A few weeks ago, Silas (our silver lab) and I were in the backyard, enjoying the warmer weather by playing fetch. In-between Silas retrieving the ball and returning with it I was leisurely tending a small fire. About that time two of the neighbors dogs got lose, came out of nowhere and stepped onto Silas’ turf, A.K.A.enemy territory.
What happened next was nothing more than a friendly “fight” between dog friends. You know, the deep growls and pouncing at (not on)each other to make it appear more like a fight than it actually is. It was all fun and games until the bigger of the two dogs decided to get involved. When he did, he bit Silas on two different occasions in a matter of seconds.
Now, the fight would not have been fair had it just been between this dog and Silas. Silas is a fairly large dog, standing in at about 65 pounds. But this dog was twice the size of Silas! Silas was outmatched and overpowered in every way. The playing field was even more stacked against him when it became a 2-on-1 situation. Poor Silas had no chance. He found himself in an unfair fight.
In 2 Corinthians 10:3-6, the Apostle Paul acknowledges this is true in life as well. “The world is unprincipled. It’s dog-eat-dog out there! The world doesn’t fight fair.” We can find ourselves in situations where we feel outmatched and overpowered. We can be in what appears to be a losing battle because of an unfair advantage. All the opponent has to do is look at our faces; we are tired and ready to give up the fight.
Paul reminds us that we are not fighting the same fight. “But we don’t live or fight our battles that way – never have and never will. The tools of our trade aren’t for marketing or manipulation, but they are for demolishing that entire massively corrupt culture.” The world fights for prestige, power, and privilege while we fight for something much greater.
“We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ.” We fight for a life that is shaped by Christ. Talk about an unfair fight while still trying to live in this world, we never seem able to get ahead. Before long, we start to lose ground and then our identity as God’s children and eventually our faith.
But, there is something we must not forget. We are never in this fight alone. Our Father is always fighting with us. There is something this big dog did not know: Silas was not alone. As soon as I stepped forward ready to fight he took off in the opposite direction. Psalm 68:1 says: “Let God arise and let his enemies be scattered.” Regardless of what battle you are fighting, let God fight for you and let your thoughts, your emotions, your circumstance, and your relationships be scattered in Jesus name! In doing so, may your soul rest in the assurance that you are never alone!
In the Fight with You,
Pastor Jonathan, Sara & Emerson