The Good Fight Of Faith Calls Every Christian To Stand In God’s Armour, Finish Their Course, Keep The Faith And Live For The Crown Promised To Those Who Love His Appearing
The good fight begins with the courage to obey God when obedience costs you something. Joshua needed that courage to lead Israel forward, and Paul called Timothy to exercise it in the spiritual warfare of the Christian life. There will be opposition to the truth, temptation to compromise, and days when the weariness of serving makes quitting seem attractive. Those are the very circumstances in which faithfulness matters. The Lord has given us His word, entrusted us with the gospel, and commanded us to stand. Every believer needs to take that charge personally.
“Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.” 1 Timothy 6:12 (KJB)
Fighting that good fight requires both sound doctrine and a good conscience. The truth we preach must govern the life we live. Paul warns about making shipwreck, commands us to put on the whole armour of God, and identifies the word of God as the sword of the Spirit. We need that Book open, our hearts responsive to its correction, and our prayer lives active. False teaching must be answered, temptation must be resisted, and thoughts that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God must be brought into obedience to Christ. This warfare reaches into our homes, our churches, our preaching, and the private decisions nobody else sees. God supplies the power to stand. Near the end of his life, Paul could look back and testify that he had fought a good fight, finished his course, and kept the faith. Then he looked ahead to the righteous Judge who would reward his service. That ought to put fresh determination into every weary Christian who still has work to do. The Lord knows what faithfulness has cost you. He sees the quiet obedience, the continued labour, and the decision to keep going when you feel spent. Keep serving with His appearing in view. Paul’s expectation reaches beyond his own testimony to every believer who loves the Lord’s appearing. Do you? That’s the question we ask today on this Sunday Service on the good fight.
The Bible Believers Sunday Service: The Good Fight
The Good Fight
Main Text
“Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.” 1 Timothy 6:12 (KJB)
“I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:” 2 Timothy 4:7 (KJB)
“Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.” 2 Timothy 4:8 (KJB)
Central Truth: The Lord calls the Christian to spiritual warfare, supplies the weapons for the battle, and will judge and reward faithful service. We are to fight the good fight, finish our course, keep the faith, and love His appearing.
Introduction: Paul told Timothy to fight the good fight of faith. Near the end of his own life, Paul could testify that he had fought, finished, and kept the faith. The instructions became a lived testimony, followed by the expectation of a crown. The Old Testament teaches us about courage, obedience, and dependence upon the LORD. Rightly dividing the word of truth keeps Israel’s commanded military battles in their historical setting while applying Paul’s explicit instructions about the church’s spiritual warfare.
“Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.” 1 Timothy 1:16 (KJB)
I. The LORD Calls His People To Courageous Obedience
Main Text
“Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.” Joshua 1:7 (KJB)
“Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.” Joshua 1:9 (KJB)
“And Joshua said unto them, Fear not, nor be dismayed, be strong and of good courage: for thus shall the LORD do to all your enemies against whom ye fight.” Joshua 10:25 (KJB)
The LORD joined Joshua’s courage to obedience: he was to be strong so that he would observe God’s law. God’s command and God’s presence gave Joshua a reason to go forward. Later, Joshua encouraged his captains with the assurance he had received. The promises concern Israel’s possession of the land, and the lesson for us is clear: faith in what God has said gives courage to do what He commands.
Application: Identify the instruction from Scripture you already know you need to obey. Fear of opposition must be faced with confidence in the Lord. Encourage other believers to obey Him by directing them to His word.
II. Fight The Battles Of The LORD In Dependence Upon Him
Main Text
“And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD’S, and he will give you into our hands.” 1 Samuel 17:47 (KJB)
“Be of good courage, and let us play the men for our people, and for the cities of our God: and the LORD do that which seemeth him good.” 2 Samuel 10:12 (KJB)
“I pray thee, forgive the trespass of thine handmaid: for the LORD will certainly make my lord a sure house; because my lord fighteth the battles of the LORD, and evil hath not been found in thee all thy days.” 1 Samuel 25:28 (KJB)
“And blessed be thy advice, and blessed be thou, which hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood, and from avenging myself with mine own hand.” 1 Samuel 25:33 (KJB)
David faced Goliath with confidence that the battle belonged to the LORD. Joab urged courage for the people and entrusted the outcome to God. Abigail described David as fighting the LORD’s battles while urging him to abandon his intended vengeance against Nabal’s household. David thanked her for keeping him from bloodshed. A servant who fights faithfully must receive God’s correction as readily as he faces opposition.
Application: Bring the cause you defend and the methods you use under Scripture. Depend upon God’s strength, accept sound correction, and exercise restraint when personal anger threatens to govern your actions.
III. Join Courage With Steadfast Faith And Charity
Main Text
“Be strong, and quit yourselves like men, O ye Philistines, that ye be not servants unto the Hebrews, as they have been to you: quit yourselves like men, and fight.” 1 Samuel 4:9 (KJB)
“Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong. Let all your things be done with charity.” 1 Corinthians 16:13,14 (KJB)
In 1 Samuel 4:9, the Philistines are encouraging one another to fight Israel. Their courage alone does not establish God’s approval of their cause. The expression “quit yourselves like men” calls for courageous, resolute conduct. Paul uses that language while expressly directing Christians to stand fast in the faith. He immediately joins their strength to charity. Christian courage must be governed by the truth and exercised with love.
Application: Stand firmly for sound doctrine. Speak and act with charity toward the people you seek to help. Examine both the truth of your position and the spirit in which you defend it.
IV. War A Good Warfare Holding Faith And A Good Conscience
Main Text
“This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare; Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck:” 1 Timothy 1:18,19 (KJB)
Paul charges Timothy to war a good warfare and reminds him of the prophecies previously made concerning him. The next verse identifies what Timothy must hold while carrying out that charge: faith and a good conscience. Doctrine and personal integrity belong together in faithful ministry. Paul’s warning about shipwreck shows the seriousness of rejecting the conscience’s testimony under God’s word.
Application: Keep believing God’s word and responding honestly to its correction. Confess known sin, make wrongs right where you can, and refuse to excuse conduct that undermines the truth you teach.
V. Use The Weapons God Supplies To Pull Down Strong Holds
Main Text
“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;” 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (KJB)
Truth: While defending his apostolic ministry, Paul explains the nature of his warfare. Its power comes through God. The strong holds in this passage are described through imaginations and proud opposition to the knowledge of God. The stated objective is obedience to Christ. We apply this by confronting false teaching with Scripture and bringing our own assumptions, desires, and reasoning under its authority.
Application: Answer error with the word of God. Examine what governs your thinking, seek understanding in prayer, and obey the truth you understand. Depend upon God as you teach and seek to persuade others.
VI. Put On The Whole Armour Of God
Main Text
“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 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. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;” Ephesians 6:10-18 (KJB)
Truth: Paul identifies the spiritual opposition and tells believers where their strength must come from. The repeated command to stand requires the whole armour God supplies. Each part belongs in the Christian’s daily walk.
- Truth governs what we believe and how honestly we live.
- Righteousness calls us to an upright walk before God.
- The gospel of peace prepares our feet for faithful service.
- Faith trusts God while facing the wicked one’s assaults.
- Salvation gives the believer confidence in God’s saving work.
- The word of God is the sword of the Spirit and must be known and used faithfully.
- Prayer and watchfulness express continual dependence upon God and concern for all saints.
Application: Give Scripture, prayer, and obedience a settled place in your day. Take spiritual opposition seriously, and pray for other believers who are facing it. The command is to put on the whole armour.
VII. Endure Hardness And Please The One Who Chose You
Main Text
“Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully.” 2 Timothy 2:3-5 (KJB)
Truth: The good soldier endures hardship and keeps his service directed toward pleasing the one who enlisted him. Entanglements interfere with that duty. Paul’s next illustration adds that the contestant must strive lawfully to receive the crown. The Lord has authority over both the work and the way it is done. Faithfulness includes endurance, proper priorities, and obedience to His instructions.
Application: Examine the commitments and habits that repeatedly draw you away from your responsibilities to the Lord. Order ordinary work and family duties faithfully, and remove entanglements that prevent you from serving Him.
VIII. Finish The Course Entrusted To You
Main Text
“But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.” Acts 20:24 (KJB)
Truth: In Acts, Paul expresses his determination to finish his course and fulfill the ministry he received from the Lord Jesus. In 2 Timothy 4:7, he testifies that he has finished it. The years between those statements involved suffering, labour, and continued obedience. His example teaches us to persevere in the responsibilities God has given us. A faithful beginning must be followed by faithful continuance.
Application: Do the work the Lord has already placed before you. Serve your family and church, bear witness to the gospel, and use the opportunities He gives you. Take the next faithful step when the whole course feels long.
IX. Keep The Faith When Sound Doctrine Is Rejected
Main Text
“Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” 2 Timothy 4:2-4 (KJB)
Truth: Paul’s testimony that he kept the faith follows his charge to preach the word. He warns Timothy that people will reject sound doctrine and choose teachers who satisfy their desires. The minister must continue to reprove, rebuke, and exhort with longsuffering and doctrine. Keeping the faith includes preserving the truth in our teaching and continuing to obey it when hearers resist it.
Application: Measure teaching by the King James Bible and handle its passages in their proper context. Teach the next generation. Remain patient with people while maintaining the doctrine Scripture gives you.
X. Live For The Righteous Judge And The Coming Crown
Main Text
“Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.” 2 Timothy 4:8 (KJB)
“If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.” 1 Corinthians 3:14,15 (KJB)
Truth: Paul’s testimony about fighting, finishing, and keeping the faith leads into his expectation of a crown. The Lord who knows his service is the righteous Judge who will reward it. The crown of righteousness is expressly promised to all who love His appearing. First Corinthians also distinguishes a servant’s reward from his salvation: work may abide and receive reward, or burn and bring loss, while the servant himself is saved. The Christian’s service matters eternally.
Application: Live in expectation of meeting Christ. Let love for His appearing shape today’s choices, and seek His approval in the work that others may never notice. The righteous Judge will assess your service faithfully.
Application
To The Believer: Take your place in the good fight. Put on God’s armour, keep your conscience clear, and fulfill the responsibilities Scripture places before you.
To The Preacher And Teacher: Preach the word with longsuffering and doctrine. Equip the saints to recognize error, obey Scripture, and stand in the strength of the Lord.
To The Weary Servant: Bring your weariness to the Lord in prayer. Receive help from faithful believers, and continue in the work He has given you. Your labour in the Lord has lasting value.
Closing Challenge
“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 15:58 (KJB)
Examine your service before the Lord. What truth must you stand for? What entanglement must you remove? What neglected duty must you resume? Take the next step of obedience today.
Keep fighting the good fight, finish your course, keep the faith, and love His appearing.
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