IS IT WORTH IT ?
THE VALUE OF A SPIRITUAL FIGHT.
IF YOU DON’T FIGHT, YOU WON’T WIN.
IF YOU DON’T RACE, YOU WON’T BE CROWNED.
TOO MANY GIVE UP AND DON’T REALIZE THAT BEING SURROUNDED IN THIS EARTH WITH ENEMIES, WE HAVE TO FIGHT JUST TO STAY ON AN EVEN PLAIN.
IN THIS LIFE, THE SPIRITUAL BATTLES ARE DAILY, NOT JUST A FEW TIMES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. GOD SHOWS US THE RIGHT PATH–BE ANGRY WITH SIN EVERY DAY !
Psalms 7:11 God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.
DAVID UNDERSTOOD THAT EVERY DAY WAS A BATTLE.
Psalms 56:5 Every day they wrest my words: all their thoughts are against me for evil.
THIS IS NOT AS TERRIBLE AS SOME THINK. ON MANY DAYS, IT IS HUMOROUS THAT THE ENEMY IS SO WEAK !
Luke 10:17 And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.
THEY WERE IN THE MIDST OF THE BATTLE. BUT WINNING IS FUN ! IT FILLS YOU WITH JOY !
TODAY, WE ARE GOING TO LEARN WHERE THE BATTLE IS, AND HOW TO WIN IT !
1. BATTLING AND WINNING FOR GOD SHOULD BE A LIFELONG PROJECT.
A. DANIEL’S FIGHT TO STAND FOR WHAT IS RIGHT BEGAN AS A CHILD.
Daniel 1:12 Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink.
Daniel 1:16 Thus Melzar took away the portion of their meat, and the wine that they should drink; and gave them pulse. (“pulse” = literally “vegetables”)
B. THE BATTLE IS THE LORD’S BUT HE OFTEN WANTS TO WIN IT THROUGH YOU.
YOU HAVE TO DO SOMETHING. SOMETIMES MORE THAN JUST PRAY AND BELIEVE.
1 Samuel 17:47 And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD’S, and He will give you into our hands. And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth.
WORSHIP AND PRAISE CAN BE WEAPONS AGAINST OUR ENEMY.
2 Chronicles 20:15And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s. To morrow go ye down against them: behold, they come up by the cliff of Ziz; and ye shall find them at the end of the brook, before the wilderness of Jeruel. Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the LORD will be with you. And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the LORD, worshipping the LORD.
Obviously, they were involved as soldiers. But, God would work through them.
C. PAUL FOUGHT EVER SINCE HE BECAME A CHRISTIAN.
2 Timothy 4:7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:
WHAT DID PAUL HAVE TO GO THROUGH ?
2 Corinthians 11:23-28 Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.
HIS BATTLE WAS NOT A ONE-TIME EVENT. HE HAD TO FIGHT EVERY DAY.
2. IT IS WORTH IT WHEN WE REALIZE THE ALTERNATIVE THAT IS AROUND US.
A. THE PEOPLE OF GOD ALWAYS HAD TO FIGHT SINCE THEY HAVE BEEN SURROUNDED BY THE ENEMY.
NOT ONLY WERE THERE SOLDIERS OR ARMIES, BUT ALSO PROPHETS WHO BECAME PART OF A DIFFERENT FIGHT, A SPIRITUAL ONE.
Hebrews 11:32-35 And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.
Ephesians 6:11-13 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
B. THE ALTERNATIVE IS DISOBEDIENCE TO GOD.
HE TOLD US TO FIGHT FOR WHAT HE HAS GIVEN US. TIMOTHY WAS COMMANDED TO FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT. This is not to be disagreeable, or picking fights with people over lesser issues.
1 Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.
3. WE SHOULD SEE OUR LITTLE DAILY BATTLES AS PRIVILEGES TO SERVE GOD AND PROTECT THOSE WE LOVE.
A. THE “GOOD FIGHT” OF FAITH INVOLVES FIGHTING FOR THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE GOD-GIVEN.
YOUR HUSBAND, YOUR WIFE. THE CHRISTIAN LIFESTYLE. THE VOWS YOU MAKE TO GOD–THOSE ARE ALL UNDER ATTACK.
B. THE GOOD FIGHT CAN BE AN ENJOYABLE EXPERIENCE WHEN YOU SURRENDER TO GOD’S POWER AND DON’T RELY UPON YOURSELF WITH ALL YOUR WEAKNESSES.
Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
1 John 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
Romans 8:37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
Matthew 17:20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
Luke 1:37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.
C. IF YOU HAVE RECEIVED SOMETHING OF A BLESSING, YOU WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE.
WHAT DID YOU DO WITH IT ? WHAT DID YOU DO WITH YOUR MARRIAGE ? YOUR MONEY ? YOUR HEALTH ? YOUR CHILDREN ?
James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
D. FIGHTING INVOLVES PUSHING ASIDE ALL THE CLAIMS OF THE DEVIL AND RECEIVING JESUS AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD.
NOW IS THE TIME TO WIN THE VICTORY BY PUTTING YOUR FAITH IN THE LORD JESUS.
”Is It Worth It ?”
A Bible Study with Dr. Ed J. MacWilliams
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