Fighting a Good Fight by Brother Duke Hansen

         A common misconception in corners of modern Christianity is once you have become saved, you are free from experiencing hardships, temptations, and struggles because of the finished work. Those who want to remain ignorant of things embrace fictions and theories mainly to confirm their biases on things in this world.

        You can learn whatever you set your mind to in life. God has given you the capability to comprehend and memorize new things. If you just read the four gospels and no other book of the Bible, you can plainly see how Jesus spoke of being separate from the world for a reason.

        The apostle Paul knew all about fighting in his life. When Paul was on his missionary journeys, he had wanted to go to Asia. God would tell him no and direct him to other places.

        Our scripture reading is going to be in 2 Timothy 4 this morning. Paul begins this chapter by writing to Timothy that he preach the word because of the times they were living in. Those first 5 verses are key for you and I to follow daily because the days have grown more wicked and the world has gotten worse.

        We have a disconnect in looking at people of the Bible and ourself. There's this inclination to lift them up on a pedestal as greater than we are in the faith. That's the wrong way to think about things. The great majority of believers today think that whatever they are going through, be it trial or illness or affliction all come from the devil. They don't dare take responsibility for the consequence of their personal decisions nor do they want to acknowledge sometimes those things are from God himself.

        Our scripture reading is verse 7 of 2 Timothy 4. We will be reading in a couple of other places this morning if the spirit allows.

        7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith;

        You aren't fighting the good fight if you have been in the same fight for several years. The reason you aren't gaining ground or victory could be that you're resistant to the truth or you may not be growing in the faith. It's hard to grow if you just show up a service, not read nor study, barely pray on tings, and live the same even after you invite Jesus to live in your heart. You can read Paul's fight as well as his journey through his letters in the new testament. You can see the growth and maturity in his walk of faith.

        So, our examination and focus for the message this morning is what is fighting a good fight? It's in gaining spiritual victory. You can't fight a good fight without faith. 

        We are going to turn to John chapter 16 and read verses 32 and 33.

        32 Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the father is with me.

        33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

        Jesus spoke to his disciples that they were going to be scattered yet not alone. The Holy Spirit given would give them peace. Jesus told the disciples this so they would not react wrongly on the events about to happen but to hold on to the faith.

        Fighting a good fight is searching for the silver lining behind the cloud. Looking for the sliver of good in the muck of the bad. A bad fight, one with no ground gained or victory is tiresome and exhausting. We all are going to have trials and tribulations but we are told to be of good cheer.

        How can we overcome without faith? You can't overcome. You live life in a repeating pattern with the same struggles, the same situations. You cannot fight in the flesh but you must fight in the spirit. We are all subject for our flesh is no good. We transpose or project our junk onto others.

        Overcome by faith through the blood of the lamb and the word of your testimony. It is verbal proof of putting off the old man and putting on the new. We are going to go to the book go 1 John chapter 5. We will read the first 8 verses there.

        Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God; and every one that loves him that begat loves him also that is begotten of him.

        2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.

        3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments, and his commandments are not grievous.

        4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

        5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

        6 This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that bears witness, because the Spirit is truth,

        7 For these are the three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.

        8 And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood; and these three agree in one.

        In this chapter John is similar to Paul in the opening verse. If you love God, God loved you first. Begot is your family and your inheritance. John is repeating what Jesus spoke to him in verse 2. Those who don't believe or not of the faith God's commandments are grievous towards.

        How devalued is the statement, "I'm a christian," if you aren't fighting a battle without faith. Notice the switch between verses 7 and 8. When you get to the end fo life, you should notice you fought a good fight. You have to let the burdens and hurts go and to forgive those who don't deserve it from the world's perspective.

        God tries to give you some victories in life to encourage you in your life. You have to figure out what fight you are in. God gives you instruction through scripture but you need to discern to see where you are. You cannot fight in faith with merely your head, Any of us can get to that "I quit!" season of defeat in our walk. Who will operate in faith? Who will seek affirmation or bellyache or pull people around them into their drama? These are questions to ponder on this morning.

        We all have things to work on in our life but you don't need to fight all the time. When you're putting others before yourself, God is working well within you. At your end have you fought in faith or did you just fight? What does the cross mean to us? To Jesus, he allowed it. The cross is a symbol of life. The loss of flesh to gain hope for us to put our faith in. Out of all his pain, I am able to go free. Dig into your life this week.