Fight the good fight of the faith.
Summary: Fighting the good fight may not be the kind of “fight” you are thinking of.
I love these pithy short sentences that Paul occasionally uses. They are a nice break from the struggle of analyzing his paragraph-long sentences that hurt my brain.
“Fight the good fight” is a saying you have probably heard at some point in your life. I know my dad used to say that occasionally when I was a kid. (Now we know where the saying comes from!)
The question now is, “What kind of ‘fight’ was Paul referring to?”
When I think of the word “fight,” my mind tends to go to the idea of defending myself or my family. I’ve known people who seem to be looking for a fight, but I am not one of them. So, the kind of ‘fight’ that comes to mind for me is the kind I am usually hoping to avoid.
I am also a bit conflicted about the word “fight,” because Jesus seems to preach against it.
Remember the Beatitudes? (Matthew 5:3-10)
“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” (v 5)
And this one:
“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” (v 7)
And then there was this one:
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” (v 9)
Of course, you remember this famous teaching of Jesus:
”But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.” (Matthew 5:39)
So what is Paul talking about?
It turns out that the particular Greek words he used are specific to striving to win a contest. He doesn’t mean fighting in a literal sense. Instead, he is talking about thinking of faith as a championship match. Pick your sport! It could be any kind of a physical contest. They all require the same things: An arena, a beginning and an end, officials to decide the winner, and an audience who is watching.
Our “arena” is this life in the body, the physical realm. The beginning is when we accept God’s offer of salvation through Jesus Christ. The “contest” is to remain faithful to Jesus during all the days of our lives. The “winner” is the one who is faithful to the end. And the audience?
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.” (Hebrews 12:1-2)
Application: Strive to remain faithful in all you think, do, and say.
Food for Thought: What is it about a “fight” that makes it a good analogy for the point Paul is making?
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