Dear Friends & Brethren.
The apostle Paul wrote to Timothy:
1Ti 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith. Lay hold on eternal life, to which you are also called and have professed a good profession before many witnesses.
Let's think about the first part of that passage ... THE GOOD FIGHT OF FAITH;
That implies several things. What comes to mind when we think about a good fight?
Well, if we are the ones involved in the fight, we need to know who are we going to fight against & are we well prepare to face our enemy & come out victorious? The kind of fight we're talking about here is the type of battle we can't afford to lose.
Now this is the Fight of Faith, & what is Faith?
In the Bible & in Christianity, Faith is the second most important key to every door in the Kingdom, after Love.
This is the Bible definition for Faith. Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Some translations say... the assurance of things hoped for.
So we can say Faith is a substance, it is something like a powerful magnet, that attracts whatever we point it to.
In God's World, Faith is crucial to our relationship with God, so much so, that
Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.
So, the first step into the Kingdom of God is by Faith.
Eph 2:8-9 for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, that no one would boast.
Rom 3:21-26 But now apart from the law, a righteousness of God has been revealed, being testified by the law and the prophets; even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ to all and on all those who believe. For there is no distinction, for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus; whom God sent to be an atoning sacrifice, through faith in his blood, for a demonstration of his righteousness through the passing over of prior sins, in God’s forbearance; to demonstrate his righteousness at this present time; that He might himself be just, and the justifier of him who has faith in Jesus.
So as we just read we entered into the Kingdom because of the Love of God, by faith, that Jesus has already justified us!
So from now on, all our Christian life is by Love & by faith, as we see Gal 5:6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any strength, but Faith working through Love.
So, we now find that one of the most important & vital things we need to do is pray every day without ceasing, because praying is to our Spirit kind of like breathing is to our physical body, & we need to do it with Faith. How do we get faith?
Well, first it is important to know that when we received Jesus as our Lord & Savior, & were born again, we received faith...Rom 12:3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think. But set your mind to be right-minded, even as God has dealt to every man the measure of faith.
So, God has dealt to every man the measure of faith. Hallelujah! We received Faith, the measure of Faith, to me, this seems to indicate we all receive the same measure, kind of like we all received a brain, but some people use it better than others.
I will share some steps I read in the Bible on how to strengthen our faith. Faith that moves mountains, because I think it's the kind of faith we all want to have, right?
It is important to remember that without FAITH, we cannot please God.
So, if we come before God in prayer and we do not believe that He is listening to us, or that He is going to give us what we ask, we are wasting our time, because we will not receive anything.
Jam 1:6-7 But let him ask in faith, doubting nothing. For he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven by the wind and tossed. For do not let that man think that he shall receive anything from the Lord;
Remember that we are talking about fighting the good battle of faith.
No fighter, boxer, athlete, soldier, etc., believes that he is going to get into a fight and win without having trained first. True?
So we must train faithfully and correctly, because FAITH is indispensable to triumph in this life and in the ways of God, and we live in a world full of evil and there are many obstacles and problems that come our way every day.
The first thing to know is: where is the battlefield and who is the enemy? Because that is where we must fight and win the victory.
The enemy: Eph 6:10-12 Finally, my brothers, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the world's rulers, of the darkness of this age, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
So the enemy is the devil, his angels & demons.
The battlefield is our mind. Eph 6:16 Above all, take the shield of faith, with which you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
We cannot see the devil or his forces with the physical eyes of our earthly body, because those are spiritual forces, but we can daily see the works of the enemy in the misery, pain, suffering, wars, diseases, hatred, resentment, disunity, etc., in today's world.
How do the fiery darts of the evil one reach us? Well, how do ideas and thoughts come to our mind? Through the things we hear and see, mainly, right?
Jesus told us that devil has been a murderer from the beginning, and he did not remain in the truth because there is no truth in him. When he speaks lies, he speaks of himself, because he is a liar and a father of lies; Jn 8:44
Do you remember Eve in the Garden of Eden, the devil said to her: So God has said? Gen 3: 1 The only way the devil can take advantage of us is to make us doubt the Word of God and his Promises.
So when a thought comes to you that says ... God does not love you, God does not listen to you, God will not answer you, you are sinful, you are bad, you are no good, you always make mistakes, you are ugly, etc., I assure you that that's the devil. Now when someone comes to your house and knocks the door, if it is someone who hates you and despises you, will you open the door? DO NOT!!! kick those thoughts out of your head, Eph 4:27 and give no place to the devil. OK?
The devil has many ways to bombard us with his lies. I would say that 95% of what we see on television is a lie. Who would think of inviting a liar, a thief, & murderer, to be accommodated either in the living room of our house, or in our bedroom, in the kitchen, wherever, & then you take a sit & listen to all his lies & hatred, to make your life impossible? The same of the pages we see on the Internet, the books, magazines & newspapers we read, the movies we see.
Are you tuning to the devil or to God? People, let's have common sense. If we start listening to the devil, either in our minds, or we sit to watch all his propaganda through the TV & the media, well, what do we complain about? All the mistakes and sins that we commit in life and the consequences that derive from it will be exclusively our responsibility.
You might say: It's just that I did not know, it's that they deceived me. Well, who are we listening to? Let's make sure it is God who we are listening to. How do we know if what we're hearing or watching is from God or not? Easy, if it makes us doubt the Word of God, His love, His mercy, His favor towards us, or if it speaks ill of my neighbor, if it induces me to fear, greed, lust, violence, resentment etc. then it's the devil, do not listen to it, turn off the device, change the channel, whatever, but do not give it place in your mind. That includes all the lies of the so called “modern science”, which does nothing else besides trying to negate the value of the Bible.
We also have to be careful about people who are not connected to the Spirit of God; they can hurt us if we listen to them, their doubts & complaints. People who only complain, the whisperers, those who gossip, the critics, the unbelievers, the condemners, etc., we must learn to avoid their words, as they can easily harm us if we do not know how to discard the bad & take the good. That's why it's important to walk with people of faith, loving, positive, encouraging, etc.
Another important point: Our mind. This is what the Scriptures says.
Rom 8:6-8 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace because the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the Law of God, neither indeed can it be. So then they who are in the flesh cannot please God.
Rom 8:14-16 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 15 For you have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption by which we cry, Abba, Father! 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God.
In other words, our own physical mind was an enemy of God. Now having received the Spirit of the Lord, we receive the mind of Christ, so now we walk as Sons of God. And we are to renew our thinking with the Words of God.
2Co 5:17 So that if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
Because … the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness to him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ. 1Co 2:14-16
That's why we say we have been born again, as Jesus taught. Jn 3:3-7
Now we cannot just sit down & say: OK, because I have the mind of Christ that's it, that's all. We have to give it room to operate, getting ourselves out of the way & allowing God to work. This is why Mar 8:34 Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
Believe me that it is not as hard as it sounds. It is as if you are at the front of the wheel of your vehicle, as the driver, and God says to you: Excuse me, would you let me drive? Mind you, He knows all the roads, He knows where all the curves are and the condition of the pavement, where the other vehicles come from, He knows how all the other drivers drive, and He knows the road better than you do. Tell me, is not it wiser to let Him take the driver's seat & let Him lead, while we just sit and enjoy the ride & the scenery? Remember that He is in us and …
Now … Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
In other words, renewing our mind is fundamental. But how?
Rom 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
We must read the Word of God every day, read its promises aloud, memorize the scriptures that are important to you, and from then on, we see how it is not so hard to believe. Again, read the Scriptures out loud to yourself, every day, then you'll see your faith growing strong.
Here some promises that are good to memorize.
Mar 11:22-25 Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, what things so ever you desire, when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you shall have them. And when you stand praying, forgive, if you have ought against any: that your Father also which is in Heaven may forgive you your trespasses.
Pro 3:5-8 Trust in Yahweh with all your heart; and lean not to your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. 7 Be not wise in your own eyes: fear Yahweh, and depart from evil. 8 It shall be health to your navel, and marrow to your bones.
Hey, medicine for the physical body. Did you notice?
We are to fight this “Good Fight of Faith” with love…
Rom 13:8 Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for he who loves another has fulfilled the Law.
1Jn 4:7-12 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God, and everyone who loves has been born of God, and knows God.
8 The one who does not love has not known God. For God is love. 9 In this the love of God was revealed in us, because God sent His only begotten Son into the world that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation concerning our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. 12 No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwells in us, and His love is perfected in us.
This means that, the Law of the New Covenant is to LOVE, because God is LOVE, when we love we reflect Him. It is not an option, it is a commandment: LOVE!!!
1Jn 3:18 My children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.
We are to “Fight the Good Fight” praying all the time.
Eph 6:17-18 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching to this very thing with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.
1Th 5:17 Pray without ceasing.
Remember we have public & they are watching us, take off the extra weight so you can fight better & never get your eyes of Jesus…
Heb 12:1-2 Therefore since we also are surrounded with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily besets us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right of the throne of God.
And to end, by now, let’s remember, the Lord is fighting for us...
Rom 8:31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
So, let's get on the attack friends, let's arm ourselves with the weapons of the Kingdom and enjoy God. Everything God asks us to do produce joy and satisfaction...
Blessings... Alejandro
If this reading has been a blessing to you, please don’t hesitate to share it with the world. We need to be a blessing to others today, tomorrow may be too late. John 9:4 I must work the works of Him who sent Me, while it is day. Night comes when no man can work.As you may have noticed, all our material is there for you totally free. If the Lord leads you to give a donation to help us continue to share the Word with the world, there is a link to our Pay Pal account in our Home page. We will be forever thankful... Blessings in Jesus Name..!!!
Comentários