The Right Fight
Timeless Teachings of Kenneth E. Hagin
"Fight the good fight of faith." —1 Timothy 6:12
The only fight the Christian is called upon to fight is the faith fight. If we are in any other kind of fight, we are in the wrong fight. We need to get out of the wrong fight and get into the right one.
Some Christians say, "I'm going to fight the devil." There's no need to do that! Jesus already defeated him for you. And you wouldn't be any match for him anyway.
Some say, "I'm going to fight sin." There is no need to do that either, because Jesus has the cure for sin. The cure for sin is Jesus. According to Hebrews 9:26, He put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. So there really isn't a sin problem. There's just a sinner problem, and when you get the sinner to Jesus, Jesus cures that.
There are enemies in this fight of faith which we are instructed to fight. If there were no enemies or hindrances to faith, there would be no fight to it.
One of the greatest hindrances—one that holds many people in bondage—is a lack of understanding of how to act on
God's Word.
Trying to Believe
You see, some Christians try to believe, and it is such a struggle for them. They say they're "trying to have faith." All that's necessary, however, is to act on what God says in His Word. If we know the Word of God is true and act on it, then it becomes a reality in our lives.
I use the phrase "acting on God's Word" rather than the terms "have faith" or "believe" because that is what faith actually is. Faith is simply acting on God's Word—acting like it's true.
Real faith is a product of the knowledge of the Word of God. Isn't that what Romans 10:17 says? "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."
It takes no effort whatsoever on the part of the intellect or the will of man to obtain faith. As soon as the light of God's Word comes, faith is there. Knowledge of God's Word comes first—then faith automatically accompanies it.
Mental Assent
Many times we unknowingly make a substitution for faith. We substitute "mental assent" or "mental agreement." For instance, we mentally agree that God's Word is true, and we think we are believing and that we are in faith—but we're not.
You can mentally assent or mentally agree all day long that the Bible is true, but the Word does not become real to you until you act on it. It is only when you act on God's Word for yourself that it becomes a reality to you. And it is only when you act on God's Word that you are exercising faith.
For example, you can hold to the resurrection truth as a great doctrine, but it will not mean a thing to you until you can believe in your heart and say with your mouth, "Jesus died for me. Jesus was raised from the dead for me! He arose victorious over death, hell, and the grave—and He did it all for me! I'm free!"
It's when you believe the resurrection truth in your heart and confess it with your mouth—when you act on it—that the Word of God becomes something more than just a doctrine. It becomes a reality. Remember, the people who get answers from God are those who act on His Word.
Act Like the Bible Is True
When the crises of life come, if you don't know how to act on God's Word, you are at a disadvantage.
I pastored almost 12 years and found that churches have the same problems families have. In one church I pastored, as we were discussing problems within the church, the board of deacons said to me, "What are we going to do now?" I just smiled and said, "We're just going to act like the Bible is true."
You know, just by my saying those words, that deacon board sighed in relief—because they knew the Bible is true!
I believe the Greater One lives in us. I believe He is greater than the devil. I know the Word of God says that, so I must act like it is true. When I begin to act like the Word of God is true, that's when it becomes a reality in my life. That is when the Greater One goes to work for me.
If I act like I must fight the battle, He can't fight it. If I fight the battle, I am not taking advantage of the Greater One and what He has done for me. Can you see that? So I don't try to figure out the situation. I just put God's Word to work for me by acting on it, and the Word fights my battles for me.
As believers, all we need to do is act on the Word. It's deeply important that we learn this simple little lesson, because it is not struggling, it is not fretting—it is acting on what God has spoken that will bring results in our lives!
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[Editor's Note: This article was adapted from Kenneth E. Hagin's book Understanding How to Fight the Good Fight of Faith.]
THINK ABOUT
Are there areas of your life where you need to stop fighting and just act on the Word?
Faith Nugget
ACT ON THE WORD . . . BET RESULTS
I prayed for the salvation of my oldest brother, Dub, for more than 15 years. Several times I fasted. But the more I fasted and prayed, the worse he got.
Then I began to see what the Bible says. Prayer and fasting are right. But I wasn't trusting God to do the work in my brother's life. I was trying to do it myself. It was as if I were trying to force God into doing something.
So one day I took my authority as a believer. I stood in my bedroom and said, "I take the Name of Jesus and break the power of the devil over Dub's life and claim his deliverance from the devil and claim his salvation." I went out of the room singing. I was acting on God's Word.
I didn't think about or pray about Dub's salvation again. Once I settle a case in victory, I don't think about it anymore!
Within 10 days, Dub was saved. Someone asked me, "What if it hadn't worked that fast?" It wouldn't have bothered me at all. I would have held fast to God's Word and acted on it. If it had taken 100 years, I would have known Dub would be saved. God's Word is true!