Fight!

by Skip Heitzig | October 11, 2024

"Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints" (Jude v. 3).

Jude was saying that he wanted to write a letter of encouragement, but instead gave a call to arms. Warren Wiersbe wrote, "The Holy Spirit led him to put down his harp and sound the trumpet."

To contend means to fight, so he was encouraging believers to put up a good fight for the faith. The New Living Translation says, "defend the faith." The JB Phillips translation says, "Put up a real fight for the faith." The Message says, "Fight with everything you have in you."

The word contend is an athletic term. In Greek, it is agonizomai, from which we get the English word agonize. Picture an athlete running in the Olympics, straining every muscle to the point of agony in order to win. You'll never win God's battles from your sofa or La-Z-Boy. You have to decide to get up and join the fight.

"The faith" is a term that refers to the body of Christian truth, as given in the New Testament. For instance, see 2 Corinthians 13:5, "Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith," and 1 Timothy 4:1, "The Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith."

"The faith" is the complete New Testament teaching concerning Jesus Christ—who God is, who Jesus is, and how a person gets saved. Fight for that.

Also, notice that the faith I'm talking about was once, for all time, delivered to the saints. That's a very important truth. It means that by, let's say AD 100, all that God ever wanted to say, in terms of Scripture, was done. There is no more revelation. God didn't say later on, "Oh, I forgot some other stuff," and give us other books. No, it's once, for all time.

Being called to contend doesn't mean we can be contentious. You can contend and put up a good fight while still being nice about it. You can fight with a smile. In 1 Peter 3:15, Paul said, "Be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear," or "gentleness and respect" as the NIV puts it. Fight the fight but do it with gentleness and respect.

In the book of Nehemiah, when the Jews came back to Jerusalem to rebuild the city walls, they worked with a trowel in one hand and a sword in the other, because they knew their enemies would try to subvert the whole process (see Nehemiah 4:17).

So, we are to build up the church and we are also to defend the faith against those who try to destroy it. That's a calling for every believer, every volunteer, every staff member, every worship leader, every pastor.

Martin Luther said, "A preacher must be both soldier and shepherd. He must nourish, defend, and teach." In fact, that's another way to look at it. Jude says he is "exhorting" the believers. It's a word that describes the action of a general giving orders to an army.

So, you and I are in the army of the Lord Jesus, our commander. The question is not, "Will I be a soldier?" The question is, "Will I be a good soldier? Will I fight for His truth?"

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