How's The Fight Going?

   “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses” (1 Tim. 6:12).  With that admonition in mind, how’s the fight going?  The devil’s our adversary, our opponent (1 Pet. 5:8).  Is he pummeling you?  Are you standing your ground?  Are you defending yourself, hitting back?  Has he knocked you through the ropes? Did you get back up?  Are you down for the count?

   The devil has all the moves.  He’s a seasoned fighter with the experience of the ages under his belt.  He’s knowledgeable, he knows all of your weak spots.  He knows when to hold back and when to strike.  He’s quick to take advantage of an opening.  And he has tremendous stamina to stay in the fight.  He’s the toughest opponent you’ll ever face.
   So, once again, how’s the fight going?  While the devil’s tough, you have a decisive advantage- God’s in your corner, and God is greater than the devil (1 Jn. 4:4).  He wants you to win the fight (Ezk. 33:11; 2 Pet. 3:9).  If you’ll walk faithfully with God, you’ll beat the devil (Jas. 4:7-8).  God has provided you with all the tools you’ll need to defeat your opponent (Eph. 6:13-18).  He has even guaranteed that He will not allow the devil to back you into the corner and beat you down with temptation; God will always make sure you have a way to escape the blows (1 Cor. 10:13; 2 Pet. 2:9).
   Faith is key to your victory.  “And this is the victory that has overcome the world-- our faith” (1 Jn. 5:4).  Your faith can fend off all the blows devil throws at you (Eph. 6:16).  You can stand tall by faith (2 Cor. 1:24).  Your faith will provide you direction and insight as to how to live (2 Cor. 5:7).  Your faith will produce perseverance to stay in the fight, to not give up (Rom. 5:1-4).
   Faithfulness is a natural product of strong faith and is also key to victory.  Indeed, Jesus promised, “Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Rev. 2:10).  God, out of love for you, sent Jesus into this world to be your Savior (Jn. 3:16-17).  As long as you are faithful to Him, He will be there with you to provide whatever strength you might be lacking in your struggle with the devil (Phlp. 4:13).  Your faithfulness is demonstrated in your obedience and dedication (Jn. 14:15, 21, 23).
   Your fight will be life-long, but if you faithfully endure the victory will be yours (Jas. 1:12).  But remember, your adversary is determined.  This is not just the fight of your life, it’s the fight for your life.  It’s not practice; this fight’s real, as real as it gets (1 Cor. 9:24-27).  Fight to the finish, don’t give up, claim the victory and enjoy your eternal reward (2 Tim. 4:7-8)…