Fight The Good Fight of Faith

[Edward French]

 

Message:  “Fight the Good Fight of Faith”

July 31, 2011 – Sunday Morning Service

Speaker:  Edward L. French, Pastor

 

Scripture Readings: 

1Timothy 6:12                                                            

Ephesians 6:12

1 Corinthians 2:14

Matthew 4:8-11

John 10:10

1 John 3:8

Acts 26:18

Acts 14:15

Acts 11:21

1 Peter 5:8

Ephesians 2:2

Matthew 25:41

Matthew 6:26

Luke 9:1

Matthew 16:19

Ephesians 6:13

1Timothy 1:18

2Timothy 4:7

2Timothy 2:3

2 Corinthians 10:4

1 John 4:4

1 Corinthians 10:13

Hebrews 13:5

Jeremiah 29:11

John 14:12

Isaiah 53: 1-5

Luke 6:45

James 4: 7-8

Matthew 9: 37

Galatians 5:1

Luke 11: 23

1John 4:18

James 1:8

James 4: 1-3

Ephesians 6: 11-13

 

Introduction

1 Timothy 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”.

Born Again Believers have a reason to step into the fighting ring as we have an adversary.  God is calling us into battle as we are on the Lord’s side.  God and His believers have enemies, but “Greater is He that is in me than He that is in the world”.

1 John 4:4

“You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world”.

 

Points

• There are spiritual dimensions which wrestle against believers-not natural dimensions.
• Prayer is a part of our warfare as princes rule over regions and war against and control our cities and governments.
• There was a prince over Sodom and Gomorrah which ruled over the land.
• Rulers of darkness have blinded people by deceiving them. 
• We (believers) have to come against them through prayer.
• We must pray for our children against rulers of darkness, and to allow the light of Christ shine in darkness.
• Until people enter into the realm of God, they cannot comprehend this.
• God desires us to depend upon Him-not in the powers of this world.
• The power of God works in us to achieve.
• Spiritual wickedness in high places is manifested in cults, Harry Potter stories, and witch craft.

1 Corinthians 2:14

“The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned”.

• No morally good man can war against the spiritual world.

2 Corinthians 10:4

“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds”.

 

Matthew 4: 8-11

“8Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;

 ⁹And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.

 ¹⁰Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

 ¹¹Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

• God allows the enemy to challenge you; He does not put more on you than what you can bear.

 

1 Corinthians 10:13

“There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it”.

 

• We must fast, pray, and enter the spiritual dimension to face our enemy.  There is a reason for us to fight.

 

John 10:10

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full (more abundantly)”.

• God desires His people to have abundant life.
• Satan tries to trip us up to devour us.  He comes with accusations, and attempts to bombard us.
• “Nobody told me that the road would be easy; I don’t believe He brought me this far to leave me”.

 

Hebrews 13:5

“Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

 

^{Jeremiah 29:11}

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”.

 

• It is not the plan of God to destroy you.

 

1 John 3:8

“He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil”.

 

John: 14:12
"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the WORKS that I do he will do also; and GREATER WORKS than these he will do, because I go to My Father."

• What is the purpose of Jesus statement?  To destroy the works of the devil!
• We fight a daily fight even when we become weary- this is spiritual warfare against us.
• Fight in prayer to overcome your adversary!
• The devil is a liar; when thoughts rise up against God’s word, declare “Satan you are a liar”!
• When God says you are healed/delivered, and Satan says you are not, Satan is a liar!

Isaiah 53: 1-5

“1Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?

 ²For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.

 ³He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

 ⁴Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

 ⁵But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

• The best thing the devil offers, it will send you to hell if you accept it!

 

Acts 26:18

“To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me”.

 

Acts 14:15

“And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein”.

 

Acts 11:21

“And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord”.

 

• We are now on the Lord’s side, but it does not make us free from attack.
• Jesus came to snatch us out of the world, and Satan attempts to fight us.
• So many are looking for an answer, and do not know where to turn.

 

Matthew 9:37

“Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few”.

 

• We must seek out those who are in need of help, for example our youth.
• Satan is taking out our youth before they give their lives to Jesus!

 

1 Peter 5:8

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour”.

 

Ephesians 2:2

“Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience”.

 

• At a point in our lives, we were all walking in bondage.
• Jesus did not die for us to be in bondage.  He wants us to have liberty.

 

Galatians 5: 1

“Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage”.

 

Matthew 25:41

“Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels”.

• Hell was not prepared for God’s people, but a place of torment for Satan and his angels.
• We must be a torment to the devil every day!
• We should give the devil hell every day for all negative situations!
• Break the back of your adversary; DO NOT BE PASSIVE!

Matthew 16:18

“And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it”.

 

• Declare thus say the word of the Lord.
• We are chosen to serve the true God.

Matthew 6:24

“No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon”.

 

Luke 11:23

“He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth”.

 

• God saved us to make us a weapon of warfare to conquer our adversary; Purpose:  To accomplish God’s purpose.
• Samson, Gideon, Joshua, and others were all warriors. God was with them.
• Jesus is the greatest of all warriors!  He is our peacemaker and gives us victory!

 

1 Juhn 4:18

“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love”.

 

• Before we step in the ring, Jesus already gave us the victory!
• Jesus endured so much for us.  We do not always appreciate what He did for us.
• We do not have to yield to Satan’s attacks and defeat; Jesus proved it at the cross!
• This fight is worth fighting for.  Fight the good fight of faith.

 

John 10:10

“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly”.

 

Luke 9:1

 

“Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases.

 

• We have power to cure diseases, and over the devil!  AWESOME!
• God gave us the ability to speak in tongues!  AWSEOME!
• All Christians are not Believers; Believers take God at His Word.
• Nothing is too hard for God.
• The harassment of the devil makes one say “Enough is enough”, and makes one fight!
• God gives us a certain fight to fight; not to fight every demon.
• Know what God gave you to intelligently fight in warfare.
• God gave us power to fight.

 

Matthew 16:19

“And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven”.

• When you take authority in the natural, it changes things in the spiritual, and vice versa.
• God shows himself to be real; people doubt when manifestations are not evident.

James 4:1-3

From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?

 ²Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.

 ³Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

• Be of a single mind. 

James 1:8

“A double minded man is unstable in all his ways”.

James 1:4

“But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing”.

Ephesians 6:11-13

“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. ¹² For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age,^[a] against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. ¹³ Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

• Works of darkness makes you:

1. Blind
2. Fear
3. Bound up.
4. Act out of God’s will for your life.
5. Fall and stumble.
6. Fall into a pit set up by Satan to destroy you.

 

• Put on the light of God.

1 Timothy 1:18

“This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare”

• We are God’s battle axes.  God has declared that we are mighty warriors, and has spoken great things through prophetic words.

2 Timothy 4:7

“ I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:

 ⁸Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing”.

• We must pray, “Lord help me to fight the good fight of faith”.
• We should be an example to others promoting Christ.
• Embrace encouragement, and endure in the walk of Christ.

2 Timothy 2:3

“Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ”.

• God called you, chose you, and wants you.
• Do not let the devil take away your inheritance.

2 Corinthians 10:4

“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds”.

James 4:7-8

“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you”.  “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded”.

• The things you speak forth are set into motion.  There is power in the tongue.

Luke 6:45

 

“A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh”.

 

            FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT OF FAITH!!

 

EF:eb

7/31/11