Fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience (1 Timothy 1:18b-19).
Paul’s word here to young Timothy, who is being left to do a very dangerous and demanding work in Ephesus is to “fight the good fight.” That saying to us that Christian life is fundamentally a lifelong warfare and there is no exit until the end. This is contrary to the misleading teachings of today that once you become a Christian, God will begin to work for you and things will be smooth all the way. If this prevailing school of thought is right, then Paul was out of God’s will most of his life. He was constantly in one battle or the other and he tells Timothy that he too is going to be in a battle.
Paul is talking about being a Christian, living a Christ-like life in the midst of dangerous pressures and countering forces. That is the battle we are called to fight, to remain standing unbowed and unconquered in spite of ceaseless contentions with our faith in a world of illusion, pleasure seeking and selfishness. It is a call to look at all things from heaven’s perspective, getting God’s point of view on every issue, seeing things the way they are and dealing honestly and openly in godly manner with everything that comes ones way. That is the battle we are called to fight.
There must be a conflict with corruption, temptations, the powers of darkness and this we cannot avoid but we can overcome. We are not called to hide away in seclusion rather to be out there in the midst of life, in the marketplaces, the cities, among people, and under the pressures and dangers of everyday life and we should deal earnestly and honestly with life without compromising what He staid for. Joseph, Daniel, the three Hebrews and many patriarchs had their different kind of ‘faith battles’, making God their focus rather than rationalising their ways through the pressures of life (Genesis 39; Daniel 1:8; Daniel 6)
The battle Paul is talking about is to love God all the way, live in constant fear of Jehovah and be a loving person who has concern and compassion for people, not living in condemnation. The warfare is to live a life of purpose.
