So now we are to “earnestly contend” for faith by “fighting the good fight” of faith. OK… so who do we fight against? The scriptures are clear. Once again in Ephesians, in chapter 6, we find this passage:
10 ¶ Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
11 Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 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.
13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
So then we see that our fight is against Satan and his demons who are drastically trying to hold onto the controls of this world system. When the scriptures mention “principalities”, “powers”, “rulers of darkness of this world”, and “spiritual wickedness in high places” it is talking about the demonic powers influencing and controlling the ruling governments of this world, including national, regional, and local.
In addition, it is speaking about all the lesser demons with whom we have our struggles (i.e. lust, greed, envy, etc.) Also included in this mess are those demons who cause sickness and infirmity.
Some Christians are terrified of Satan and his demons. You don’t need to be. They are vanquished foes. They are defeated. And it is just a matter of time before Christ gathers them all up and throws them into the eternally-burning garbage dump.
We shouldn’t fear the devil and his demons, but the Bible tells us not to be ignorant of his devices (2 Cor. 2:11) and that we should arm ourselves against his wiles (Eph. 6:11).
Yes, our fight is with the devil and his demons. And we know exactly what Satan is after. We saw earlier that when Peter was tested, the devil wanted to destroy his faith. If he could destroy Peter’s faith, he would have the man.
And the devil is out to destroy your faith any way he can. He is not so concerned about your health or your finances or your relationships except to the extent that he can use these things to destroy your faith and its power.
As we saw in the previous chapter, “The Importance Of Faith”, verse 16 of Ephesians 6 says “above all take up the shield of faith”. In other words, the most crucial thing, or the primary armament we must take up is faith.
But unfortunately, this message has gotten lost in most Christian circles today. Paul tells us that:
1 ¶ Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
Like with Peter and Satan, the primary goal of the seducing spirits is to get you to depart from the faith. Their secondary goal is to get you to sin, but only because sin is a destroyer of faith.
So we see that the fight of faith is a fight against the evil spiritual forces that wield control over the present world system.
But how does the devil fight against our faith? What tricks, traps and weapons does he use? And how do they affect you, the believer? And even more importantly, how have they already affected you?
When you begin to ask these questions, you are entering the right road. This is the core of our battle for increased faith.
Unfortunately, we all carry around in our spirits, minds, and souls some vestiges of the enemy’s deceptions. This is because our old carnal nature has not yet been totally dealt with.
We are saved—our spirit has been saved—but we are constantly working out the salvation of our soul. The theologians refer to this process as “sanctification”.
Phil 2:12 ¶ Wherefore, my beloved... work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
It is in this realm where the battle takes place. The battlefield encompasses our entire thought life, emotions, knowledge, attitudes and mindsets.
2 Cor 10:3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
5 Casting down imaginations... bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
This fight of faith is precisely what Jesus referred to when He said “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.” (Matt. 6:33).
You can be religious and still miss the mark. This is what happened to Israel:
Heb 3:19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.
Heb 4:2 ... the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith...
The Jews had a religious system, but lacked the crucial ingredient: faith.
It doesn’t matter how good a person you are. If you approach God without faith, you will fall short. Faith is God’s way.
Seeking the kingdom is a lifelong journey of growing faith and victory over the devil, the flesh, and the world.
The battle takes place inside you—your mind and soul.
The devil works to bring you into unbelief. God works to bring you into faith.
The Christian walk is about reclaiming lost ground and bringing every area under faith through the Word of God.
The good fight of faith is the only war worth fighting.
The Spirit will guide us:
John 16:13 ... he will guide you into all truth
Rom. 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.