1 Timothy 6:12 AMP
[12] Fight the good fight of the faith [in the conflict with evil]; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and [for which] you made the good confession [of faith] in the presence of many witnesses.
It is important to consider the author as well as the recipient of this letter. Paul was writing to the young man, Timothy, who he had met on one of his missionary journeys, and had groomed to preside over the church in Ephesus. That was no mean responsibility, considering that Ephesus was a town known for idolatry. It is important to note that depth will always be tested. Timothy had learnt a lot under Paul, but now was the time to apply those lessons to daily reality. Like Timothy, I must take every opportunity to learn about God very seriously; the times we live in call for some serious commitment to Godly pursuits and priorities.
As the verse above makes clear, we have been drafted into a fight. Like all fights, this is one you have to go into with clarity on what the target is, with the right motivation, and focused on the right end. The choice of words here, such as 'fight', makes it clear that even though we serve a God of peace, with Jesus called the Prince of Peace, yet, in the same Scripture, He is also called the man of War. This tells me that there will be times and seasons where I have to take a stand, make a choice or simply focus on one thing. We also have an advantage, which is that the One who described this as a fight is skilled in it, and has never been defeated.
God speaks from a position of strength. He does not lose; and for those who follow and obey Him, they also do not lose, no matter how the fight may appear to end for them. It must be clearly understood that we are called to a fight against a known enemy: evil in any form, which is propagated by the devil and his cohorts. The child of God is expected to take a stand against all that the devil represents. It cannot be this comfortable hypocrisy, where we do not want to offend other people. It must not be this middle-of-the-road thing, where we stay on the fence without being known or committed to any side. Being lukewarm comes at a cost: rejection by God.
My confession of Jesus as my Lord and Saviour has made it clear to people where I stand and who I stand with. I could not have called myself, because I did not even know that I needed help. This also means that with my new relationship, I have now taken hold of eternal life with God, which is His promise to all who hold on to the end. I must also know that the devil will continue to try to distract, deceive, deflate and defeat me, but as long as I am focused on the One who calls me, I have nothing to fear. This is the encouragement that should gird my heart: in His hands, I am safe. In His hands, nothing can touch me without His permission. What can anyone offer me that could beat that? God's time of favour is here.
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