,Fight the good fight. Meaning to keep the faith. To do what is right. To be pleasing to God. To delight in the Lord. To finish the race. To pass the test. To live in the Spirit. Above all else, never surrender to the things of the worlds that seek to separate you from the faith you have found and have come to know carries you through this world and all of it's trials and soul building events.
The fight is not 15 rounds. Not 12. Not some 3 round MMA. It is a life long struggle against the flesh and the world. When it comes to us with the intent of causing our testimony to be damaged. When it seeks to harm our self image or esteem. When it attempts to draw us to itself and leave our faith. Family, friends, strangers, job, inanimate objects, stinking thinking, any variable that creeps in or perhaps kicks the door down to our peace.
Music is a means to finding a frame of mind for me to fight the good fight. The song of that name by Triumph, a three piece Canadian band has what song consider religious or spiritual and biblical overtones. It was praised for such elements when it was released in the early 80's as a hard rock song. As I grew older I came to depend on the lyrics as a means of gathering myself during times of trial and test. They are both uplifting and guiding.
The days grow shorter and the nights are getting long
Feels like we're running out of time
Every day it seems much harder tellin' right from wrong
You got to read between the lines
Don't get discouraged, don't be afraid, we can
Make it through another day
Make it worth the price we pay
The Good Book says it's better to give than to receive
I do my best to do my part
Nothin' in my pockets I got nothin' up my sleeve
I keep my magic in my heart
Keep up your spirit, keep up your faith, baby
I am counting on you
You know what you've got to do
Fight the good fight every moment
Every minute every day
Fight the good fight every moment
It's your only way
All your life you've been waiting for your chance
Where you'll fit into the plan
But you're the master of your own destiny
So give and take the best that you can
You think a little more money will buy your soul some rest
You'd better think of something else instead
You're so afraid of being honest with yourself
You'd better take a look inside your head
Nothing is easy, nothing good is free
But I can tell you where to start
Take a look inside your heart
There's an answer in your heart
Fight the good fight every moment
Every minute every day
Fight the good fight every moment
Make it worth the price we pay
Every moment of your lifetime
Every minute every day
Fight the good fight every moment
Make it worth the price we pay
They get a lot of their meaning from the first and second books of Timothy. 1Timothy 6:12 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. And 2Timothy 4:7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
We awake to a world of tests and quizzes and confrontations and options every day. How do you respond? How do you act? How do you present yourself? Out of control? Measured? On purpose? Chaotic? Wise? Impulsive? Humble? Prideful? Selfish? Giving?
The song tells us that we must persevere. "Don't get discouraged, don't be afraid." And to "keep up our spirit and keep up our faith". We have a moral compass with in.
I feel there are times in our lives when we are more capable of dealing with chaos or significant stress. Maybe an event that exceeds going to pick up your prescriptions and finding out they were never filled and you must wait another 3 hours. Not that I have experienced that specifically but what I am getting at is there would be days you react to that a bit in control. Perturbed, aggravated, but not flying of the handle like Buddy Rich as the Beastie Boys like to say. You say to yourself, "I have a few other matters to tend to and it is what it is, I'll do those and come back for the prescriptions later.
Then there is the time you absolutely snap from within. Nothing outside yourself is quite different than the day you cope well. It's just at this time in your life, the smallest inconvenience or disappointment, or person who fails to behave according to your needs, will turn you into another individual who is in no way popular, attractive, mature, or controlled. Add to that, the emotional train wreck you feel you are alone in experiencing. These are the days I feel people have the potential to do great harm to themselves and/or others. These are the days and individual gets this overwhelming wave of hopelessness and even worse, helplessness. No one cares, no one understands, no one can see you are spiraling out of control at 30,000 feet. It is at this time we need to be in a crowd or surrounded by people who want to help us understand "this too shall pass".
It's part of that fight that is our life. We must not give up on ourselves and our ability to transcend any given situation. The hopelessness is the world and the adversary trying to make us lose our faith. Fight the good fight. Win that fight. Job was tested in ways we cannot imagine or comprehend. He came forth as gold. Joseph had many opportunites to surrender to his circumstance and lose faith but in Genesis 50:20 he confirmed his faith and his ability to forgive those who persecuted him. "You meant to harm me but God meant it for good. To accomplish what is now being done. The saving of many lives." Hang on and show good faith. Do what is right and good. Persevere. Make it through. The blessing awaits.. This too shall pass. Know you are not alone. The Holy Spirit lives with in. You are not an impulsive animal living strictly on instinct. You have this ability to love. To forgive. To think. To take pause. Let the spirit guide you in love. Fight the principalities that confront you in ways that diminish their ability to affect you. When you feel weak, remove yourself from the situation until you can return in spirit and not flesh. Ephesians 6:12 tells us
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
The things before us are mere vehicles for the greater evil and sin of this world to kill our faith and accept our surrender. But that is not our fate. As the song goes, "There are many here among us, who feel that life is but a joke. But you and I we've been through that. And this is not out fate. So let us stop talking falsely now. The hour is getting late. "
There is no time for games in matters of faith. We need not vacillate. There is no better time than now to show ourselves approved. Fight the good fight. Every minute. Every day. Fight the good fight every moment. Make it worth the price we pay.
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