This is Why We Fight

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. 1Ti 6:12 

The Unseen War

To believe is to be at war.

To read the Bible is to be at war.

To meditate.

To sing.

To share.

To pray.

It is war throughout.

God Taught His People How to Fight

Not that God is combative, but the days are evil.

And the whole world lies in wickedness.

It is exhorted: Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

To “work out” is to fight.

Daily we are at war.

Against pride.

Against anger.

Against fear.

Against lies.

Against unbelief.

Against false accusation.

Against laziness.

Against tiredness.

Against lust.

Against social media.

Against war at home.

Against war at church.

It is war up to the end. Be assured of that.

Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. 

But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. 2Ti 3:12-13  

So we praise, and that is war.

We serve, and that is war.

We pray and that is war.

Fight on, brethren. You are not alone.

He is there with you.

Remember his promises.

Cleave to them.

He will never leave you nor forsake you.

The Old Nature Versus The New

To “work out” is to fight.

Because the old nature will want to pull you back. It won’t die easily.

The world will want to pull you back.

The devil will want to pull you back.

Temptations and trials will arise.

Will you fight or will you resign?

To pray is to fight.

Daniel fought.

Habakkuk fought.

Abraham believed God against hope.

The prophets fought.

Paul and Silas sang in prison.

But they kept the faith.

They fought to the end.

Will you?

And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: 

Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 

Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Heb 11:32-34  

 

Wrestle the Whole Night

Jacob wrestled with God the whole night.

In the morning he received the blessing.

How long have you?

And while you are at it remember to keep the joy!

Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. 

So take up the whole armor of God. Girting your loins with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and shodding your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace. And above all take the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And don’t forget the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

There is a war we can see. The bigger war is the one we can’t see. Hence we are enjoined to pray always with all prayer.

Persistently.

Perseveringly.

Without ceasing.

Travel Light

To win a war one must travel light.

To win war one has to fight well according to the Captain’s instructions. To win war one has to be healthy. To win war one must know one’s enemies.

Is it self?

Is it the world?

Is it the devil?

A good soldier separates himself from the world. A good soldier of Christ guards himself against pollution. 

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us. Heb 12:1  

A good soldier takes care whom he mixes with in this life.

Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. Gal 6:7  

Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. 1Co 15:33  

A good soldier is loyal to his king. He does not regard his life but only that of the king.

A good soldier is faithful up to the end.

Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you. 1Sa 12:24  

Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. Php 1:6 

Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it. 1Th 5:24 

A good soldier practices daily to stay fit.

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. 2Co 10:3-5 

Think Eternally

Choose well your fights.

Not every war is your war.

War comes in many nuances.

You want to do right by God, but then you also have to labour and eat.
You want to be honest, but being dishonest pays a higher wage. You want to remain pure, but you also want marriage and children. You want to marry, and marry in church, but you also have to pay dowry.
You are jobless, but faith says trust God.
To count it joy, when there's no iota of joy, is nothing but war.

To wait on God daily. To fast. To read. To meditate. To pray. To hope. To hide. To cry. To sing. To visit. To counsel. To keep silent. To speak.

That is warfare.

It doesn't seem so.

But it is.

And having done all, stand.

The night may be long, but joy comes in the morning.

Christ is the same today, yesterday and forever.