Fixed vs Growth: Effort and Fighting the Good Fight

The history of God’s people recorded in the Old Testament contains many stories of victory in battle, and many descriptors of God as a victorious warrior.  God repeatedly demonstrated His power over Israelite enemies:  routing the Egyptian charioteers in the Red Sea, causing the walls of Jericho to crumble to the obedient sound of marching and shouting Israelites, defeating the Midianites through the unlikely leadership of Gideon and the unlikely weapons of trumpets, torches and clay jars.  In the New Testament, the “fullness of time” into which Christ was born and the Christian church was initiated was in the heyday of the Roman Empire.  Rome had achieved a relative degree of peace and civilization in large part by military might.  The legions of the Roman Empire maintained disciplined, even brutal, control of subjugated regions and peoples.  Roads were secure, taxes were collected, law and order was maintained, crime was punished.  The image of an armed and equipped Centurion would have been common for much of the New Testament church.  Themes of discipline, endurance, fighting for an objective and obedience to a leader are sprinkled throughout the New Testament.  In particular, we find a theme of spiritual warfare, a lifelong battle against sin and evil in the world.   Pastor Timothy is challenged to “….flee [evil] … and pursue righteousness….Fight the good fight of the faith….” (1 Timothy 6: 11, 12).  Later, he is advised to “endure hardship…like a good soldier of Christ Jesus” and seek to please his commanding officer, that is, God (2 Timothy 2: 3 and 4).  This is effort.  This is struggle.  This is part of the Christian life on earth. 

Life is not easy.  We were never promised that it would be.  Constant effort is required.  The theory of “entropy” in physics states, essentially, that everything disintegrates toward chaos unless constant effort is sustained to maintain order.  Those of us with children have only to look into the playroom or bedroom to know this is true.  Anyone trying to remodel and maintain a home knows this is true, as does anyone who has planted and tended a garden.  The passage in Ephesians 6 which advises us to arm ourselves uses the word “stand” at least four times.  We stand our ground spiritually against the chaotic, entropic forces of satan in this world.  He seeks to pull down, blow over, undermine, corrupt and overwhelm us, while we desire closeness with God, a stronger and more mature faith, spiritual wisdom and Godly behavior.  Sometimes, just standing firm is all we can do.  And it will require tremendous effort.  All thanks, praise and worship belongs to our God and Savior, who has not left us alone—we stand strong in HIS power and in HIS armor.  As we’ve already read in Hebrews 12: 4, the struggle against sin and evil may progress to bloodshed.  It is a violent, demanding, ongoing battle; an onslaught by satan against the children of God.  However, while we can expect to fight against sin and evil we are not left defenseless.  At the end of his epistle to the Ephesian people, Paul calls his readers to be strong in the Lord and to put on the Armor of God.  He follows this with a vivid word picture of that Armor and its purpose. 

1)      According to Ephesians 6: 10, where does our power come from?  Read Psalm 121 for a beautiful depiction of this.

2)      How do verses 11 and 12 describe the battle we fight each day on earth?  What does that look like—specifically—in your life?

3)      The victory is ours.  The battle is won. Read 1 Corinthians 15: 55– 58.  Meditate on the nature of the victory you have in Christ.  In contrast to that, what does Ephesians 6: 13 mean when it describes needing to stand our ground and fight?

4)      Review the itemized list of armor described in  Ephesians 6 verses 14 through 17.  Consider the “passive” items, the items to be put on as defensive equipment:  belt, breastplate, shield and helmet.  Each has a word describing it, as in “belt of truth”.   Consider those descriptors and how they relate to the armor (e.g., what does it mean to wear a belt of truth? Who’s truth?).

5)      Consider the “active” items of armor in verses 14 through 17, that is, the items which infer some kind of activity:  shoes and a sword.  How are you actively engaged in the proclamation of the gospel and the application of God’s word to the battles of your life?

6)      Verses 18 and 19 emphasize prayer.  We have access to the God of the Universe who calls us forgiven children in Christ and heirs of eternal glory.  Meditate on your status as a child of God and consider specific petitions, areas of struggle and effort, which you will bring before God.