AguasViva.Com

In the United States alone, there are millions of people who attend church every Sunday.  Most call themselves "Christians" while others call themselves "Evangelicals", "Protestants", and a host of other pet-names.  Many make a "profession" of faith in Christ. Their names are in the baptismal register. They say that they came to "a decision" or made a "committment" to become a Christian. They are married by a Pastor with a Christian marriage ceremony. They mean to be buried as Christians when they die. But you never see any "fight" about their religion! Of spiritual strife, exortation, conflict and self-denial they know little to nothing. Such Christianity may satisfy man, and those who say anything against it may be thought very hard and uncharitable; but it certainly is not the Christianity of the Bible. It is not the faith founded upon the words of the Lord Jesus. It is not what was preached by His apostles. It is not the faith that produces real holiness. True Christianity is "a fight."  That's FIGHT!

A Christian is called to be a soldier and must behave as such from the day of his conversion to the day of his death. He is not meant to live a life of religious ease and security with a shadow of piety as it is convenient for show.  No, he must never imagine for a moment that he can sleep and doze off along the way to heaven. If he takes his standard of Christianity from the children of this world, he may be content with such notions, but he will find no countenance for them in the Word of God. If the Bible is the rule of his faith and practice, he will find his course laid down very plainly in this matter. He must "FIGHT!."

Christian warfare is no light matter. So, what does the Bible say?

"Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life." "Endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ." "Put on the whole armor of God, that you 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 armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand." "Strive to enter in at the strait gate." "Labor . . . for [the] meat that endures unto everlasting life." "Do not think that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace but a sword." "He who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one." "Watch you, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong." "War a good warfare; holding faith, and a good conscience" (1 Tim. 6:12; 2 Tim. 2:3; Eph. 6:11?13; Luke 13:24; John 6:27; Matt. 10:34; Luke 22:36; 1 Cor. 16:13; 1 Tim. 1:18, 19).

We must remove our gloves that soften the blow to the enemy and fight as we defend our homes from the influences of a sinful world. We must be aware of the fight that is before us and arm ourselves with the Word of God. At any moment, the devil may leap at us with the support of those who serve his will to destroy our testimony within a world of voices that want to silence the message of Jesus just as it thought it did when He gave up the ghost on Calvary. We must be on the guard, be the watchmen and women God calls us to be for ourselves, our families and even our neighbors because the worst chains are those which are neither felt nor seen by the prisoner (Luke 11:21; 2 Tim. 2:26).

All true saints are soldiers. True Christians are no friends of Satan or of anything that attempts to reduce the Gospel or the Word of God. So, fight on Christian, fight the good fight of faith! And rest in the assurance you have been given through the Holy Spirit that we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us and gave Himself for us! Praise His holy name!