Nobody takes hold of eternal life without a fight. Apostle Paul made this clear to his protege, Timothy: “Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses” (1Tim 6:12). As a child of God you have been called to enjoy eternal life. This is why Jesus says, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (Jn 10:10). The Christian life is not a call to passivity, but to active participation in the divine nature (eternal life): “… he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them YOU MAY PARTICIPATE IN THE DIVINE NATURE and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires” (2Pet 1:4 NIV) (emphasis mine).
The good fight of faith is the fight to keep God’s word in sight always. It is the fight to maintain your focus on God’s word to the point where it so saturates your mind, as to not only influence, but also define you. Therefore, Satan’s immediate objective is to divert your attention from God’s word— to steal your focus on the word of God. This is because he does not want you to imagine and respond to reality as God’s word portrays it. Please note that whatever else Satan will steal from you will begin with his stealing the word of God from you. Otherwise, his mission to kill and destroy you fails woefully.
Apostle Paul knew that the ONLY way Timothy could participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world, was to fight the good fight of faith. This is equally true of you. Remember, YOU MAY PARTICIPATE IN THE DIVINE NATURE, only if you will FIGHT. Only those who fight the good fight take hold of eternal life (the highest quality of life possible). It is one thing to possess eternal life—just as every born again person does—but a different thing to participate in it. Though every Christian has the divine nature, not every Christian participates in this nature. Accordingly, your willingness to fight the good fight of faith, will determine whether you will enjoy this quality of life on earth.
Though your faith is the victory that has overcome the world (1Jn 5:4), it is only as authentic and valid as its source and the object of its focus. Genuine faith is not a product of human contrivance. Rather, it is an appropriate human response to a heartfelt conviction or assurance based on a personal revelation from the Holy Spirit. This implies that if you let your focus be drawn away from the revelation of Jesus Christ which the Holy Spirit gives you, you will suffer a defeat in your fight of faith. This is why the Bible commands you to, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he MAY devour” (1Pet 5:8) (emphasis mine). Take note that Satan cannot devour anyone without his or her permission. Hence, the Bible says, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith…” (Heb 12:2 NIV). He who authors your faith is the same person who sustains and perfects it. That you began well in faith towards a goal, does not necessarily mean that you will end well. This is sobering but true. Remember that Peter’s walking on the water towards Jesus began well, but was shortlived because he became distracted from Jesus. Similarly, if you are not sober and vigilant enough to keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, who is both the author and finisher of your faith, you will falter or fall altogether.
Consequently, your goal in this fight of faith should be to have the word of God firmly rooted in your heart, so that it can bear fruit in your life. The deeper the word of God is rooted in your heart, the stronger, lasting and more effective your faith will be. However, to achieve this noble goal will require that you take a careful look at Proverbs 4:20-21 and follow its instructions meticulously: “My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart.” Remember, “… from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force” (Matt 11:12). Only the violent can take. Therefore, FIGHT. Shalom.
