Brethren, let's fight the good fight of faith, as Paul said in 1 Timothy 6:12: "Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hath professed a good profession before many witnesses."

Brethren, let's fight with the "whole armor of God. " "The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light" (Rom. 13:12). "Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 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 armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand" (Eph. 6:11-13).

Brethren, let's fight together as fellow soldiers (Phil. 2:25; Phile. 1:2).

Brethren, let's fight to cast "down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God," and to bring "into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ" (2 Cor. 10:5).

Brethren, let's fight to the finish." "For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. 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 that love his appearing" (2 Tim. 4:6-8).

Brethren, let's fight together the good fight of faith to the very end.

Brethren, let's not fight among ourselves! "From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not" (James 4:1,2).

Brethren, let's not bite and devour each other! "For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. But if ye bite and devour one another take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another" (Gal 5:13-15,26).

Brethren, let's not fight as members of warring groups! "For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?" (1 Cor. 3:3)

Brethren, let's not fight in the law courts of our land! "Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints? Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life? If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church. I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? No, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren? But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers. Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded? Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? (1 Cor. 6:1-9a)

Brethren, let's not fight over matters of opinion! Paul emphasized how destructive and sinful this is in passages like I Corinthians 8 and Romans 14.

Brethren, let's not fight over words to no profit f Paul warns against this sin in 2 Timothy 2:14.

Brethren, let's not fight among ourselves so that we all die and go to torment (cf. Gal. 5:19-26; Phil. 2:1-4). If we refuse to get along here, we will be together in eternity - in hell!

Guardian of Truth XXXI: 16, p. 493
August 20, 1987