Fight the Good Fight

Fight the Good Fight

• 1 Timothy 6:11 – 12 But you, O man of God,… Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called.

• Ephesians 6:12. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

On April 6, 1893, Andy “Iron” Bowen and Jack Burke fought the longest gloved boxing match in history at the Olympic Club in New Orleans, Louisiana. Burke was the favorite and expected to win easily. He won the first 24 rounds, but “Iron Bowen” refused to be knocked out. Andy Iron Bowen would not give up. The bout lasted for seven hours and 19 minutes, from 9:00 pm until early morning the next day, going 110 rounds. The prize was to be crowned the “Lightweight Champion of the South” and a purse was $2,500. 

In the 25th round, Andy “Iron” Bowen knocked Burke down, but the bell rang before Burke could be counted out. Toward the end of the match, both of Burke’s hands were broken. The two opponents grew so tired that Burke’s superior boxing talent no longer made a difference. 

Most of the crowd left by midnight, and those who didn’t fell asleep in their chairs. By the 108th round, no more punches were being thrown – the men just circled each other going around and around as two punch drunk men. Finally, at the end of the 110th round, the referee called the match declaring it a draw and made the decision that the two men would split the purse.

When I read that story, it reminded me that some fights don’t really end until the referee calls them. The Apostle Paul said we do not wrestle agains flesh and blood, but we do wrestle or fight against rulers, authorities, against cosmic powers over this present darkness and against the spiritual forces of evil in heavenly places. 

This fight we are in, continues day in and day out whether we are aware of it or not. This is a fight for the souls of our children, for the unity of the church, for the sanctity of life, and for those persecuted for their faith in Christ Jesus. It can cover many things, but it will always be concerning this present darkness and unbelief due to the spiritual forces that blind the eyes of men. 

The way we win our fight is through prayer and confession, through gentleness and kindness, through interceding in difficult circumstances and upholding the truth of God’s word and the gospel of Christ. We proclaim Jesus as Lord in our daily lives and trust the Holy Spirit to guide us during our most difficult moments, knowing that in all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

Man or Woman of God…fight the good fight of the faith and take hold of eternal life to which you were called until the referee calls the fight and says – “Well done, good and faithful servant! You fought well.” 

David