“Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto you are also called, and have professed a good profession before many witnesses.” 1 Timothy 6:12

The only fight the Believer is called to fight is the fight of faith.  That fight of faith is faith in the atoning work of Jesus Christ.  On the Cross, Jesus paid the penalty of sin for whosoever will believe.  Once the sinner willingly chooses Jesus Christ as their Lord and His atoning work on Calvary’s Cross as that which saves them from an eternal hell, the sinner is born again…they are saved to the uttermost.  In short, Jesus Christ is their Lord and Saviour.  This is not a mere acquiesce, a “mental nod” if you will, of Jesus Christ but an understanding of our condition as a sinner in need of a Saviour.  This understanding comes only through the conviction of the Holy Spirit under the anointing of the Word of God being preached and Jesus Christ being lifted up among the people (John 6:44, John 12:32).

So why is this fight of faith in the atoning work of Jesus Christ for the BELIEVER also? After all, the Believer is already Saved, right?  Absolutely!  In the eyes of God, we are justified through the Blood of Jesus when we accepted Jesus as our Lord and Saviour.  However, what so many don’t understand is the Atonement, the finished work of Jesus, is a double cure.  It is there, on the Cross that Jesus broke the power of sin for the Believer.  Jesus is the Source and His cross the means by which the power of sin is broken in the Believer’s life.

“For sin shall not have dominion over you: for you are not under the Law, but under Grace.”  Romans 6:14

Under Grace sin does not have dominion over us. Amen?  Amen!

“¹⁸ For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwells no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. ¹⁹ For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.” Romans 7:18-19

However, sometimes we want to do good but the good that we would do, we do not.  We know WHAT we are supposed to do but we do not have the power NOT to do.  So many have walked away from their faith because they could not live up to the “Christian standards”.  Just like so many of us, they were told what NOT to do but not how to do the NOT to do’s.  They were given philosophies and methods of man “to do” but those methods could never give them dominion over the “not to do’s”, namely sin.  Even the most Scriptural doctrines, when they are given to overcome sin will fail and fail they must. Only by faith through Grace, Jesus Christ and what He did on Calvary’s Cross, are we given dominion over sin.  There is simply no other way.

“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.” Romans 8:2

The Holy Spirit is not commissioned to free us from the law of sin and death; to give us dominion over our sin nature when our faith is placed in philosophies, methods of man or our own self efforts.  However, He is fully and wholly capable of performing that which God the Father has sent Him to do when we, the Believer, look unto Jesus Christ…the Author and the Finisher of our faith.

Precept upon precept, line upon line old things pass away and all things become new.  We are a NEW creature in Christ Jesus, not a refurbished image of worldy statutes under the banner of Christ. God forbid no!  The world will look to us and wonder…wonder how, wonder why there is a joy unspeakable deep down in our soul.  We are indeed a peculiar people and often times will in fact be hated as the storms begin to rumble, yet we stand still in the blessed assurance of our Father in Whom we have believed.

Look…look unto HIM, the Author and Finisher of our faith.  Fight the good fight of faith in Jesus and His atoning work.  We don’t have to fight this fight daily for our Salvation but for our Sanctification.  We are called to be a holy people yet we cannot until we deny ourselves and look unto Him – Jesus Christ.  HE is the answer for dominion over sin…and make no mistake, sin is the problem in the world today.

” ⁶ Wherefore also it is contained in the Scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief Corner Stone, elect, precious: and he that believes on Him shall not be confounded.

⁷ Unto you therefore which believe He is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the Stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the Head of the corner,

⁸ And a Stone of stumbling, and a Rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the Word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.

⁹ But you are a chosen generation, a Royal Priesthood, an Holy Nation, a Peculiar People; that you should show forth the praises of Him Who has called you out of darkness into His marvellous light;” 1 Peter 2:6-9

-Donna Clark Warren