ARE YOU FIGHTING?

“Fighting” is a word most often used in Christian churches to describe conflicts between brothers and sisters in Christ that cause divisions and strife among God’s people. In most circumstances in which the word is used it relates to something negative happening in the body of Christ. But I suggest that it is one of the most important words for the believer to consider and perhaps one of the greatest truths missing in the Church today.

In Acts 20:24 the Apostle Paul is recorded as having said “But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God.” Near the end of his life Paul wrote to Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:7 and said “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith.” Webster’s defines fighting as follows; to contend in battle, to put forth a determined effort, to struggle to endure. Are you fighting the good fight?

In Colossians 4:14 the Apostle Paul wrote “Luke, the beloved physician, sends you his greetings, and also Demas.” In Philemon 1:23-24 he wrote “Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you, as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow workers.” In the closing of these two letters Paul mentions a few of the men he is serving alongside with in the ministry. In the Philemon passage he calls them his “fellow workers”. These are undoubtedly men he has prayed with, wept with, preached the gospel with, taught the word with, broke bread with, counseled others with and perhaps even shared a jail cell with.

Requesting that Timothy come to him soon, in 2 Timothy 4:10, Paul told him “for Demas, having loved this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica; Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia.” Yes, Demas had deserted Paul. Approximately seven years after writing Colossians and Philemon where Demas is mentioned among Epaphras, Mark, Aristarchus and Luke as one of Paul’s “fellow workers”, Paul finds himself painfully informing Timothy that Demas has deserted him. I believe it was with sadness that Paul wrote those words to Timothy. We are not told exactly when this took place but we are given the reason for the desertion. Love for the world. Many years later the Apostle John would write “Do not love the world nor the things in the world”. In Titus 2:12 Paul spoke of the necessity “to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age” and in James 1:27 we read “Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.”

Among several others, we find the following admonitions in scripture: Galatians 5:1 “keep standing firm”; Colossians 3:1 “keep seeking the things above”; 1Thessalonians 5:21 “hold fast to that which is good”; 1 Peter 1:13 “keep sober in spirit”; Hebrews 12:2 “fixing our eyes on Jesus”; 1 Corinthians 16:13 “stand firm in the faith”; Philippians 3:16 “let us keep living by the same standard to which we have attained”; Hebrews 12:1 “run with endurance”; 2 Timothy 2:4 “No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life”.

Somewhere along the way Demas stopped standing firm, stopped holding on, stopped denying worldly desires, stopped seeking the things above, he stopped being serious minded, took his eyes off of Christ, entangled himself in the affairs of everyday life, loved the things of the world and stopped fighting the good fight of faith. Over the years, Demas has been joined by countless brothers and sisters of the faith. Perhaps God is reminding many today of the need to fight.

We must first realize that there is a fight to be fought. We need a desire to be counted amongst the coworkers, the fighters of the good fight, and finishers of the course. May we cringe at the thought of being described as a deserter. It is a fight requiring discipline so we must look to the Lord and His word and remind one another that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.

Yes Christians, fight! Fight the good fight of faith. Fight in His strength and according to His ways. Jude 1:24 says that He “is able to keep you from stumbling”. As instructed in Hebrews 3:13 let us encourage one another day after day. One day we may have the great privilege to say “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith”. Praise the Lord! To Him be the glory! Because of Him, this fight is one that is worth fighting.

Greg Engebretson