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Fighting the Good Fight

Fighting the Good Fight

Near the end of his life, seeking to encourage his student, the apostle Paul wrote,

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing (2 Timothy 4:7, 8 NIV84).

What an encouraging and beautiful promise for all those who fight the good fight—a crown of righteousness bestowed by Jesus Himself! But what does it mean to fight the good fight?

The Bible often uses the language of warfare. For instance, we are to “put on the full armor of God” so that we can stand against the devil’s schemes, for we are “fighting” against “wicked spiritual forces in the heavenly worlds” (Ephesians 6:11, 12 NIV84). We are also challenged to wield the “sword” of the Spirit, which we are told is the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17; Hebrews 4:12).

But the Bible tells us that,

Though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:3–5 NIV84, emphasis mine).

We are in a war, but the war is not external; it is internal. Paul wrote:

When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members (Romans 7:21–23 NIV84, emphasis mine).

We are warring against the power of sin, selfishness, fear, lies, deception, propaganda, lusts, and the evil methods of this world. The primary focus of our fight is internal, against our own fears, hurts, disappointments, doubts, the inherited desire of selfishness, and the dysfunctional and destructive habits that we have developed along the road of life.

Sometimes, we might not realize that our battle is internal and not external, because of a superficial reading of Bible statements like this one:

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 (Ephesians 6:12 NIV84).

This could be perceived as saying that our fight is outside of ourselves, as in a physical fight. But our battle against demonic and satanic forces occurs within our hearts and minds! Notice how, in Ephesians 6:13–17, Paul describes the armor of God that we use to battle these various demonic powers:

  • The belt of truth—truth is internalized, understood, believed and, when accepted, transforms our mind, destroys lies, and restores us to trust in God. The impact of truth is upon our own hearts and minds.
  • The breastplate of righteousness—this is a heart, a character, that is reborn to be like Christ. We have had the stony, cold, hard heart removed and a tender, compassionate, merciful heart recreated within us by the power of God. Again, the battleground is internal.
  • The gospel of peace functions like track shoes gripping the ground—it gives our hearts and minds a solid grip on reality so that we don’t lose our confidence, our security, our peace and so that we don’t emotionally fall down and give up when assaulted with the accusations, misrepresentations, and injustices of this world. Again, the gospel of peace fights against fear and doubt within our hearts to maintain our connection with Jesus.
  • The shield of faith—this is our trust in God, trusting Him with how things turn out, the future, and not allowing fear of the unknown to control our actions and lead us to act selfishly. The war is still being fought in our own inner world.
  • The helmet of salvation—this is a mind renewed to be like Jesus; “we have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16). It is being an understanding friend of Jesus (John 15:15), developing by practice the ability to discern right from wrong (Hebrews 5:14). This is, again, a growing up to bear the image of God more perfectly in all that we do.
  • The sword of the Spirit is the Word of God that we wield in our thinking; when we are confronted with temptations; when we are faced with external attacks, questions, doubts, and uncertainties. Every day, we are to wield the Word of God as Jesus did to live out and advance the truth of God in all we do.

Our battle, our fight, is against the infection of sin, against fear, selfishness, guilt, shame, lies, distortions, all of which undermine our love and trust in God. Through the weapons God has provided,

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires (Galatians 5:24 NIV84, emphasis mine).

We have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God (Romans 8:12–14 NIV84, emphasis mine).

Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. … You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator (emphasis mine, Colossians 3:5–10 NIV84, emphasis mine).

We fight the good fight by using divine weapons, not earthly weapons, in the choices we make in governance of self when confronted with the pain, heartache, mistreatment, and abuse of this evil world. We have a different goal than the world. The world wants the “justice” that makes the perpetrator pay, that uses force to inflict punishment, that seeks to control others to make self feel safe.

The kingdom of God wants the justice that loves our enemies, that blesses those who persecute us, that controls self in order to win enemies to Jesus and turn them into friends.

As God’s people, we fight for a different outcome than the world. The worldly fight against others in order to empower self. We fight against sin and selfishness in our own hearts in order to eradicate evil’s corrupting principles from our inmost being so that we can be free from sin’s control. Then we fight to faithfully live out the principles of God in how we govern ourselves and in how we treat others; we live to be lights in a dark world, demonstrating in word and deed that we belong to a kingdom that is distinctly different than the kingdoms of this selfish world. While the world pursues power to conquer others, the followers of Christ are empowered by God to conquer self.

  • We fight by loving God and others, not by self-seeking.
  • We fight by speaking truth, not by spreading lies, propaganda, deceit, or falsehood.
  • We fight by giving, not by selfish taking.
  • We fight by forgiving, not by punishing.
  • We fight by disciplining those we love, not by fearfully indulging.
  • We fight by saying no to evil, not by giving in to get along.
  • We fight by showing mercy, not by retaliating.
  • We fight by blessing and praying for our enemies, not by seeking to destroy them.
  • We fight by being useful in our communities, not by neglecting our duties.
  • We fight by seeking to serve, not seeking to be served.
  • We fight by being kind, not by being cruel.
  • We fight by being patient, not by being easily angered.
  • We fight by rejoicing in the success of others, not by being envious.
  • We fight by being meek and humble, not by being arrogant and prideful.
  • We fight by standing for the truth, not by colluding with falsehood.
  • We fight by sharing the good news of God’s kingdom of love, not by promoting politics and worldly divisions.
  • We fight by surrendering self to Jesus, not by promoting self.
  • We fight by being faithful to our spouse, not by betraying their trust.
  • We fight by talking with God, not by gossiping about others.
  • We fight by being honest, not by being deceitful.
  • We fight by distributing wealth to help others, not by accumulating wealth to aggrandize self.
  • We fight by controlling self, not by seeking to control others.
  • We fight by crucifying self, not by crucifying others.
  • We fight by being respectful, not by being rude.
  • We fight by taking responsibility for our own mistakes, not by blaming others.
  • We fight by keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, not by being engrossed with life’s problems or entertainments.
  • We fight by persevering through trials, not by compromising to relieve the burden.
  • We fight by trusting God, not by trying to make life go the way we demand.

It is my goal to fight the good fight—every day of my life. I have found that this battle with myself is the biggest battle I have to fight and that victory is possible only through daily surrender to Jesus, through daily partaking of God’s grace, and through daily empowerment by the Holy Spirit. So I encourage you: Do not fight like the world fights, but to fight the good fight of faith, wielding the weapons of God in the warfare against the infection of sin in your own heart and mind.

 

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Testimony 53

I was so blessed by a friend who gave me your book, “The God Shaped Brain,” while I was sitting in church asking God to please help me learn more about Him and help me not to be so confused and scared. That was about 2 years ago. Your books have helped me to love God even more. I’m not confused or scared anymore! I have listened to all of your bible study classes and feel like I know the wonderful people that attend every week. Thank you for all that you’re doing in spreading the true message about God and His law of love. God bless you and your whole class.

Elssy P., Modesto, CA, USA

 

Testimony 15

I have been sharing Come And Reason Ministries Bible study lessons with several folk. You have such a beautiful view of the plan of salvation. If we had this message preached when I was young, my generation would still all be in church.

H. R., New Zealand

Testimony 73

I have been truly blessed by your blogs and other resources. They have helped me to see things in a much brighter light and to reason things out better. Thank you so much for your ministry. Whenever I have the opportunity I pass along your material to my friends.

R. Noseworthy, Newfoundland, Canada

Testimony 76

Warm greetings from Tanzania! I just wanted to take a moment to thank you and your team at Come And Reason Ministries for the amazing work you do. Your teachings have opened my eyes to deep biblical truths and how to live them out in real life. I started following the ministry back in 2018, and ever since, my walk with God has grown so much stronger. I’ve found freedom from fear-based faith and now live with more peace and trust in Him. I’ve also been sharing what I’ve learned, especially through Bible School discussions. Your lessons are so insightful and well-explained that I try not to miss a single one. May God continue to bless the work you’re doing.
Elisha M., Tanzania, Africa

Testimony 29

Thank you for all of your work to correct misconceptions about God’s character. So many people that my husband and I have talked to seem to be against the natural law construct and view it as “errant” and “dangerous.” Having learned more about it through your blogs and lessons, I don’t really understand why they view it that way, except that it means they have to relearn theology they have known for their entire lives. But I’m so excited to relearn this. For the past few years I have been questioning how I could trust a God who punishes arbitrarily and is full of wrath for those who don’t obey His commands. That view made me afraid to “mess up” or “not be good enough,” even within my relationship with God. I really appreciated the point you bring out about God not wanting us to serve Him because we are afraid, but because we love Him.

Melissa H., IN, USA

 

Testimony 71

When I was 9 years old, I remember setting at our devotional table with a hunger and thirst for God that wanted more, deeper, BETTER. I can remember literally crying and pounding on the table, “I know these teachers didn’t mean to give us error. They taught what THEY had been TAUGHT, but didn’t ANYBODY READ THE BOOK?!?!?” It mattered to me then. It mattered to me as a teenager. It matters now as I teach bible classes. It didn’t have to be so hard as I watched so many give up and lay God’s great plan and gift of salvation aside as being “impossible.” Then, a friend sent me a link to Come And Reason’s website. I grew excited. YES! FINALLY! Then another friend told me to stay away, saying her son had just broken up with a girl because she was involved with Come And Reason and that “Tim Jennings preaches a false gospel.” But, AFTER many years of developing an authentic and, dare I say FUN relationship with Jesus, through the Holy Spirit I see this message has been around a LONG time, since the apostle Paul, Ellen White, Graham Maxwell, Ray Foucher, and yourself (though I admit, you’ve made me back up, rewind and replay the clips, and get out my well-worn Bible on a few things.) I’m so thankful I have found LIGHT during these DARK days. I am not alone.

Vicki DiNitto

Testimony 36

Thank you and may God continue to bless you as you share with others the intricacies of how we are all “fearfully and wonderfully made”. I must share that you have opened a whole new world to me, and I have found tremendous healing through what you have shared in two of your books, “Could It Be This Simple?” and “The God Shaped Brain.” I praise God for what you shared, what I have learned, and how I have grown and healed! My prayer is that My Precious Jesus will be seen by others in the way I live, act, talk, etc. and they may be encouraged to know He is truly a GREAT God of LOVE, desiring that no one should perish! God Bless you in your continued endeavors to present Him as He really is!

Joleen H. GA, USA

 

Testimony 41

I have been blessed by your ministry. I have experienced personally, and deeply resonate with, the God of love and the beautiful picture of God’s character that you present. I have seen your seminar series on YouTube, read ‘The Journal of the Watcher’ book, used your mobile app, and also listen/study the bible study lesson with you each week. I concur with many of the thoughts and perspectives that you share. I understand your conclusions on natural laws vs imposed law and the legal/penal substitution (incorrect diagnosis). This makes perfect sense to me.

Bless you for all you do.

Melissa L.

 

Testimony 55

I was born [into the church], then I left it for many years. 10 years ago, I came back, but I could not take the hypocrisy and the lack of answers to the missing pieces. I struggled, but I did not abandon my commitment to know the truth. God is leading me to the simple understanding of his relevance and I am relearning what the church taught me as a youth… that he loves me, that he has led me to a knowledge of him such as I have never known. He is using Dr. Jennings to connect the dots that are now so apparent and hiding in plain sight!

Dean P., Arlington, TX, USA

 

Testimony 47

I can’t even begin to thank you and your ministry enough for introducing me to the Truth about a loving and merciful God! I have my daughter and her in-laws to thank for sharing with me “The God-Shaped Brain” as well as your website. I listen to the Bible study class lessons on my daily walk. May God continue to bless your thirst-quenching ministry!

Liz H., Port Angeles, WA, USA

 

 

Testimony 22

I have found your Bible study class lectures to be very inspiring and useful as I prepare to teach class every other week. I subscribe to the podcast and download your notes on the weeks I teach. The audio and notes are such a great help in preparing. My own understanding of God’s character has grown as I teach the class. Commendations on the thought-provoking and well-prepared material Come and Reason provides. Personally, I get excited by the tie you make between the spiritual and mental/physical domains.

A.A. Corrales, NM, USA

 

Testimony 45

I have been confused for years about what [christianity] calls [its] most disgusting teaching. It has never made much sense to me and for that reason has been evermore empty. I have listened to your class off and on and have struggled determining what is truth, because of the resistance design law encounters in the church. So, I thank God for your ministry. What you teach makes sense. It’s logical and backed up by the power of love. I have never seen that in Christ until now. I am astounded by the insight that is found when we look at God’s ministry through design law. All strength to this message, as I believe it to be the power of God.

Brendon S.

 

Testimony 66

I am incredibly grateful for the transformative impact you’ve had on my life, and words cannot fully express my appreciation. Over the years, I have been an avid listener and follower of C&R and extend my heartfelt thanks for creating the C&R mobile app. It has allowed me to immerse myself in your lessons repeatedly, enabling me to grasp the profound significance about the Character of God, Design Law, the protocols for life, the reasons behind the current chaos, and Christ’s mission to restore everything. They have deeply touched me. Having studied with various churches, I came away with the perception that God is no different from the deities of ancient Greek or Roman mythology—demanding sacrifices and taking pleasure in bloodshed. Thanks to your transformative teachings, I have experienced a profound awakening to the true nature of God and the immense power of His love. It is truly a remarkable and liberating sensation to finally grasp the truth and embrace the empowering nature of God’s laws. My self-perception has become brighter and more infused with love. My journey of growth continues on a daily basis.

Chris P., Lake Mary, FL, USA

 

Testimony 51

I Love This Ministry!!!!!!! I see first hand how this message is desperately needed, how erroneous beliefs about God and His Character negatively affect humanity at every level. I thank God for your ministry, as I was searching on my own and was discovering some of your same beliefs and was blown away when I found your ministry. I know you hear it all the time, but it is truly life changing. May God continue to reveal His Will to you and Bless you!

Eric S., Sanford, FL, USA

 

Testimony 54

I had a lot of pressure, as a pastor’s kid, to conform and be “good.” I was good at being “good.” I thought my life was going along well until it all started falling apart and I could not figure out why! In my search for “why is this happening to me, God?” I came across your book, “Could it be this Simple,” and God started revealing to me the many distortions I held about His character, His principles, and how He has designed His universe to operate. I remember thinking, “Wow, I have had this all backwards.” I was happy and angry all at the same time. Happy to have the light of truth break through the darkness, revealing a wonderful, beautiful way of understanding God and His plan for His children, and angry, because I felt deceived and cheated by the church, my family, and myself!

My heart thrills when I listen to your bible study lessons. Literally I have gone from death to life. It is a journey I look forward to every day, as God reveals areas this distortion affects. Praise GOD! I will ever be grateful to God for this ministry and your cooperation with the Spirit!

Karen S., Portal, AZ, USA