FIGHTING CHRISTIANS I TIMOTHY 6:12

What do you think about when you hear the word fight? BoxingA street brawlHusband & wife arguing Sometimes that kind of fighting creeps into the church and it ought not to be. Fighting seems out of place with Christianity There is a fight where Christians are commanded to fight Not flesh and fist kind, arguing and the like. This is a spiritual fight. I Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. Or does it?

The word fight conveys the idea of “to agonize, to contest publicly.” Christians are in a public contest Christians agonize because of sin in the flesh. We have an enemy to fight. I Peter 5:8 Be sober, be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking some one to devour. Ephesians 6:10-11 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Tonight let’s notice some things a Christian must fight.

We Must Fight Temptation Temptations come in different forms Temptation to do evil Trials TribulationsPersecution Satan sends these on us with one thing in mind: Get us to sin. Get us to fall away from the Lord. They come upon us almost everyday. James 1:2-4 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

We have an edge I Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your strength, but with the temptation will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. We will only get what we can handle God provides a way out We can fight temptation by knowing what is involved. II Corinthians 2:11 Lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.

James 1:14-16 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. I John 2:16 For all that is in the world the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the world. We can fight the temptation by resisting Satan. Matthew 4:10 Then Jesus said to him, "Be gone, Satan! for it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.'"

Like Paul, we must discipline our body and practice self-control. I Corinthians 9:27 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. Well, I do not run aimlessly, I do not box as one beating the air; But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified. James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Ephesians 4:27 Nor give place to the devil. I Thessalonians 5:22 Abstain from every form of evil.

We Must Fight Worldliness. Too many Christian want to keep one foot in the church and one foot in the world. I John 2:15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. We are told not to love the world. James 4:4 Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

Romans 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Faithfulness is the best weapon against the call of the world. I Corinthians 16:13 Be watchful, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong. We need to be transformed.

We Must Fight Discouragement It is easy to fall victim to this enemy. Discouragement is the fist step to defeat Elijah got discouraged, in I Kings 19 He thought he was all alone in the fight. But God reassured him there was still 7,000 who had not bowed to Baal. Sometimes we feel that way.“I’m the only one.” We also need to be reassured that we are not the only ones. Me plus God makes the majority. There are thousands upon thousands who are still keeping the faith. We are not left alone to fight the battle.

We Must Fight False Doctrine There seems to be a false doctrine on every corner. The Gospel of Christ is the only true message of salvation. It should never be perverted. We must stand up and fight for the faith. Jude 3 Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. I Peter 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.

We Must Fight Self Sometimes this is our biggest battle ground. Too often it’s all about me. 80% of sin revolves around self. We must die to self. Luke 9:23 "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 5:24

II Timothy 4: 6-7 For I am now ready to be offered and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. If you can honest say this then can also expect what Paul says in verse 8. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing. ARE YOU A FIGHTING CHRISTIAN?

Given by David Hamlin on pm Hollister, Missouri church of Christ