“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(KJV).
The word “fight” can mean many things. It could mean; to conduct or engage in battle or warfare, to engage in combat, to try to overpower or to fiercely counteract, to contend in physical conflict, to strive for or contend for success. The scriptural understanding of the above scripture agrees with all the above definitions of fight. For us to properly understand this, let us reconstruct this scriptures as follows: – “Having professed a good profession before many witnesses, you are required to fight the good fight of faith and lay hold on eternal life whereunto thou art also called”. The question is what is the good fight of faith?
The Christian race is a war, and battles are fought on daily basis. Our warfare is won by faith. Our faith in the finished work of Christ in redemption positions us for victory. Just like God told Moses in Deuteronomy 2:24(KJV), “Rise ye up, take your journey, and passover the river Arnon: behold, I have given into thine hand Sihon the Amorites, king of Heshbon, and his land: begin to possess it, and contend with him in battle”. This is exactly our kind of battle we fight on daily basis, to contend, to fiercely counter the enemy’s position against that which has been won for us.
At salvation Christ defeated the enemy and gave us victory over sickness, diseases, failure, untimely death, retrogression, retardation and shame. He defeated the devil and incapacitated all his devices and made them impotent on us. He gave us all that we require to live a life triumph and dominion, “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue” – 2 Peter 1:3(KJV). This war and battles are fought in the faith realm, backed by knowledge. These are not promises as it were because it happened at Calvary “Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it” – Colossians 2:15(N KJV). It is this good fight of faith that John the Apostle was referring to in 1 John 5:4(KJV), “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith”. It is faith that is our instrument of victory. Faith that is developed out of knowledge of the truth is what places us in command. That is why Jesus spoke in John 8:32(KJV) “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free”. In another place he said; “If the Son therefore shall make free, ye shall be free indeed”. He also said in another place “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto my father but by me”. Putting these scriptures together it means that the knowledge of Jesus is the knowledge of the truth, because Jesus is the truth. Jesus is the Son of God, who also double as the truth, who when he sets any man free, such is free indeed. So our good fight of faith is putting absolute trust and confidence in Christ Jesus and his finished work at Calvary. Standing firmly on such knowledge gives us victory over every battle. Like Moses was instructed to begin to possess the land which God has given to them by contending with Sihon, so we are also required to begin to possess Christ’s victory by contending with the devil for an already won battle at Calvary.
It is only when we fight the good fight of faith after professing a good profession that qualifies us to lay hold on eternal life which we have also been called unto. If there is anything I wish, it is for the reader of this piece to find peace in God and be fully reconciled unto God.
Prayer: Father from the depth of my heart I pray that whosoever is reading this piece will find peace in you.
Bro. Joel Ezeugo