CONTEND FOR THE FAITH

1. The FAITH we received in Jesus Christ was bought at a huge PRICE; the MEDIATOR of our PEACE gave His LIFE as RANSOM for ours, “For there is one God, and one MEDIATOR between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a RANSOM FOR ALL, to be testified in due time” [1 Timothy 2:5-6] Faithful men and women ran the gauntlet of cruel persecution and death to pass the TRUTH to us, “And others had trial of CRUEL MOCKING and SCOURGINGS, yea, moreover of BONDS and IMPRISONMENT: They were STONED, they were SAWN ASUNDER, were TEMPTED, were SLAIN with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being DESTITUTE, AFFLICTED, TORMENTED” [Hebrews 11:36-37] The FAITH passed to us is the GOOD NEWS of God manifest in Jesus Christ with POWER to translate the worst offender from perdition to everlasting life, “For I am not ashamed of the GOSPEL of Christ: for it is the POWER of God unto SALVATION to EVERY ONE THAT BELIEVETH; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek” [Romans 1:16] We have this glorious FAITH in fragile earthly bodies and an unrelenting ADVERSARY, it is therefore “… needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should EARNESTLY CONTEND FOR THE FAITH which was once delivered unto the saints” [Jude 1:3]

2. We CONTEND FOR THE FAITH, not against men, governments or religious organizations, “Be SOBER, be VIGILANT; because your ADVERSARY the DEVIL, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” [1 Peter 5:8] Let us be SOBER and VIGILANT not to fight as one chasing shadows, looking through the EYES of God to SEE through the devices of the ENEMY. Our ADVERSARY is a spiritual personality working through elements of nature and men to promote DISOBEDIENCE, “Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the SPIRIT that now WORKETH IN THE CHILDREN OF DISOBEDIENCE” [Ephesians 2:2] CHILDREN OF DISOBEDIENCE are not FOES but VICTIMS of Satan’s cruel afflictions, “Whom RESIST STEDFAST IN THE FAITH, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world” [1 Peter 6:9] Those who will WITHSTAND the ADVERSARY in the FAITH, must be firmly established in the FAITH and anchored on the ROCK OF AGES, the revelation of God manifest in Jesus Christ, “That your FAITH SHOULD NOT STAND in the WISDOM of MEN, but in the POWER OF GOD” [1 Corinthians 2:4-5] POWER of God is the WORD made FLESH dwelling in us and we do not FIGHT as men, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the WEAPONS of our WARFARE re not CARNAL, but MIGHTY THROUGH GOD to the PULLING DOWN OF STRONG HOLDS;)” [2 Corinthians 10:3-4]

3. Our WARFARE is against satanic STRONGHOLDS to set captives of the mighty free, “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” [Ephesians 6:12] We CONTEND for SOULS with the authority of the WORD of God, preaching Jesus Christ, the WORD made flesh. The GOSPEL cuts through webs of false religion and human wisdom, disabling the lying devices of rulers of DARKNESS to separate SIN and the SINNER,  “For the WORD OF GOD IS QUICK, and POWERFUL, and SHARPER than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the DIVING ASUNDER of SOUL and SPIRIT, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” [Hebrews 4:12] We take the battle to those who handle the WORD of God deceitfully and propagate damnable imaginations in the name of “revelation”. Brethren, let us with pure conscience CONTEND against every shade of knowledge and or doctrine contrary to PRESENT TRUTH, “Casting down IMAGINATIONS, and every HIGH THING that exalteth itself against the KNOWLEDGE of God, and bringing into captivity every THOUGHT to the OBEDIENCE of Christ’ [2 Corinthians 10:5] And this we must do without offence or respect of persons but with clarity of purpose set the TRUTH in order; precept upon precept and line upon line that all glory should be to God, ”For it is GOD which WORKETH IN YOU both to WILL and to DO of his GOOD PLEASURE” [Philippians 2:13]

4. We are as SOLDIERS enlisted to FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT OF FAITH and “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” [2 Timothy 2:4] Let us deal with the FEARS and DOUBTS within, putting away all selfish aspirations and the rat race which drown men in diverse LUSTS. Our victory is in Him who died for us, daily WAITING on Him to renew our strength and replenish our armoury “… they that WAIT UPON THE LORD shall RENEW THEIR STRENGTH; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall RUN, NOT BE WEARY; and they shall WALK, and NOT FAINT” [Isaiah 40:31] I charge you as fellow SOLDIER to STAND in the POWER of the Lord always, the EVIL DAY spoken in Scriptures is here, a time of unprecedented instabilities and distress, “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” [Ephesians 6:13] The battle has been long but it is not over until we hear the TRUMPET calling us to join the Lord in clouds of glory, until then, CONTEND FOR THE FAITH, “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” [1 Timothy 6:12] Accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour today, if you have not done so.