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Fight for Faith.001

Let’s face — faith is hard. There are some people who tell us that faith should be easy. Pray should be easy. Healing should be easy. Radical faith should be easy. But if we’re honest, I’m sure we would all admit that faith is hard.

It’s not easy to believe that God has really forgiven us. It’s not easy to believe that God really is working all things for our good. It’s not easy to trust that God has the hope of glory in store for us. And it can be a fight to believe that God really loves us.

It’s no wonder then that Paul calls the Colossian church to fight for their faith in Christ. In Colossians 2:5, he hopes to rejoice in their good order and firmness in the faith. This is a military metaphor. Just as an army stands in the ranks — the church is to stand against the enemies of our faith. Paul is the general calling his soldiers to stand strong against their enemies. Paul knows that faith is a fight.  And he is telling us to fight hard. Stand together. Stay strong. And fight for your faith in Christ.

So how do we do that exactly? How do we fight for our faith? Well, here are three ways we can do that.

1. Look Out for Enemies

Jesus tells us in Matt 7:15 — "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves." We must be on our guard for enemies of our faith. And it’s not always someone trying to debunk the Christian faith. Sometimes the enemy is on TV wearing a fancy suite with a bible in his hand. Sometimes the enemy is on the shelf in the Christian bookstore. We must work hard to be on the lookout.

And here is the best way to spot an enemy of faith — are they pointing you to the treasures of Jesus. Ladies, any book that tells you that happiness is found in feeling good about yourself — that book is your enemy. Any advice that encourages you to just do what makes you happy — that advice is your enemy. When a movement gives us a new way to experience God that has nothing to do with Jesus — that movement is our enemy. We must fight for our faith by looking out for anything that would take our eyes off Jesus.

2. Lock Arms With the Church

You see, the fight of faith is not one that we fight alone. Even Paul’s metaphor shows us this. He talks about the order of an army — soldiers who are locking arms to stand strong against their enemy. And that’s how he wants us to fight. When you’re struggling to believe that God is working your suffering for God — lock arms with other believers who can pray for you and encourage you. When you are filled with doubt — lock arms with other believers who can listen and point you to Christ. When you have a hard time believe that God really loves you — lock arms with other believers who can show you that he really does. If you feel your faith is weak — it might be that you are not pressing into community.

And I don’t just mean showing up to church. I mean having real relationships in the church. Having honest conversations in the church. Having brothers and sisters who will just sit with you. Having others who know you and love you. Having a church that points you to Jesus in everything. We must fight for our faith by locking arms with the people of Jesus.

3. Lean On the Rock

You know, one of the most encourage things to me about faith is that is not about how strong our faith is. It’s all about who our faith is in. And if you're faith is in Christ— it’s rock solid. Listen to Psalm 61 — “Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer; from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I, for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy.” We fight for our faith with this simple prayer — God, lead me to the rock. Lead me to Jesus.

If you’re looking inside you to fight for faith, it won’t work. We are weak. We are fearful. We are filled with doubts. But Christ is the Rock of our Salvation. He is our mighty refuge. He is our strong tower. We fight for our fight by leaning on Christ. Stop looking inside you to fight for your faith. And start looking to Jesus. He is the Rock upon which we stand. We must fight for our faith by leaning on the rock of Christ.