Over the last few years I have been significantly concerned about the practical definitions of what it means to many Christians to be orthodox or conservative as evangelicals. It seems to many that if you are not willing to voice your anger against cultural change in a public way, you are not in the fight you should be. It’s as if some have made this a matter of orthodoxy. I have often been left wondering how we should really define the Christian fight. It’s not that I am against the concept of a Christian war because there are prominent places in the New Testament where Paul uses battle language. It’s in those places we see the nature of the fight to which we are called. - The domain of the fight.
The first reality we find is that it’s a spiritual fight. 2 Corinthians 10:4-6 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, 6 being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete. Paul wrote these words to the church in Corinth as it was being threatened by the influence of those termed as “super apostles.” They were false teachers who were undermining the gospel within the church. It was a spiritual battle for the integrity of the gospel in the church to keep the church committed to authenticity in Christ’s mission.
In the New Testament letters, we constantly find that the focus of spiritual warfare is the integrity of the gospel in the church as it reaches out in mission to the lost in the world. Today many people have attempted to focus the church’s fight on the world, particularly government, to fight against the immorality of a changing culture. When the apostles speak about the government in the New Testament there is a glaring absence of battle language. In fact, more than anything, there is an encouragement for Christians to live peaceably through respectful obedience in good conscience before God. (* Disclaimer: I am not saying that it is sinful or wrong to speak out against evil/ungodly decisions or use legal or legislative means to uphold God’s holy standard where possible. I’m saying that the core battle lines of the church are not described as such in the New Testament and the priority of our battle language is often distorted when focused away from the integrity of the gospel in the church.)
If we are not foundationally fighting the spiritual battle of gospel integrity in the church for mission in the world, we might want to ask ourselves if we are more concerned about our cultures than we are about God’s glory through salvation of the lost.
- A great example of the fight.
One of the best examples of the spiritual war is found in Paul’s letters to Timothy as he entrusts his dear son in the faith to battle (1:18-20). If you just read through Paul’s first letter to Timothy, you find that the false teaching in Ephesus has impacted the church beyond dogma. The consequence of false teaching affects the whole life of the church. Timothy is instructed to fight, and it may not always look like many today expect it to look. As you read through this letter and make a list of instructions for the fight, your list will look something like this.
- Correcting false doctrine and teachers within the local church.
- Living in dignity for the sake of the unsaved.
- Having ordered gatherings that respect God’s will for men and women.
- Having a leadership that matches the calling and integrity of the gospel.
- The protection of truth.
- Correcting misconceptions about holiness.
- To keep the reading and preaching of God's word central in the church.
- To keep his own teaching in check.
- To ensure the church is properly caring for widows as a witness to the community.
- To lead and put measures in place for an authentically faithful eldership.
- To correct the greediness of false teaching to encourage a generosity to the gospel.
Paul tells Timothy to fight the good fight. I think if we asked the Apostle Paul what his definition of a good fight is, he might simply tell us to read the rest of the letter and see for ourselves. He may also more personally tell us to read Romans 7 where he discusses a battle against his own sin. We engage in the good fight to protect the historical Christian faith that has stood the test of time now for 2000 years. The church is still alive and the gospel is spreading because the good fight is enduring in the power of Christ.
As you read Paul’s letters to Timothy, perhaps also listen out for the loving sincerity of the Apostle as he sincerely guides his spiritual son to navigate his mission with a goal of love.
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