Fighting the Good Fight

For by you I can run against a troop,
By my God I can leap over a wall
Psalm 18:2

Many often wonder why there is so much warring and fighting in the Old Testament. Well, the answer is simple. Apart from orchestrating the rise and fall of nations, God was also painting a picture of spiritual reality – the war in the unseen realm over the hearts, souls and destiny of men and all mankind; analogous to the colossal struggles depicted in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Whether we realize it or not, we are the most highly prized possession of the spirit realm – the only planetary creatures made in God’s image and likeness. So when circumstances seem to swirl around our lives like a whirlwind, we can rest assured that, in the spirit realm, prime pieces are being moved around a spiritual chessboard as the realms of light and darkness seek to out-manouevre each other (though God is really multiple moves ahead of those who contend with Him). We see this perhaps most clearly in the biblical account of Job. God and Satan held high-level discussions about an exemplary life, which led to very dramatic earthly turn of events for him. Yet, whether there is earth-shattering drama rocking our world, or apparent calm, we can rest assured that there is an ongoing spiritual battle ever raging on.

This battle, however, is not a simple (highly mismatched) contest between God and Satan. It also involves us … and there is no neutral zone. We do not engage in natural combat, though, for that is not at all what God is about. In Ephesians 6:10-18, Paul explains that believers need to don their spiritual armour in order to engage a spiritual foe. He says, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might … For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places … Therefore take up the whole armour of God …” He then goes on to describe it as below (my clarification follows):

· The belt of truth – a pure heart that knows God’s Word
· The breastplate of righteousness – pleasing God
· Feet shod with the gospel – expressing God’s goodness
· The shield of faith – believing God’s promises no matter what
· The helmet of salvation – thinking and becoming like God
· The sword of the Spirit – prophetically declaring God’s truth

Of course, the ultimate warrior of the Old Testament was David – a man of deep and noble passions, heroic courage, and legendary exploits; a spiritual giant of expressive worship, kingly wisdom and pioneering faith; a man who goes down in history as the one who loved God with all his might and all his strength; one of the best-loved Bible characters. A detailed study of his life (in the books of Samuel, Chronicles, Kings and Psalms) would provide many insights into what is meant by spiritual warfare.

Fighting a good fight (as Paul puts it) is also about personal struggles for higher levels of insight and deeper dimensions of personal development. Jacob, for example, wrestled with God and would not release Him until He changed his name from “dirty-rotten-swindler” to “prince-of-God” (Gen 32:22-28). Paul, the great apostle, spoke of His struggle to do what He knew to be right while finding himself springing back into error (2 Corinthians 12:7-10). The Word says that the kingdom suffers violence and that it is the violent (or the spiritually forceful) who lay hold on it (Matthew 11:12). There is something about a dusty scramble for righteousness and a dogged pursuit of perfection which transforms us into Herculean heroes and Great heroines.

There is something called “a good fight” – duking it out with darkness, wrestling for righteousness and pounding our personal preferences into submission to God’s. The concept of a “good fight” implies its twin opposite, “a bad fight” – civil war and infighting and contentious relationships fuelled by selfish ambition, envying and ego-driven motivation (James 4:1-3). The “good fight” is all about noble intentions, standing firm and patiently enduring through tough seasons, even when it seems we are bitterly embattled and barraged with ill luck. Consider this description of Joseph:

Joseph is a fruitful bough;
A fruitful bough by a well;
His branches run over the wall.
The archers have bitterly grieved him,
Shot at him and hated him.
But his bow remained in strength,
And the arms of his hands were made strong
By the hands of the mighty God of Jacob …

Gen 49:22-24

God is an awesome warrior. When He destroyed the Egyptian army to secure the release of His people, Moses and his followers sang: The Lord is a man of war / The Lord is His name / Pharaoh’s chariots and his army He has cast into the sea / His chosen captains are also drowned in the Red Sea. / The depths have covered them; / they sank to the bottom like a stone (Exodus 15:3-5). Consider, too, King David’s poetic outpouring: Lift up your heads, O you gates! / And be lifted up you everlasting doors! / And the king of glory shall come in. / Who is this King of glory? / The Lord strong and mighty, /The Lord mighty in battle … / The Lord of hosts, / He is the King of glory (Psalm 24:7-10). (God is a God of loving-kindness and tender mercies, but He is also a terrible God. In other words, duck for cover and dive down deep when His anger is aroused. He is indeed The Lion of the Tribe of Judah.

In Psalm 18, David extols God’s goodness towards Him in poetry that overflows with his gratitude towards God for protecting him in times of great personal trouble. Here are a few excerpts: I will love You, O Lord, my strength. / The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; … / My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. … / In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried out to my God; … / And my cry came before Him, even to His ears. / Then the earth shook and trembled … / Because He was angry. / Smoke went up from His nostrils, And devouring fire from His mouth … / The Lord thundered from heaven … / He sent from above, He took me; / He drew me out of many waters. / He delivered me from my strong enemy, / From those who hated me, / For they were too strong for me … But the Lord was my support. … / He delivered me because He delighted in me … / Your gentleness has made me great. (Psalm 18:1-35)

One must keep in mind, though, that in God there is balance. So while God calls us to contend with darkness, He does not revel in conflict. While He is a shield, refuge and rock to those who trust in Him, He has promised to end war (Psalm 46:9). In Isaiah 11:6, it states: The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, / the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, / the calf and the lion and the fatling together; / and a little child shall lead them … / They shall not hurt and destroy in all My holy mountain. This is what God deeply desires. So it is no surprise that Jesus is also known as the Prince of Peace. This is why, even in times of great trouble, He comforts us with peace that floods our soul with a soothing sense of warmth, well-being and protection. He is a refuge to all who put their trust in Him.

Still, a good fight remains to be fought. Our battle scars give us bragging rights; the right to boast that God’s kindness, strength and wisdom have brought us through mighty battles into mighty victories; in the struggle there is great joy; joy that our rite of passage dives us into deeper dimensions of God’s majestic character; that every twist and turn in our personal saga is pre-sealed with trumpet-blowing, sweet, sweet triumph as God raises His glorious billowing banner over the ones He loves.