How Do We Fight The Good Fight?

2Corithians10vs3-5 -----NIV
For though we live in the world,we do not wage War as  the world does.
The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world.On the contrary 
They have divine power to demolish strongholds.
We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets up itself against the knowledge 
of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ

Ephesians6 vs11-12
Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's  scheme
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood,but against the rulers, against the authorities
against the the powers of this dark world and against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly
Realms

Because our lives as believers is intensely spiritual every thing that affects us is also spiritual

and our warfare as confirmed by the above scriptures is no different.Our failure has always been that we see our lives in the world as beginning and ending here only. As a young attorney who loves her profession and always eager to be in the court room to hear your seniors argue cases has always been fun and exciting.The exception to this is of course when you have to sit through a divorce proceeding. It is heart breaking to see the confusion,anger,bitterness that spues out from those who once vouched to love each other and protect each other. It's simply heart wrenching.

Therefore the first thing to do is to acknowledge that your spouse is not your enemy.No matter what went down between you,don't fight each other,every body looses that way,and their no victors only victims. And the real arch enemy,the devil,the accuser of the brethren goes home scoring a point.The enemy knows that a blow against your marriage is a blow that is difficult to recover from.A wounded soul proverbs says is heaviness and weariness to the spirit. The battle for your marriage is not just about you, it is a battle for God's honor and name in our lives.That's what the enemy is after to discredit God in our lives.The enemy has come steal,kill and destroy.

The Good Fight3

Malachi2vs11--------"Judah has broken faith---- " Verse16------"I hate divorce says the Lord God of Israel,and I hate a man covering himself with violence as with a garment says the Lord God Almighty" Israel broke faith ,first with God and then in his marriage covenant.the priest and the men of Judah by marrying the daughters of a strange gods committed abomination and broke their covenant with God.then they broke faith with their covenant wives,God calls them the wive of their youth.That's why from verse11-16 God treated these matters as one and not two separate incidences.This here is the reason we fight for our marriages,so that no matter how hard or difficult a marriage is,we fight for it so that we will not be patakers of something that God hates. God loves the families involved in a divorce but hates the spirit responsible for putting asunder -----pulling apart,destroying the union He has put together.

Another thing that God objects to ,is our attitude of taking sacred things lightly or of no value.we are ready to pay the price in hard work,committement ,discipline diligence,determination and vision to go to the moon,but are unwilling to do the same when it comes to our marriage. We celebrate the slightest act of goodness and courage and makes of them heroes ,but no body celebrates those who have stayed together in marriage through the bad times and good times,sometimes the bad more than the good for many years.These should be our heroes in church they should be celebrated.Every year that a couple remains married should be celebrated.When you celebrate and thank God you are fighting the good fight of faith in your marriage. The church should also join the crusade to thank God and celebrate couples who have been married for 10,20,30,40 years,and above and let every body know they have done the right thing.

The Good Fight2

2Timothy 4vs7:   " I have fought the good fight -------------- I have kept the faith.
Why fight for your marriage if it is a gift from God,it should be easy right?.
Even though marriage is physical,it should be noted the foundation of a godly marriage is a covenant sealed in the blood of Jesus Christ who died for us.It is a bond of a lifetime,and that is why in Matthew 19, our Lord said woe to any one who seeks to put asunder------- meaning.; break or destroy  what God has joined together. Marriage therefore is intensely spiritual ,much like our relationship with God and that's why Godalways compares His relationship to us as a marriage. Through out scripture from the prophets to the apostles ,and even our Lord gives a comparison between marriage and our relationship with Him.

The Good Fight

1Timothy6vs12,

Fight the good fight of faith, and take hold of eternal life, many of us in the kingdom  today are yet to fully understand these profound words from the apostle Paul whose very life experience defines and connotes the word "fight". The time has come and now is when the true believer must understand that our very existence is a fight. But the bless me club mentality that wē have in the church today have made us to be pacifist unto death and prevented us from contending for our Faith.

Marriage is a walk of Faith for the believer.God will have it no other way. If it were not so then every marriage will be a sin for it is written without Faith it is impossible to please God and anything done without Faith is a sin. Our neglect to fight for our marriage and families have strued our churches with casualties of war that is raging every day.because the casualty rates are increasing,wē have become experts mostly at mending and fixing what is broken. Do not get me wrong am all for the numerous para-church ministeries,they are great and serve their purpose but we ought to have started at the root cause,that îs building a tradition of praying for and contending for our marriages .

Journey of No Return

Marriage has been  said to be the only instutition you never graduate from. A cliche may be but so true. But from the bible we learn that it is a journey with no return dates but rather what we have is a destination like no other. Therefore married couple should have the destination in mind always,that way the marriage will be  an exciting life long adventure.

From genesis2vs24 the bible says " therefore shall a man leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh"The destination therefore is not some house somewhere or a certificate to show we have arrived,or the best married couple of the year award ,but the unity and the covenant bonding of the man and his wife. The continuos blending together of the man and his wife until they truly become one indeed. The bible calls it cleaving which is an old English word which has a connotation of fastened ,hold fast or even glued.A union so strong that it will take only death to break it up.

When God called Abraham in genesis12,He did not give him a return date,rather He gave him a destination,"leave your country,your people,and your fathers house and follow me to a land i will show you".Abraham never returned,years later he even refused his son Isaac to return.  Scriptures says of another man, and Enoch walked with God and he was no more because God took him.In our relationship with God our destination is God Himself, so bible says,whether we live or die it is unto God, as unto the measure and stature of the son of God. 

Every body who faithfully walks with God as their  shepherd and guide makes it to their destination,and am persuaded you and I will get to our destination in marriage.Because He is with us on this exciting journey of faith and love. I do not see you walking out on God,or terminate half your journey with Him, so I plead with you by mercies of God do not end the journey of your marriage. I understand that holding fast is hard when every thing is going wrong,remember when the disciples complained of how  hard marriage is Jesus said to them with men it is impossible,but with God all things are possible including your marriage.

I want you to see this picture , Jesus Christ is holding fast to you so you can hold fast to your covenant spouse and be united to them. When you think of going back, picture Jesus waiting for you at the destination with your covenant spouse ,the place where a three way cord can not be easily broken. Remember also that marriage is a gift from God ,so your spouse is a gift.

Until next time,
Your;s. in Him,
Esther.