Fight the Good Fight
Open Your Bible
1 Timothy 6:11-21, Psalm 25:12-15, 2 Peter 1:5-11, Jude 1:20-25
BY Bailey T. Hurley
Our societies have always had competing doctrines of faith, hungry idols, and wayward truths vying for our attention, money, and wholehearted worship. Our sinful appetites make it easy to doubt God and wonder, Can we fully trust who God says He is when our culture often celebrates the opposite ideas and values?
In 1 Timothy 6, Paul warns God’s people about human greed—he doesn’t want the family of God to get lost in the temptations of the world and forget they were not destined to remain a part of it. I very much relate to those who were hypnotized by all the world has to offer. I can easily succumb to wanting good things and believing I deserve them. It could be fancy food or the newest fashion or it could be as simple as clinging to the pleasures of this world and losing my hunger for God. The worst-case scenario is that I suddenly wake up and realize I traded in the true doctrine for the false ones advertised on my social media. What a scary thought! So, Paul calls God’s people to “fight the good fight of the faith” (1Timothy 6:12) and to trust in God’s rich provision over the insufficient riches of this world.
For those of us who confess Jesus as Lord, we must continually fight to keep Him in the position of Lord over our lives. I think of Paul who declared: “I also consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of him I have suffered the loss of all things and consider them as dung, so that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own from the law, but one that is through faith in Christ—the righteousness from God based on faith” (Philippians 3:8–9).
Our weapon to fight the good fight is our faith. Trusting and believing that losing everything the world says we need is worth gaining Christ—trusting in His promises over the world’s empty ones. And just when we think we can’t possibly fight this fight, 2 Peter tells us that God will give us everything we require to be able to “escape the corruption that is in this world because of evil desire” (2Peter 1:4). I’m encouraged knowing God will help me supplement my faith with “goodness, goodness with knowledge, [and] knowledge with self-control…” (v.5) so that I stand a chance against those false teachings and tantalizing ideas that are hungry for my soul.
We stand together and we stand with God, and we fight a battle Jesus has already won. Unfortunately, we may not always walk away victorious from our sin on this side of heaven. Still, our lack of faithfulness never takes away what Jesus defeated in His death and resurrection. Today, let’s fight the good fight of the faith by humbly confessing our faults and failures and taking hold of life found only in Jesus Christ.
This devotional was updated on May 18, 2022 at 2:05 p.m.
52 thoughts on "Fight the Good Fight"
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such a sweet reminder that we are equipped with everything we need to live a Godly life. sweet blessings to all my Godly sisters ❤️
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Tina, I too have been blessed with that same mercy of knowing where our daughter Taylor is when she was called home on 8-24-19 very unexpectedly. She journaled that morning, “What is my purpose Lord?” Then after doing an act of kindness for someone, she was shot as they shot through her apartment door after she walked through it. So, she didn’t ever see it coming and I believe God took her by the hand and said it’s time to go. Our daughters are together celebrating our Heavenly Father and we have the comfort of knowing we’ll see them again some day. I pray blessings to you especially on those hard, tearful days for I know all too well that they do come.
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I like to take time to look at Scripture in different versions, because it never fails that in a different version, something will jump out to me and help me understand even more. Just wanted to share what I found with 2 Peter 1:6 with the word endurance: NKJV says perseverance; ESV says steadfastness; ASV says patience. 2 Peter 1:8 with the word useless: ASV says be not idle; ESV says ineffective; NIV says ineffective and unproductive; NKJV says barren; NLT says “the more productive and useful you will be.” Different ways to say the same thing, but some ways are so much more powerful to me than others! What may not make sense to me in one version, may rock me to my core in another version! God is so good!!
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Tina, you are such an inspiration to so many! It would have been so easy to become bitter, angry, lost after losing your precious daughter, But God! You sound so strong in God and His Truth, and you have that peace and comfort beyond all understanding, the peace and comfort that only He can provide. Thank you for taking the time to share your story! This is the kind of strength and courage I want when going through any trial or suffering in this world – to lean on Him first and foremost and know, even though I might be hurting, the He has a plan! Rest assured, you will see your daughter again, and it will be the most precious sight of her running to you and jumping into your arms!! God bless you!
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Yes!!!
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Tina,
As I read your story, I can only think that the tears in your eyes while writing it are not only because you miss your daughter more than your heart can bear, and because of the joy you feel knowing she is with the Father, but also because of the pride you must feel having raised such a God-loving child. We all have our crosses to bear, and I have my own right now. I pray that God gives me the strength and peace he gave you to help me get through my days. You and your family are in my prayers.
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