Fighting with Faith
Message Summary:
In Sunday’s message, Pastor Pascale Williams taught us how to fight the good fight of faith. As much as God wants us to have love, joy, and peace, He also wants to know how to fight. And we are called to fight with faith! Faith comes by hearing and hearing the Word of God. When you hear the Word, your enemy will immediately try to comes and snatch it away from you. He knows the powerful life you can live if you get ahold of the power of God’s Word. So he will do all he can to keep the Word from taking root in your life. That’s why you have to cultivate a lifestyle that holds on to the Word of God, so that it can build your faith. You have to learn how to keep the Word of God in your mouth, and consistently speak it over your life. This is how we fight.
As a believer, the Word of God is one of the great weapons that God has given to us (Eph. 6). We are called to wield the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Every test, every tribulation, every hardship that we walk through requires you to hold fast to the word of God – in your mouth and in your heart. That is why Hebrews 10:23 tells us to, hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.” Our confession of hope is the Word of God, which contains all of the good and precious promises and instructions from God. We must stand unwaveringly on His Word, because we know God is faithful to His Word.
We have to watch over every word that comes in and out of our mouth. We have to be careful of what we allow our heart to dwell upon. We have to cast out anything and everything – podcasts, movies, music, news, rumor, etc. – that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. If it does not align with the Word of God, or distracts you from the Word of God, you must remove it from your life. Faith is not a denial of what you feel, feel or experience. But God said his ways are higher than all that. Those things may feel very real, but they are not as real as God’s reality found in the Word. You can acknowledge your situation, but you have to fight to stand in faith for your situation to yield to promises of God’s Word.
Scriptures:
[1 Timothy 6:12 NKJV] 12 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.
[Romans 8:37 NKJV] 37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
[2 Timothy 2:1-5 NKJV] 1 You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. 3 You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of [this] life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. 5 And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.
[2 Timothy 1:13-14 NKJV] 13 Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. 14 That good thing which was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.
[2 Timothy 2:15 NKJV] 15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Discussion Questions:
What is the good fight of faith (1 Tim. 6:12)?
How do we fight with faith?
Why is it important for a believer to know how to fight with their faith?
How does knowing the Word of God help build your faith for the fight (Rom. 10:17)?
Why do you have to be careful to watch over the words that come out of our mouths?
Life Application:
As you study the key scriptures over the next week, examine your life and consider this: Are you careful to watch over the words of your mouth? God wants you to fill your mouth and your heart with the Word of God, so that you can fight the good fight of faith. Do you know what scriptures your need to be standing on in this season? When you know the Word of God and you speak it over your life, you can fight the good fight of faith!