A Fighting Faith

1 Timothy 6:12

Lace ’em up, for in the words of Michael Buffer, “Let’s get read to rumble!”

Today’s verse says we must be ready to fight the good fight for true faith. We don’t often think of fighting when it comes to faith. We usually think of peace, meekness, and turning the other cheek. There is nothing wrong with that, for those are all things Jesus asked His followers to devote themselves to. But sometimes faith is a struggle, hence why Paul said we need to fight the good fight for the true faith.

I want to focus on the second part of that first, because there is the implication of a false faith. That kind of faith worships self, bows down to temptation, and contends we each can have our own personal truth rooted in fleeting feelings. That is not true faith. True faith worships God and bows down in submission to His will. True faith proclaims Jesus as Savior and pledges to obediently follow Spirit’s lead.

We must fight the temptation to make faith about self. It isn’t. It’s about God creating and loving us, Jesus saving us, and Spirit leading us. That leading is to be in service to others as we declare the good news of God that comes through forgiveness of sins…not something any of us could achieve or acquire on our own. That’s the struggle. Knowing that in the head does not always translate to the heart, so we fight in hopes we can somehow take control.

I’m not much of a pugilist, but I learned some valuable lessons as a kid taking karate and doing some MMA workouts later in life. Getting ready for a fight requires knowing your opponent — in this case, God’s enemy and your very own temptation. Then you need to get into a strong, stable stance; otherwise you’re easily knocked off balance. You must put up your guard to protect the head, face, and vital organs, lest you get knocked out cold. Muhammed Ali talked about floating like a butterfly and stinging like a bee, so you must stay on your toes, light on your feet, and ready to swiftly strike. When you do strike, it’s always good to have some combos to keep from being one dimensional and predictable. I mentioned Muhammed Ali, but Mr. Miyagi from “The Karate Kid” had some great wisdom, too, “Remember, best block, no be there.”

James 4:7 says, “So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” Staying humble before God keeps faith true. Resisting the devil and watching him scurry helps to keep him from whispering those sulfuric nothings in your ear. Don’t succumb to the temptation to make everything about self; know that and stand strong; keep your guard up and stay on your toes; implement combos like reading Scripture, praying, and filling your vacuous silence with worship music; strike out to serve and practice generosity. When you do those things, the enemy won’t know what to do, because when he tries to strike, you won’t even be in striking distance.

So let’s get ready to rumble, fighting the good fight of the true faith. Let’s bow down to God and submit to His will. Let’s declare salvation through Jesus, and follow the lead of Spirit as it trains us, guides us, and directs our lives. Are you ready to lace ’em up? Let’s get ready to rumble!