Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 1 Timothy 6:12 NKJV

In the race of faith (Heb. 12:1), you have to fight for your rights, and for what is right in Christ. You need to be in it to win! It’s like what the character, Sofia, said in that award winning movie: “All my life I had to fight” (The Color Purple, 1985). For some, this is true in life, but it is also true for every believer in their Christian faith. In the above text, the word “Fight” does not mean combat, but rather, it means to contend (Jude 3). The word is not taken from the battlefield, but from an athletic contest. The fight is the race connected with your faith in God.

We are told by the Apostle Paul to “fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life . . .” (Text). What does this mean? Why is it a “good fight”? To fight the “good fight of faith” means to stand firm and to stay anchored in the Word of God, and fight against the enemies of faith: yourself, other people, and the devil. It is a good fight because you always win; it means to be in it to win it!

First, fight the good fight against yourself by reckoning yourself to be dead to your un-regenerated feelings and human reasoning that is not in line with the Word of God. You must resist ungodly thoughts, desires, and affections, and unpack all of the old baggage that you’ve carting around from your sinful past (Rom. 12:1-2). Be in it to win it; therefore, do not run this race of faith like a man running aimlessly; do not fight like a man beating the air. Land your spiritual punches! Keep yourself under subjection to God and His Word so that when you have preached and witnessed the faith to others, you will not be disqualified for the prize, i.e., eternal life (1 Cor. 9:26-27).

Secondly, fight the good fight against others. Run well and do not let anyone hinder you (Gal. 5:7), neither let anyone throw you into confusion by perverting the good news of the Gospel of grace. Stand firm in your faith—stand on God’s Word. Resist all unscriptural ideas, advice, and opinions (See Gal. 1:7-10).

And thirdly, fight the good fight against the devil, just like Jesus did. Jesus fought the good fight with the Word of God (Matt. 4).  Remember, our struggle is not always against “flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Eph. 6:12). To be in it to win it, requires that you first be submitted unto God, then you can resist the devil and he will flee from you (Jas. 4:7). To resist is to stand against; stand against demonic thoughts, lies, and deceptions; and, fight against the “ifs” of the devil, just like Jesus did (See Matt. 4). Be in it to win it!