“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”
2 Timothy 4:7
My husband, Ken, is a World War II buff, especially when it comes to knowing types of airplanes and ships. But I couldn’t care less why the Army Air Corps used B-29 instead of B-17 bombers in the Pacific theater. I’m just not interested in war. I agree with the person who said, “There’s no such thing as a bad peace or a good war.”
However, I’m reminded of one war that is emphatically good. I read how the apostle Paul, near the end of his battle-scarred life, laid down his weapons of warfare and said, “I have fought the good fight.”
The good fight of a Christian is the one battle to get rid of all evil, especially in our lives. We choose our weapons — either a bullet-sized verse, or bulletproof prayer. We may grieve over lost territory because of disobedience, but we can rally to reclaim lost ground. Sometimes we have to tighten a tourniquet on wounded pride, or step back for reconnaissance into God’s Word.
Every day, you and I go into war against an ensnaring world, a corrupt flesh, and a busy devil. The front lines are a risky and ruggedly demanding place to be. But the battle prize is for all of us who reckon the fight to be… good.
For you, the front lines of the good fight may be drawn against an extra minute or two of an indecent TV program. Or when you battle a surge of self-pity. Your fight may be against immoral thoughts that linger in your mind, or phrases that manipulate others. Choose your weapons because your warfare is real.
As the Captain of the Lord’s Army, I thank You for the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit. Help me to fight the good fight.
