CHRISTIAN FIGHT or BATTLE

CHRISTIAN FIGHT or BATTLE

“And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord's, and he will give you into our hands.” (as we enter into battle) 1 Sam. 17:47

There seems to be the idea that Christians are not to fight for what they believe or are involved in a battle. A better question would be to say how are we to engage in the fight or battle that we find ourselves within. This has always been His battle as well as His fight as the OT passage states. If  we follow Him as He always has asked His disciples, we are to use His methods and engage in the battle with Him. Paul has verses which clear up many issues. First in 1 Cor. 9:16 he states that he is engaged in this battle. “I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”

                Many say that Christ did not want His disciples to engage in fighting telling Peter to put away the sword. But He specifically limited the disciples fight to not include stopping His being delivered to the Jews in John 18:36. He resolutely set His face to go to Jerusalem and that included being delivered to the Jews. “Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.” Don’t engage in fighting to stop that from being done, it was part of the plan of God.

We are told to fight the good fight of faith in 1 Tim. 6:12. “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.” Faith is not just some kind of passive belief. It involves a lifelong “fight of faith.” There is also the “work of faith” (1 Thess. 1:3), and the “shield of faith” (Eph. 6:16) as well as the “breastplate of faith” (1 Thess. 5:8), and finally the “word of faith, which we preach” (Rom. 10:8). This faith is taking stands for the doctrines that Christ and His apostles all stood for and taught us. Paul did this to his end of days here on earth in 2 Tim. 4:7. “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.” And the crown of righteousness is awarded to all the fighters for Christ and His word who look for His return to end the fight. “Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.”

           We are called to fight against afflictions coming from Satan and his warriors who distort truth. This will continue until Christ comes back to finish this war with this mastermind. Heb. 10:34 says “But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions.” Israel has been under his attack from their beginning.

Heb. 11:34-39 says there has been valiant warriors since the beginning of the battle back in Genesis. “Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise.”

Prayer is a part of the fighting tools in James 4:2. “Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.” Many battles are won this way.” Knowing what to ask is made clear through scripture.

Rev. 2:16 states that the mouth is the sword but it needs to have the right words coming from within. “Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.” 

We have other arraignment that we need to use as Eph. 6:11, 13 states. “Put on the whole armor of God that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”

These words suggest assured victory and that which was as taught in the opening verses of the Ephesian letter as the predetermined plan of God. The context is seen as you read the Apostles words as he commences by saying, "Finally, be strong in the Lord and the strength of His might." Having those words in your memory now read "Having done all, to stand." They now suggest an absolute and an assured victory. All the enemies are recognized--"against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places." Remember from the first part of the Ephesian letter that we are to be a revelation and living spectacle of the wisdom and strength of the grace of God. The equipment of the soldier is described, the loins girded with truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the feet shod with the readiness of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, with prayer and supplication. The clash of the conflict is plainly heard and the outcome is known by the words, "Having done all, to stand." there is no quiver in the voice. The victory is not hypothetical. The outcome is not for one single moment uncertain. The soldier is "to stand...withstand...and having done all, to stand." He is to recognize the fact that he is not playing at battle. He is to "put on the whole armor of God" and "to take up the whole armor of God." To "put on" may be for military parade. To "take up" is for actual conflict. What is the outcome? "Having done all, to stand." That is the perfect picture of absolute victory. These words were addressed to the FAITHFUL in Christ Jesus. That does not mean those who are absolutely true and loyal necessarily; but it does mean those who are living on the principle of faith in Christ Jesus.  This letter was written to the soldier saints, those who wrestle and enter into conflict. He has been praying for those who give evidence of the life of Christ in them that they may know His will perfectly. There are those who know of the conflict but know little of the strenuousness of it. Also the ultimate meaning of life the apostle shows not to be discovered in the present life, that it does not lie in the realm of earthly things. By argument and teaching, declarative and illuminative statement, he proves the ultimate meaning of Christian life lies far beyond the present age, in those measureless ages that are to come. There the saints are to fulfill their ultimate work as they become the messengers to angels and ages of the grace and wisdom of God. These soldier saints in this world are only in preparation for higher, larger, nobler and fuller service. This life is only preparatory. The life of the saint is not a delicate softness. It is rather a stern conflict, for the men and women who share the mystic and mighty life of Christ, and are called to an ultimate work of strange and wonderful greatness, have present responsibilities, and these create the conflict. Thereby through the conflict and fight we learn the joy, peace of God submitting to the Leader and become messengers for Him in the ages to come.

I pray you are engaged in this fight. For those who don’t like to fight, you need to understand this life with Christ is a battle and certainly not for those who refuse to take a stand. It is not for the faint-hearted who like to sit in the background. Put on the armor and join in the daily battle which Christ has handed to us as He left this earth. The apostles understood this and many went to their death taking their stand.

I finish this article with Eph. 6:19-20. “And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.”