Let the Fight of Faith Be Fought

"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." (1 Timothy 6: 12)

When reading this verse, our first impulse  is to put up our fists and start punching and kicking. Some of us, who grew up in more charismatic circles, may start running around yelling and rebuking the devil and every sickness we can think of, binding and cursing.

Yet throughout the Bible there are numerous verses which speak of the Enemy defeated, and sin paid for:

"Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us." (Romans 8: 37)

and also

"I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I have written to you, children, because you know the Father." (1 John 2: 13)

"You have overcome the wicked one", John writes to the young men, and they are not even fully grown in Christ!

Also:

"These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." (John 16: 33)

and also

"For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.: (1 John 5: 4)

Paul writes to Timothy, and thus to all of us, that we fight "the good fight of faith."

The full Greek is better rendered:

"Let the good fight of faith be fought." The language is the passive imperative, which is a command to be passive. English does not lend itself to such constructions, but Greek does.

It's not about what we do, but what we believe, and that we rest further in this faith as we grow.

"Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?" (1 John 5: 5)