Fighting the Good Fight

It was 223 years ago on September 23, 1779, during the American Revolution that John Paul Jones uttered the words, "I have not begun to fight." The U.S. ship Bonhomme Richard, commanded by John Paul Jones, was in a hard-fought engagement against the British ships of war Serapis and Countess of Scarborough off the east coast of England. After inflicting considerable damage to the Bonhomme Richard, Richard Pearson, the captain of the Serapis, asked Jones if he had struck his colors, the naval sign indicating surrender. From his disabled ship, Jones replied with his now famous words, and after three more hours of furious fighting, the Serapis and Countess of Scarborough surrendered to him. As I read this account of such a notable event in our country’s history, I could not help but to think of the battle that Christians engage in every day, "the good fight of faith."

The New Testament portrays the Christian life as a battle. It is not a battle to be fought with guns, planes, or missiles, but it is a spiritual battle. The apostle Paul wrote, "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. . ." (2 Corinthians 10:3-5 NKJV). Our enemies in this battle are Satan and all that is involved with him. We read in Revelation 12:17, "And the dragon . . . went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ" (Revelation 12:17 NKJV). Along with fighting the battle against Satan, we battle within ourselves to keep our desires under control. Paul wrote, "And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified" (1 Corinthians 9:25-27 NKJV). Peter wrote that we must "abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul" (1 Peter 2:11).

How can we as Christians fight this fight? We can fight by resisting what is evil and encouraging what is good. When the apostle Peter was guilty of hypocrisy and by his actions influenced others to be hypocritical, the New Testament tells us that the apostle Paul stood nose to nose with him because "he was to be blamed" (Galatians 2:11-13). Who is fighting the good fight? Is it the Christian who teaches another that the use of beverage alcohol, homosexuality, and abortion is sinful, or the Christian who is tolerant of such behavior? When was the last time you heard your minister preach against such things? If it has been awhile, is he fighting the good fight? Another way in which a Christian may fight the good fight is through his or her vote. Who is fighting the good fight? Is it the Christian who votes his pocketbook, or the one who votes for the individual who best exhibits godly principles? Instead of sitting silently when someone foolishly spouts tolerance for sin or support for the ungodly, let us be a people who will stand with the Bible in hand and say, "No!" The apostle Paul wrote to young Timothy, "Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses" (1 Timothy 6:12 NKJV). How about you? Will you let the words of John Paul Jones resound from your lips, "I have not begun to fight." Will you fight the good fight?