding address." Too true for most of us - the notable Biblical exception of course is Joseph. It was a good day in the comics, as the cryptoquote was also philosophically well-taken: "in my home, we've got a system for arguments: we just talk and talk until my wife is right." Thanks, Pastor, for your wisdom in this matter! As usual, the Pastor is a step ahead of the newspaper in the only news that matters.
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