In the battle for truth, are you in or out? Will you faint, or will you fight? When the Lord calls you to action, will you dive in or bail out?

The apostle Paul told Timothy, “Fight the good fight of the faith” (1 Timothy 6:12). Are you a worrier or a warrior? If you expect the Christian life to be easy, you haven’t read the New Testament. Near the end of his life, Paul wrote, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7). He had battle scars, but no regrets. 

He urged, “Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood . . .” (Ephesians 6:10-12). The daily news focuses on “flesh and blood” stories about the economy, Hollywood celebrities, and political squabbles. Do we recognize that on a deeper level there’s spiritual warfare going on as Satan schemes to deceive God’s people and destroy God’s work?

Fight the Right Way, for the Right Things

We must choose our weapons wisely. “We do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with [like prayer, fasting, and the Word of God] are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds” (2 Corinthians 10:3, 4).

We must choose our battles wisely. We don’t have time for “quarreling about words,” “godless chatter,” and “foolish and stupid arguments” that merely produce quarrels (2 Timothy 2:14, 16, 23). But make no mistake about it. When it comes to the things that really matter, we will engage in the battle.

We will fight for our children and grandchildren. We will never stop praying for them, loving them, and guiding them in the ways of the Lord.

We will fight for people who are far from God. We will never become complacent about sharing the good news of Christ. 

We will fight for justice. We will protect the unborn and the fatherless, care for widows and the elderly, and serve the hungry, oppressed, and overlooked.

We will defend our faith graciously and persuasively, communicating what we believe (and why) with gentleness and respect.

We will fight for biblical truth. Amid the shifting sands of culture, God and his Word remain our bedrock, constant and unchanging.

We will fight for church unity. We will not allow Satan to divide us or distract us from our mission of helping people take their next steps with Jesus.

We will fight for hope. We won’t give in to cynicism and pessimism. Our hope is secured by the living Christ who rose from the dead and who has gone to prepare a place for us. 

If the battle looks overwhelming, take heart. A prophet told God’s people long ago, “This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s’” (2 Chronicles 20:15). 

There’s a lot to be concerned about in today’s world. Will you be a worrier, wringing your hands? Or with God’s help, will you be a warrior and join in the fight for what is right? 

David Faust serves as the Associate Minister at East 91st Street Christian Church in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Lesson study ©2018, Christian Standard Media. Print and digital subscribers are permitted to make one print copy per week of lesson material for personal use. Scripture quotations are from the New International Version, ©2011, unless otherwise indicated.