We are daily working out our destiny. We have a crown of eternal life to win, a hell to shun. The title of my article is a question. What is this fight about? We are living in a world where the great controversy between good and evil is going on. We are the participants of this battle and everyone is engaged in it. The question is whether we are on the side of good or evil. Are we on the side of Jesus or on the side of Lucifer? There are only two sides in this battlefield. There is no neutral ground. There are no spectators. Everyone is a participant—knowingly or unknowingly. When souls are converted, their salvation is not yet accomplished. They then have the race to run; the arduous struggle is before them to “fight the good fight of faith.” The battle is lifelong, and must be carried forward with determined energy proportionate to the value of the object you are in pursuit of, which is eternal life.

On the Battlefield—No Spectators

“’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. The fallen world is the battlefield for the greatest conflict the heavenly universe and earthly powers have ever witnessed. It was appointed as a theater on which would be fought out the grand struggle between good and evil, between heaven and hell. Every human being acts a part in this conflict. No one can stand on neutral ground. Men must either accept or reject the world’s Redeemer. All are witnesses, either for or against Christ. Christ calls upon those who stand under His banner to engage in the conflict with Him as faithful soldiers, that they may inherit the crown of life.” –God’s Amazing Grace, p. 36

The great controversy: “Between the laws of men and the precepts of Jehovah will come the last great conflict of the controversy between truth and error. Upon this battle we are now entering,—a battle not between rival churches contending for the supremacy, but between the religion of the Bible and the religion of fable and tradition. The agencies which will unite against truth and righteousness in this contest are now actively at work.”  –The Signs of the Times, July 4, 1899

“Battles are to be fought every day. A great warfare is going on over every soul, between the prince of darkness and the Prince of life. . . . As God’s agents you are to yield yourselves to Him, that He may plan and direct and fight the battle for you, with your cooperation. The Prince of life is at the head of His work. He is to be with you in your daily battle with self, that you may be true to principle; that passion, when warring for the mastery, may be subdued by the grace of Christ; that you come off more than conqueror through Him that hath loved us. Jesus has been over the ground. He knows the power of every temptation. He knows just how to meet every emergency, and how to guide you through every path of danger.” –God’s Amazing Grace, p. 36

Joining an army—choosing your destiny

The Bible speaks about the righteous in Psalm 15: “LORD, who shall abide in Thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in Thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.” (verses 1–2). Here we see the qualities required by the righteous—by those who are going to dwell with God in heaven after winning the battle over evil. Of course, the ones who live contrary to it are the wicked, who will not have any place in God’s “holy hill,” who will join hands with Satan in this warfare and finally be destroyed by the fire from heaven. In Jeremiah 13:10, God describes the wicked, as “evil people, which refuse to hear My words, which walk in the imagination of their heart, and walk after other gods, to serve them, and to worship them.” They “shall even be as

this girdle,” God says, “which is good for nothing.”

We should each take an inventory of our lives and see which group we belong to. How many of us are sure we are on God’s side—and that God will finally take us to His “holy mountain”? The apostle Paul was confident about his place in the heavenly kingdom. He says with assurance, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also have loved His appearing.” 2 Timothy 4:7–8

“Besetting sins must be battled with and overcome. Objectionable traits of character, whether hereditary or cultivated, should be taken up separately, and compared with the great rule of righteousness; and in the light reflected from the Word of God, they should be firmly resisted and overcome, through the strength of Christ.” –The Faith I Live By, p. 124

Paul’s Source of Confidence

Why was Paul able to make such a confident statement about his future? Here was a man who had persecuted the church of God in the past. Speaking of him under his Hebrew name, Saul of Tarsus, the book of Acts says: “As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.” Acts 8:3. He carried letters from the high priest to the synagogues of Damascus so that he could bring Christians bound to Jerusalem. But in Acts we read about his dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus. He was a man of good reputation; a learned man educated under the greatest teacher of his time, Gamaliel; a zealous Jew; a Pharisee. Standing firm for what he believed to be true, he persecuted the church of God, seeing its members as heretics and blasphemers.

Although deceived, his heart was honest, which only the Creator Himself could see. Jesus caught him, so to speak, and transformed him. True to the new cause to which he had been called, he stood firm, no matter what happened. He never sought worldly greatness, glory, or honour. “But what things were gain to me,” he said after his encounter with Jesus on the Damascus road, “those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.” Philippians 3:7–8

That was the secret of Paul’s life of victory. What does God see in your heart? In my heart? Are they pure and true? Or are they filled with the filth of this world? Paul was in every sense an evangelist. Courageously he preached the gospel to both Jews and Gentiles—to kings and rulers, to priests and common people. He uplifted the weary and the downtrodden, he rebuked wickedness, and was never willing to compromise with evil. Are you fighting a good fight in his example? Paul was never a burden to anyone. He worked with his own hands (Acts 18:3) and never considered the gospel as a means for earning wealth or reputation in the world. He was a true missionary, an evangelist, enduring many difficulties while engaged in ministry. “Are they ministers of Christ?” he wrote, “(I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. Of the Jews five times I received forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils by the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren.” 2 Corinthians 11:23–26. But through it all Paul was sure about the crown of righteousness awaiting him. Where do we stand? Do we aspire to gain the kingdom of heaven? Or are we seeking only this world—its greatness and honor?

Paul says the crown of righteousness is not only for him but for all those who love His appearing. Thus he encourages and motivates all believers—everyone who waits for Christ’s appearing. By his example he admonishes us to fight the good fight, the fight against the wickedness of this world, and to spread the gospel for which we have been called. Our heavenly Father is sufficient to get us through this wicked world in our fight against evil. Selfishness and self-centeredness had no place with Paul. His goal was to lift up everyone who came to the fold of Jesus, even the slave. How about our own attitude? Are we able to say with confidence that the crown of righteousness is waiting for us? May the example of the apostle Paul encourage us to seek to be transformed, so that we too can be the heirs of that crown. Everything in this world is perishable. They do not satisfy. But the crown of righteousness will provide perfect satisfaction. Let us strive for it, inviting the Spirit of God to renew our hearts and transform us. Then with the apostle Paul, let us wait with assurance for the crown of righteousness, which the righteous Judge will give us on that day.

Weapons

Like any other war, those who are involved in the final conflict on the side of God will have to be provided with weapons to overpower the enemy. “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. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God.” Ephesians 6:12–13.  Generally in the world, these weapons would include guns, canons, tanks, bombs, and other devices which destroy both mankind and the world in which we live. But being Christians, and since “the weapons of our warfare are not carnal” (2 Corinthians 10:4), we cannot sink to the feeble means of this world to answer the higher calling we receive; nor can we measure up to the task before us without the Word of God as our guide and all-wise director.

Instead, according to the light we have received, we are to put on the whole armour of God, says Apostle Paul. “Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.” Ephesians 6:14–18

Like other useful weapons, these Christian weapons must be handled with skill. The value of a skilled marksman or an effective strategist is evident. So, in our sphere of reference, we must have skills to make our weapons more effective. As in the military, there are many different shapes and forms that these skills or talents can take. Sometimes there are talents which may seem of no use in the Lord’s work, but rest assured that the Lord has a place and a task for all, regardless of how great or small the talent or how seemingly useless it may be. The Lord knows what each one of us can do with our talents, otherwise He would not have given them to us. Not only are we to use our talents; we are also to develop them.

Ammunition

And finally, like any weapon, our weapons need ammunition. Our “bullets,” though, are simply God’s truth and righteousness as exemplified in our lives—in our ability to live His truth and proclaim it every day in word and deed, thus conveying it to others. Without our demonstration or drive to give this wondrous truth to the world, we would be hiding our value and capabilities under a bushel basket and depriving many honest souls of the opportunity to come to the Lord before probation closes. Can you bear the responsibility of not giving an honest soul a chance to receive God and His message?

From history we see that Winston Churchill built his entire major campaign upon the tools of food, weapons, and ammunition, as well as upon a trusted promise from a great ally. So we as Christians must plan for our great final conflict that is shortly to be upon us, using the tools that we have been given. Yet we also have a trusted promise from our Great Ally, our Father in heaven: “Ask, and ye shall receive.” Both the Old and the New Testaments proclaim His many promises. As Churchill lifted up his voice in time of need, let us lift our voices in time of need as well—not to countries or people, for they all pass away, but to God who rules forever. In the world, Churchill said, “Give us the tools, and we shall finish the fight.” In Christ, let us say, “Give us the knowledge and wisdom to use these tools to Thy honor and glory, and through Thy guidance we shall truly finish the fight.”

Overcome!

In this Christian era, there are seven prophetic churches (Revelation 2 and 3). Seven times Jesus said—”to he that overcometh.” Seven times, overcoming is mentioned as necessary. Overcoming implies from the fight, war or conflict.

“We are called upon to overcome in this life as Christ overcame. Heaven has provided us with abundant opportunities and privileges, so that we may overcome as Christ overcame, and sit down with Him on His throne. But in order to be overcomers, there must be in our lives no petting of fleshly inclinations. All selfishness must be cut out by the roots.” –Reflecting Christ, p. 287

“Day by day, and hour by hour, there must be a vigorous process of self-denial and of sanctification going on within; and then the outward works will testify that Jesus is abiding in the heart by faith. . . . Believe that He is ready to help you by His grace, when you come to Him in sincerity. You must fight the good fight of faith. You must be wrestlers for the crown of life. Strive, for the grasp of Satan is upon you; and if you do not wrench yourselves from him, you will be palsied and ruined. The foe is on the right hand, and on the left, before you, and behind you; and you must trample him under your feet. Strive, for there is a crown to be won. –The Faith I Live By,  p. 124

“The more the heart is wrapped up in Christ, the more secure is the treasure in the eternal world.” –The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 6, p. 1112. Soon we shall witness the coronation of our King. Those whose lives have been hidden with Christ, those who on this earth have fought the good fight of faith, will shine forth with the Redeemer’s glory in the kingdom of God.  Amen!

Victor Sumbusho, DR Congo