Are you in
the midst of a battle? There are various battles we fight throughout life,
aren’t there? There are health battles, relationship battles, internal thought
battles, spiritual battles, temptation to sin battles, and many more. This
morning we sang the song “Christ the Victor” in church. The chorus says, “Now
to the Lamb upon the throne, be blessing, honor, glory, power for the
battle you have won. Hallelujah!” Christ has already won the battle! Which
battle? Primarily, He has won the battle against sin and bought our redemption
at the cross. Ultimately, every battle will be won by Him. All will be put
right. For the believer, all will be well.
But now, as
we wait for Christ’s return when He will set up His kingdom in full, we still
fight battles. How do we fight a battle that has already been won? I think
Peter gives us several clues in the opening words of his first letter to the
dispersed believers. Here he encourages them to endure suffering and trials –
their own battles. His words for them are also life-giving inspired words for
us. This is how we fight the battles of life.
1. Fight with Hope
Blessed be the God
and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has
caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of the
dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, unfading, kept in
heaven for you” (1:3-4)
Our hope is not in this world. It
is not in our health, our financial stability, or in other people. It should
not rest on how our current situation plays out. The things of this world are
not certain; we cannot set our hope on them. Peter says that we have been born
again to a “living hope.” That living hope is Christ Himself who loves us and
saved us. He is walking with us in the battle, and He promises to never leave
us. Beyond that, He promises an inheritance in heaven that none can take away
that will far outweigh any struggle of this earth. Therefore, we fight with
hope, eyes fixed on Jesus and our eternity in heaven with Him in His perfect kingdom.
2. Fight with Perspective
“who by God’s
power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in
the last time” (1:5)
We lose perspective in trials,
don’t we? Our problems loom large; our Lord seems small. I am reminded of the image
of one who puts his thumb in front of his eye and thus blocks out everything
else from his vision. Peter tells us to keep perspective. We are being
protected by God. He is holding us fast in our faith. Our final home and
glorification lie ahead, not here on earth. Let us get our thumbs away from our
eyes and see the bigger story that surrounds our current battle.
3. Fight with joy
“In this you
rejoice” (1:6a)
Our battles often bring out our
despair, anxiety, discouragement, and anger. Joy is the last thing we would
naturally feel. Yet Peter tells us here that we have reason for joy, even in
the midst of being “grieved by various trials.” That joy comes from all that Peter
has written up to this point and what will follow in the passage. We have
salvation, hope, a home in heaven, an unfading inheritance, and God’s power
working on our behalf. We don’t have to love the circumstance, but we rejoice
in the God who holds us in the midst of the battle and who uses it all for our
good.
4. Fight with Perseverance
“though now for a
little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials (1:6b)
Your battle is “for a little
while.” When compared to eternity, even if the trial lasts for years, it is a
blip in time. It does not feel this way in the midst of the trial; we struggle to see past it. However, we persevere because we know that
this trial will not last forever. Even if it does not go away in this life on earth, glory lies ahead.
5. Fight with Purpose
“so that the
tested genuineness of your faith – more precious than gold that perishes though
it is tested by fire – may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at
the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1:7)
Our faith
is refined through trials. When we turn to God in our battles, looking to Him
for strength and help in our time of need, our faith is tested and
strengthened. Such faith is more beautiful than gold. Verse 6 even clarifies that the trial is “necessary.” Without the trials, we would not experience the
sanctification that the Lord has for us. Our suffering is not for naught; there
is purpose in it. The Lord is for us. He will bring about good. We fight our battles,
believing that our faith is being made perfect in the midst of it as we fix our
eyes on Christ.
The singers
Shane and Shane wrote a song that has been sung at the last two women’s
conferences that I have attended. Whenever we sing the song and I happen to look around me, I
always see women in tears because they are living the words of the song.
Perhaps you are, too. Here is the chorus:
I’m fighting a
battle You’ve already won.
No matter what
comes my way, I will overcome.
I don’t know what
You’re doing, but I know what You’ve done.
I’m fighting a
battle You’ve already won.
--Amy O'Rear
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