The Good Fight Of Faith

(the battle plan)

By CHARLES PERKINS, Pastor

GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH

POST OFFICE BOX 362

NIXA, MISSOURI 65714

E-Mail: onebookpreacher@yahoo.com

1 Tim 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.

I. Identify the fight: (Faith)

"Fight the good fight of faith"

Some one or something wants to destroy your faith.

1. For by grace are ye saved through faith;

2. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.

3. The just shall live by faith.

Gal 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

II. Identify the enemy: (Satan)

1. The Devil wants you to quit witnessing.

2 Cor 4:3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:

2 Cor 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

2. Satan wants you to quit the battle. (GO AWOL)

"And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:

But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren." (Luke 22:31,32)

3. The Devil will cause you to lie.

Acts 5:3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?

People lie because of fear or greed.

4. Satan will hinder your service for God.

1 Th 2:18 Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us.

III. Identify the weapon: (Eternal Life)

WITH ETERNAL LIFE COMES A NUMBER OF WEAPONS.

1. The word of God:

"It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."

"Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God."

Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

2. The Armour of God:

Eph 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

Eph 6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Eph 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Eph 6:14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

Eph 6:15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

Eph 6:16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

Eph 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

Eph 6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and

3. The Holy Spirit of God:

1 Cor 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

Rom 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

1 John 4:3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

1 John 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

IV. Identify the caller: (Jesus, our Captain)

"whereunto thou art also called"

Heb 2:10 For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

Phil 4:21 Salute every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren which are with me greet you.

Phil 4:22 All the saints salute you, chiefly they that are of Caesar's household.

V. Identify our profession: (a Soldier)

2 Tim 2:3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

2 Tim 2:4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.

Mat 8:5 And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him,

Mat 8:6 And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented.

Mat 8:7 And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him.

Mat 8:8 The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.

Mat 8:9 For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.

Mat 8:10 When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.

VI. Identify the witnesses: (Other People: saved and lost)

"and hast professed a good

profession before many

witnesses."

1. How is your light?

Mat 5:14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

Mat 5:15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

Mat 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

2. How is your right?

"Do right if the stars fall" (Bob Jones Sr.)

EXAMPLE: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego

Dan 3:13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury com- manded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king.

Dan 3:14 Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?

Dan 3:16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.

Dan 3:17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.

Dan 3:18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

EXAMPLE: THE LORD JESUS CHRIST DID RIGHT.

Mat 16:21 From that time forth began Jesus to show unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.

Mat 16:22 Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.

Mat 16:23 But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.

Mat 27:39 And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads,

Mat 27:40 And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.

Ten Thousand Angels

Rarely has a hymn-writer been led to Christ by his own song, but such was the case with Ray Overholt.

In 1958, at the height of his show-business career, Ray Overholt wrote his now-famous song, Ten Thousand Angels.

Here is his story as he related it.

One day I thought to myself: I’ve written secular songs, I’d like to write a song about Christ.

I opened the Bible. I knew a little about it from my mom. I began to read how Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane told Peter to put away his sword. Jesus told Peter that he could ask his Father and he would send twelve legions of angels. I didn’t know at the time that would have been more than 72,000 angels. (cf: Matthew 26:53)

I thought a good title for a song would be He Could Have Called Ten Thousand Angels. The more I read about Jesus, the more I admired him for what he had done.

I was playing in a nightclub in Battle Creek, Michigan, when the Lord impressed me to write the song. I wrote the first verse and put it in my guitar case. I then told the club that I was quitting.

I finished the song and sent it to a publishing house, which reluctantly agreed to publish it.

Sometime later I found myself singing at a small church. I sang He Could Have Called Ten Thousand Angels.

Following my singing, a prea- cher spoke a message that gripped my heart. I knew I needed Christ. So I knelt there and accepted, as my Savior, the One whom I had been singing and writing about.

Ray Overholt became a traveling singer and preacher.

— Lindsay Terry

Ten Thousand Angels

(1) They bound the hands of Jesus in the garden where He prayed; They led Him thro' the streets in shame. They spat upon the Saviour so pure and free from sin; They said, "Crucify Him; He's to blame."

CHORUS:

He could have called ten thousand angels To destory the world and set Him free. He could have called ten thousand angels, But He died alone for you and me.

(2) Upon His precious head they placed a crown of thorns; They laughed and said, "Behold the king." They struck Him and they cursed Him and mocked His holy name. All alone He suffered ev'rything.

(3) To the howling mob He yielded; He did not for mercy cry. The Cross of shame He took alone. And when He cried, "It's finished," He gave himself to die;

Salvation's wondrous plan was done.