Tag: fight

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1 Timothy 6:12a – Faith Fight

Old boxing gloves (Pixabay)

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? 

Please click ‘’Continue Reading” for comments.

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1 Timothy 1:18c – How Christians Fight

Graphic rendering of the "armor of God" (Grok)

… so that by recalling them you may fight the battle well …

Summary: Paul’s admonition to “fight the battle well” makes us wonder what he means by “fight.”   

It is worth taking a few minutes to pause and think about what Paul means by “fight the battle well.” 

Normally, in human terms, the word “fight” involves a struggle for domination. Sometimes it is a matter of aggression. The other side of the coin is fighting to survive. Both types involve overcoming the opponent. 

Our language embraces this kind of thinking. We talk about “survival of the fittest” and the “struggle to survive.” Even our pets know how hard it is to get along because it is a “dog eat dog world.” 

Christians fight differently. 

Believers don’t fight for domination. We don’t even fight to survive. Instead, our struggle is to obey God and honor our King. 

Think about Jesus for a moment. How many times did he haul off and punch a Pharisee in the mouth? It is not that he wouldn’t have been justified in dispensing a little “justice.” 

And what about Paul? Did he hurl insults at his opponents? Did he ever take out a sword and start lopping off limbs? Did he, after his encounter with Jesus, ever do anything that would have physically hurt anybody?*

No. 

So what does Paul mean by “fight the battle well?”

Perhaps the best description of what it means to fight a Christian battle is found in Ephesians (Ephesians 6:10-20). In this chapter, Paul famously talks about a Christian’s battle gear — the armor of God. 

To begin with, Paul points out that “our struggle is not against flesh and blood.” This is important. Jesus died because he wanted “all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 1:4). So if our King, Jesus, wants people to be saved, it doesn’t make sense for us to go around beating them up. 

The second thing that stands out in the Ephesians passage is the constant refrain of standing your ground: … take your stand against the devil’s schemes. (v 11), and … “stand your ground,” …”to stand,” “Stand firm …” (vs 13-14)

Our God wants us to stand firm. Our only weapon is the “sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (vs 17). 

The other instruction he gives us is to pray: pray, pray, pray (Eph 6:18-20). 

If we can do these things, hang onto the Word of God, walk in the Spirit, and stand firm in the faith, we will fight the battle well. 

Application: Stand firm! 

Food for Thought: If we are in a battle, how do we know if we are winning? 

*Yes, he did wish that certain people would emasculate themselves, but that was just talk (Galatians 5:12). 

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Philippians 3:2 – Fighting Words

AI Picture of vicious "dogs" to illustrate Paul's words. (Grok)

Watch out for those dogs, those evildoers, those mutilators of the flesh.

Summary: Paul’s use of name-calling serves a specific purpose, and it might not be what you expect.   

There is a saying I remember from childhood when someone had harsh words to say about someone else — they would say, “Them’s fighting words!” If somebody were to call you a “dog,” you might feel inclined to defend your honor. If so, that is because “dog,” “evildoer,” and “mutilator of the flesh” all fall into the “fighting words” category. 

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Philippians 1:26a – Fighting Fear

Picture of a small child dressed as a boxer (Pixabay)

… without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. 

Summary: Paul’s words in this passage touch on a nerve that everyone has experience with: fear. 

To get the context for this passage, let’s step back and take a look at Paul’s entire thought: 

“… I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you.”

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