Lesson 7 “Challenges of Faith”

I Timothy 6:12 “ Fight the good fight of faith , lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.”

Lay hold: Grk to seize

Seize eternal life! Seize “knowing” our Father and Jesus Christ!

John 17:3

AND professing/confessing “homologeo” – “saying the same thing said” – as your Father and Jesus Christ = LOGOS.

Is it easy to say the same thing that the Word says? Are you fighting the good fight of faith when all hell is breaking loose?

Challenge : An invitation to engage in a contest or controversy of any kind; a defiance; specifically, a summons to fight a duel; also, the letter or message conveying the summons.

What or Who is challenging your faith?

David and the Champion

I Samuel 17

Goliath's Strategy For a Fight

• Defied the armies of Israel
• Intimidation
• Twice a day – every day – 40 days = PERSISTANT
• At time of battle – cursed David – he disdained him – almost like he was offended!
• His plan was to annihilate David and the armies

David's Strategy For a Fight

• Scoped out the situation
• Wanted to know the reward
• Not to let sibling rivalry get the best of him
• Called an “ace” an “ace” – UNCIRCUMCISED!
• Was open to suggestion but made his own decision
• Let the enemy know EXACTLY what he was going to do – CUT HIS HEAD OFF!
• Had the right confession
• “I come to you in the name of the Lord
• ”The battle is the Lord's
• He will give you into OUR hands – he was yet humble
• Ran toward the enemy – not away from him like the others did – even his brothers
• Did what he knew he could do well
• And he FOLLOWED THROUGH!
• The result: David PREVAILED!

Goliath's Armor

• Brass helmet to cover a head that was on top of a 9'9” man
• Body armor weighed 125 lbs
• Bronze shin guards
• Bronze sword
• Spear with the tip that weighed 15 lbs.
• Had someone else carry his shield!

The Wrong Armor for David

• Saul's armor
• Saul's brass helmet
• Saul's body armor
• Saul's sword

David tried but there was no way he could fight this battle with someone else's armor!

The Wrong Armor for Us The Right Armor for Us

•  Helmet – wrong thinking Right thinking – soteria

•  Breastplate – protecting yourself Right standing w/God -

from disappointment LOVED

•  Belt – Wrong confession Surrounding yourself

I know God can but… speaking the truth

•  Shoes – Fear, what ifs Peace

•  Shield – Someone else's faith Revelation knowledge

•  Sword – Someone else's revelation The Word revealed to me

•  Praying the Problem Agreeing w/God for solution

•  Weary & give up Keeping awake & persevere

FIGHT!

Col 4:12 “ Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.”

Fight: agonizomia; to struggle; lit. to compete for a prize; fig. To contend with an adversary or gen. to endeavor to accomplish something:- fight, labor fervently, strive

II Timothy 4:7 “ I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:”

Course: 1408 dromos; a race, ie. fig. A career:-course

From 5143 trecho; to run or walk hastily:- have (free)course, run

Hebrews 12:1 “ Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,”

Run With Patience ?

How do you do something “hastily” like “run” with “patience” like something that takes a long time, long suffering, forbearance???

There is another “patience” that Father wants to develop in us – The “Jesus-kind” of patience!

Hebrews 10: 36-38a “ For ye have need of patience …”

Luke 8:15 “ But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.”

Patience: constant endurance

James 1: 2 -7

Revelation 3:10   “Because thou hast kept the word [logos]of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.”

Revelation 14:12 “ Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.”

Galatians 2:20,21a frustrate: to disesteem, neutralize or violate

Revelation 1:9   “I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos , for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.”

John 18:36   “ Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.”

Matthew 11:12   “From the time of John the Baptizer until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful people have been seizing it.” (God's Word Translation)

It is time to fight the good fight of faith to agree with God to bring His will and His kingdom into our lives!

How do we fight? By standing on the Word with patience – constant endurance. By letting faith have her way in our life to bring us to completion so that we will lack nothing! Nothing = nothing. No sickness, no disease, no ailments, no allergies, no arthritis, no diabetes, no high BP, lack nothing!

Run toward your giant! Speak the name and Word of the Lord! The battle has already been won! By His stripes we WERE healed!