The Good Fight FOrever

Pastor: Adam Sharkey

Introduction: Why “The Good Fight”?

We’re now in Week 4 of The Good Fight — and so far, we’ve learned that:

• Our work is our calling, where we honor God.

• People matter deeply to God.

• We are to use God’s money for God’s purposes.

This week, Paul explains why he uses the phrase “fight the good fight.”It’s more than a motivational saying — it’s a picture of how to live faithfully in a world that’s constantly pulling us toward another kingdom.

A Cultural Saying with Eternal Meaning

Paul’s letters to Timothy are filled with military and athletic language:

• “Wage the good warfare” – 1 Timothy 1:18

• “Fight the good fight” – 1 Timothy 6:12

• “I have fought the good fight” – 2 Timothy 4:7

These phrases all describe conflict and perseverance, but they came from two different Greek ideas:

• Military struggle (strateia / strateuo) — battle language

• Athletic struggle (agon / agonizomai) — competition language

In Ephesus, this imagery would have been instantly recognizable. The city was a Roman military hub—filled with veterans, commanders, and public monuments celebrating service.

To the Romans, “fighting the good fight” meant proving loyalty and courage by serving the empire. Paul takes that familiar phrase and turns it on its head:

For Rome — victory came through force.For God — victory comes through faith, humility, and love.

Flee the Ways of the World

“But you, O man of God, flee these things…”— 1 Timothy 6:11a

Paul begins with a command: run from the world’s system.What are “these things”?

• False teaching

• Greed and manipulation

• Power abuse and hypocrisy

He warns that the world’s kingdom will chase after us — trying to claim us as citizens. We are to flee and keep fleeing from its pull.

Pursue the Ways of God

“…and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.”— 1 Timothy 6:11b

The word pursue means to run toward — with energy and determination.Paul pairs these six traits as inward and outward virtues:

• Righteousness (outward character)

• Godliness (inward reverence)

• Faith (inward trust)

• Love (outward compassion)

• Patience (inner endurance)

• Gentleness (outward grace)

These were not admired in Ephesus — or in modern America. But they are the traits that leave a legacy worth celebrating at the end of life.

Fight for the Advancement of God’s Kingdom

“Fight the good fight of faith…”— 1 Timothy 6:12

Paul tells Timothy — and us — to fight for something that lasts.Every believer is called to engage in spiritual conflict, but our enemies are not people.

The Enemies of the Soul

Evagrius Ponticus, a 4th-century theologian, described three forces that oppose the soul — and Paul affirms them here:

1. The Devil — deception and manipulation (Ephesians 6:11)

2. The Flesh — our personal battle with sin and disordered desires

3. The World — cultural systems that reinforce lies and temptations

So we:

• Fight the Devil by choosing and sharing truth with love.

• Fight the Flesh by denying disordered desires and living holy.

• Fight the World by resisting conformity and choosing transformation.

We don’t fight people — we fight for people.

Grasp the Eternal

“…lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called…”— 1 Timothy 6:12b

Paul isn’t saying Timothy wasn’t saved — he’s reminding him to seize what matters most.“Lay hold of” means to grasp firmly and with conviction.In other words: Drop everything else and hold tightly to what lasts forever.

Following Christ isn’t a solo mission — Paul reminds Timothy that there are witnesses. Just as a soldier has an army or a player has a team, faith is meant to be lived in community.

The Charge: Keep the Command

“I urge you in the sight of God…keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing.”— 1 Timothy 6:13–14

Paul gives Timothy a direct military-style order:Stay faithful until the end.Guard the command to flee from greed and pride, pursue godliness, and fight the battles that matter.

The finish line isn’t found in applause, success, or comfort — it’s when Jesus returns.

The Eternal King

“…He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords.”— 1 Timothy 6:15–16

Paul ends by lifting Timothy’s eyes above Rome’s empire to the eternal kingdom of God.The word Potentate was a title once reserved for Zeus — Paul intentionally uses it to show that no earthly ruler can compare.

This world’s leaders fight for inches of territory on a planet God spoke into being.But Jesus — the eternal, unapproachable Light — reigns forever.

Final Challenge

At the end of your life, when the fight is over and the race is run, what will people say?Will they remember that you fought with people — or for them?Will they say, “They fought the good fight of faith”?

The good fight isn’t about aggression or ambition.It’s about faith, love, endurance, and loyalty to a King whose kingdom will never end.