Fight
“FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!”
The chant rang louder and louder from the parking lot as an ever-growing circle surrounded the young men as they threw wild fist after fist in hopes of landing a decisive blow. Such a blow would not only settle this grudge match, but thrust the winner into youthful immortality. The crowd shouted their approval as the fists came harder and faster. There was no stopping them now….The fight was on!
This scene is fictionalized, but the simple story rings true. We all love a good fight. UFC President Dana White once said, “I don’t care what color you are, I don’t care what country you’re from; we’re all human beings and fighting’s in our DNA. We get it, and we like it.” White used this reality to capitalize financially on something humankind has been doing as sport for millennia. Martial arts, wrestling, and boxing have been around for thousands of years, but today we pay hundreds, if not thousands of dollars to watch as the best of the best battle for dominance inside a ring or octagon. We want to see a battle. We want to see a war. We want to see blood because that means there’s something at stake. We want to see sweat because that means that everything is being left in the ring. We want to see a fight. The fighter knows his fight is not just against his opponent, but against himself. He wins because he prepares each day to win. He prepares to win because he wants victory more than anything else. Deep down and more than anything else the fighter simply loves to fight.
Do You Fight for Things That Really Matter?
We may know what we should fight for, but what do we actually fight for? We know we are willing to fight for respect, success, and power in the world, yet we expect our relationship with God to be unaffected by our apathetic approach to it. We know we are prone to avoid or run from hard things and still, we ignore them. We are shocked when we find our most valuable relationships at home quickly spiraling out of control, but we have done nothing to invest in them. Why do so many men love to watch a good fight, yet resist when presented with an opportunity to fight for God’s plan, our families, and our neighbors? We resist because we have not resolved in our hearts and minds to put God and our families in front of ourselves. I believe our way out of this deadly cycle involves two deliberate acts of our will.
It Won’t Be Easy; Nothing Worthwhile Ever Is…
First, we must make a conscious choice to stand and fight though God’s power for the life that he intends for us. It will require humility to admit we need help from the Lord. It will be a fight to serve our families after a long day at work. It will be a fight to spend time with Jesus regularly. It will be a fight to hold our tongues when the boss is disrespectful. It will be a fight all day every day. As we spend time in the Word and prayer, we will learn to relish the fight because it brings honor and glory to Jesus. We fight not out of a desperate attempt for acceptance, but rather out of love for what Christ has done for us through his redemptive work on the cross and from the grave. We fight because we want the Lord’s best for ourselves, our families, and our communities.
The Battle Plan
We are reminded in Ephesians 6 that our daily battles are not always physical. Rather most days our battles are spiritual. When we enter a new day unprepared, we are setting ourselves up for failure by relying on our own strength instead of God’s. We are helpless without God’s protection, presence, and power in our lives. This second act also involves a practical daily plan. Thankfully, we are given this battle plan in Ephesians 6:10-20. In these verses (which I encourage you to check out here), we are provided a way to fight back against Satan and our sinful nature. This act of putting on the Armor is not just cliché. Instead, it prepares us for the battles of the day by reminding us of our need for God’s power and our need to actively resist our flesh and Satan’s temptations. The armor defends us from attack, but it also allows us to fight. Specifically, the sword of the Spirit is referred to as “the Word of God.” Clearly, we can see that our greatest weapon to fight Satan and our flesh is with God’s word. It then is with hope we remember Jesus’ words in John 16:33,
“In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (ESV).
This encouragement from Jesus empowers and reminds us that our fight is not in vain because He has won the war for our souls. We are no longer slaves to sin and helplessness. As we put on the Armor of God each morning, let us remember Paul’s words in 2 Timothy 4:7,
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (ESV).
Choose to FIGHT, brothers. It will be worth it.