The life of a believer is not without conflict. Anyone who wishes to follow the Lord will, sooner or later, face opposition, tribulation, or reproach. In Christian circles, this is often referred to as “spiritual warfare.” Remarkably, however, that specific phrase does not appear anywhere in the Bible. Of course, that does not mean Scripture is silent on the subject of conflict — quite the opposite. Yet, it does raise the question of whether our understanding of this conflict aligns with the Bible’s definition.
The Good Fight
Moreover, “the good fight” is frequently associated with various Christian activities. People think of spiritual warfare, battling against sin, casting out demons, intensive prayer campaigns, faithfully observing “quiet time,” or engaging in other “spiritual exercises.” But is this actually what Paul is referring to when he speaks of the good fight?
Not Every Conflict Is the Good Fight
The Bible speaks of various forms of conflict. There are wars, disputes, quarrels, the struggle between flesh and spirit, tribulations, and persecutions. Therefore, not every conflict is automatically “the good fight.”
It is striking that Paul uses this phrase only three times. Twice, he calls upon Timothy to fight the good fight, and once—at the end of his life — he states that he himself has fought this fight.
This raises a number of questions. What actually makes this fight “good”? What is being fought for? Who or what is the adversary? And what does the victory ultimately entail?
Letting Scripture Speak
In this series, we aim to answer these questions not based on tradition or experience, but simply on the basis of Scripture. That is why we will examine the three passages where Paul speaks literally about the good fight:
- 1 Timothy 1:18
- 1 Timothy 6:12
- 2 Timothy 4:7
In addition, we will look at Ephesians 6, where Paul describes the armor of God. That passage, too, is often cited when the subject is spiritual warfare.
Striking
Anyone who reads these passages with an open mind will quickly discover a remarkable pattern. Paul speaks far more often about holding fast, guarding, standing firm, and persevering than about attacking or conquering. He does not call upon the believer to seek out the fight, but rather to remain faithful to what has been entrusted to them — even when doing so provokes resistance.
Perhaps the good fight turns out to be quite different from what we have often imagined. Let us therefore begin where Paul himself begins.