“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day — and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” – 2 Timothy 4:7-8, NIV
After finishing off the list of attributes to pursue, Paul writes a new instruction to Timothy: “Fight the good fight of the faith” (1 Timothy 6:12, NIV). In a way, this seems to be a combination of his previous pieces of advice. Fighting the good fight of faith involves running from sin and pursing things such as righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.
Fighting the good fight of faith is about making a choice – a choice to pursue God’s will and a life of faith on a daily basis. It is about deciding to fight the temptations and factors that pull away from God and instead lean into Him.
Paul references the good fight again in 2 Timothy 4:7 where he says, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” Fighting the good fight of the faith is also about perseverance and continuing, even when the road is hard.