Fight the Good Fight of Faith

Well, good afternoon, brethren. It’s always good to see all of you here on the Sabbath day.

In early, or actually late, twenty-twenty-five, a movie studio called Angel Studios released a movie, an animated movie, called David. How many remember seeing that being advertised? Of course, as you can imagine, as a Christian, that would catch my attention. I’m sure it caught many of your attention as well. And the movie itself centered around the encounter that a young David had with the giant Goliath.

And the movie was very well received, and it ended up... I think some of the numbers when it was all said and done, it ended up doing over seventy-eight million dollars in the box office just showing in various theaters around the country, maybe even around the world. There could have been some showings internationally as well. But the movie did very well, especially for Angel Studios. It was their highest-grossing movie that they had ever done. And people all over the world, I’m sure even casual or non-Christians, are captured or inspired by the story of David and Goliath.

That particular account from the Scriptures, it seems to have a profound effect on people. Even people who don’t profess to be Christians, let alone Christians all over the world, are captured by this story or this encounter. What made or what makes that story of David and Goliath, and all the events leading up to it, and the event itself, and the subsequent events, what is the reason that that captures people’s attention? Why are people so captivated by this story many, many thousands of years later?

Maybe it’s the story of an underdog overcoming, or it’s good versus evil. If people think about, you know, good versus evil, there’s many movies and stories that follow that same theme, or it’s courage overcoming fear. Many undertones or themes built within that single account that make that story so inspiring for people. I think a part of the reason that the story has endured for so long, for so many years, is because David is very relatable. Each of us can relate to someone like David, especially if you know much about his life, his humble beginnings, and the way that he overcame so much.

I think his story is very relatable to people. We’ve all had our David and Goliath moments, those times in our lives where, against all odds, we were able to overcome a giant, a proverbial giant in our life. I think it makes that story just stand out even more. It’s David’s relatability. We can all see ourselves in him. The one thing that really stands out in this story as well, and I think it goes a long way to making the story more memorable, was David’s amazing show of faith. That encounter with Goliath was an amazing show of faith.

That faith to go against all odds, to fight this giant, this giant that everyone, including King Saul and all the armies, they were afraid of Goliath. He was a Philistine. They were afraid of him. And David was very different. He had the faith, the courage, but fueled by faith in order to encounter and ultimately defeat Goliath. And I think that faith is what really, really stood out. Now, if you think it through, I’ve thought it through. You should imagine thinking about a message, preparing a message like this. If you really think it through on paper, so many people marvel at David’s faith. Like, “Wow, he was so faithful to go up against this giant and believe God.”

Well, if you think about it on paper, David’s faith was very logical. It made a lot of sense. Either I go up, and I have fear of this giant in Goliath, or I have faith in God. Now, who’s bigger, God or Goliath? Of course, again, when you think it through, you see that God is many, many times bigger than Goliath. As big as Goliath was, as menacing as he was, Goliath could not stand up against the God of the universe. So David’s faith was actually quite logical. “I’m going to, of course, go with and side with the God of the universe instead of being fearful of this giant.”

But the thing is, Goliath was standing there, and David could see him, or people could see him. People can’t see God. We can’t see God literally standing there. That’s really where faith comes in and what makes faith so very, very, very, very different. Brethren, how does your faith compare to David’s faith? If you do some introspection and you think about your faith, we’re all Christians. Of course, we’re supposed to be faithful. We’re supposed to have faith. How does your faith stack up or compare to the faith that David displayed when facing Goliath? How does your faith measure up?

I’m sure it’s a big reason that God shared that account with us, with His people, and why we still study it even to this day. But how does your faith measure up compared to David’s when fighting Goliath? Now, I wouldn’t assume, you know, you may have an answer. Maybe some of you are saying, “I don’t know.” Or you might think, “I’m doing pretty well.” Others may know that you have some work to do.

But I wouldn’t assume, just because you’ve been in the Church for a long time, that you automatically have the proper amount of faith. You could think, “Okay, I’ve been in God’s way now for decades, and I’ve seen many things happen in my own life and the lives of others. And, you know, I’ve seen miracles and things of that nature, you know, so I’m doing pretty good.” Well, brethren, I would caution all of us, we want to be very careful and not just think, just because, for instance, we’ve been in God’s church or God’s way a long time, that we have the faith that we should have.

In fact, you know, we can look at it, and I’m recalling Christ. He was talking to the disciples, and I believe it was the account where many children were around, and Christ took the moment to point to one of those children, and He talked about receiving the kingdom like a little child in order to enter in. So His point was, you know, we have to receive God’s kingdom. We have to receive the gospel, the good news, you know, the work, the reason that we’re all here. We have to receive, you know, that truth and all that comes with it.

We have to receive that the way that a little child does, and that takes faith, of course. So now you have this very literal example of Christ pointing to children and saying that those children’s faith is enough, because He compared it, it’s enough for us to be able to enter into the kingdom of God. In that case, children can display more faith than an adult, including an adult that’s been in God’s way for many decades. So, we never want to assume that we cannot increase our faith, that we cannot do a little bit better or a whole lot better when it comes to the subject of faith.

Our goal as Christians should be to match, the very least, match the level of faith that David had when He faced off against Goliath. Our goal should be to match that or even exceed the faith that David displayed there on the battlefield. That faith, David’s faith, fueled Him to the point that He was willing to fight for it. He was willing to fight, go to war, risk His life for the faith that He had. He was willing to fight for it. David’s faith was worth fighting for. Brethren, is your faith worth fighting for? Is it something that you’re willing to take up arms and fight for it?

Is your faith, is my faith so important to you, or in my case, so important to me that I’m willing to fight? Well, brethren, let’s explore the subject of faith and determine, actually go through and determine whether our faith is truly worth fighting for. Turn to First Timothy chapter six. First Timothy chapter six. I keep talking about faith and started out laying out faith, in this case, David’s faith, and I’m tying it to fighting. Now, why did I do that? First Timothy chapter six. First Timothy chapter six, we’ll pick it up in verse eleven.

First Timothy chapter six, verse eleven. “But you, O man of God, flee these things, and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith...” you notice that there, faith, “...love, patience, meekness.” Familiar verse. Verse twelve. “Fight the good fight of faith.” You know, so many times over the years I’ve heard, you know, fight the good fight. Go out and fight the good fight. We all know that we’re Christian warriors, we’re, you know, on the battlefield, we’re fighting soldiers, fighting for Jesus Christ, of course, fighting for the Father.

But I have to admit, I didn’t necessarily tie in this whole idea of fighting the good fight of faith. Tying that fighting to... directly tying it to faith. You look in the previous list, there were many things listed there. Righteousness, godliness, faith, as we read, love, patience, and meekness. But it says to fight the good fight of faith. It goes on to say, verse twelve, “lay hold on eternal life.”

I can imagine you grabbing something and just giving it a big bear hug. You’re laying hold on it. You’re not letting it go. You’re squeezing it so it can’t slip away. In this case, we’re laying hold on eternal life. We’re squeezing it, we’re giving it a big bear hug. We are not letting this opportunity, this chance for eternal life, we’re not letting it get away. That’s how important it is to us. Whereunto, continuing in the verse, “Whereunto you are also called and have professed a good profession before many witnesses.”

And, you know, I’m reminded of baptism. Many of us were baptized. There were many witnesses. There, obviously, were the angels in heaven rejoicing as we were all added to the body of Christ. Those who are prospective members, that is what you can look forward to. Being added to the body of Christ among many witnesses. Recently had a baptism here at headquarters. It was an opportunity to rejoice yet again. And it was all very good.

Now before I break this down even further, let’s stay here in First Timothy and go back to chapter one. First Timothy chapter one. So we saw that we fight the good fight of faith. We’re laying hold on eternal life. First Timothy chapter one verse eighteen. “This charge I commit unto you, son Timothy.” This is Paul’s training and speaking to Timothy. “According to the prophecies which went before on you, that you by them, by those prophecies, might war a good warfare. Holding faith.” So we went from fighting now to a warfare.

War is made up of many fights going on at the same time or subsequently, simultaneously. “Holding faith in a good conscience.” So we see good, the word there, good, used yet again. We don’t always connect faith with fighting. At least I didn’t always do that. After today, it is something I want all of you to make sure you’re connecting. This idea of faith and fighting. But we don’t always connect faith with fighting, let alone warfare.

Now we know there’s a Christian warfare. But specifically, we’re talking about faith. Fight, when you fight, it’s a personal struggle. It’s hand-to-hand in some cases or weapon-to-weapon. It could be very violent. It could take a lot of energy out of you. You could become very drained when you’re fighting. I mean, I think of a boxer or a wrestler or a literal soldier fighting. It can be very fatiguing, and it’s personal. It’s one-on-one in some cases, a fight. And a warfare, it’s a broader campaign. It’s a lifelong service. Some people dedicate their lives to war, physical war, and soldiers.

But if you’re fighting, it automatically means that there’s resistance. So if we’re fighting the good fight of faith, there by definition is resistance to that fight. There’s resistance to this goal of faith. It’s not something that’s just easy to do. If it was easy, it would not really be a fight. And just as importantly, just like there’s resistance when it comes to fighting, there is also the possibility of loss. You can lose the fight. We can lose a fight. The victory isn’t necessarily just guaranteed when you go into a fight, particularly a good fight, a fight that is against an opponent who is very capable.

There is this resistance that can lead to loss. But what really stood out to me, and I say that a few times. You saw it there. Maybe it stood out to you, too. What really stood out to me was that this fight was called a good fight or a good warfare. Fighting and good? Warfare and good? You know, I’ve spent my life trying to avoid a fight. I’m not going out looking to fight people, get slugged, or slug someone out. I’m sure none of us are looking to do that. We look at the wars and the battles that take place, the physical battles that take place in this world. And those wars and those fights are bad. But here we’re told that the fight is good, that the warfare is good.

Look at this. Good there is the word kalos, and it can mean beautiful. So not only is the fight good, that word good, you think, “Hmm, that’s interesting.” But that word actually can be rendered beautiful. It’s a beautiful fight. It’s a beautiful warfare. Look it up. That’s what it says. That’s what it means. A beautiful fight, a beautiful warfare. God calls the fight for faith beautiful. It can be a beautiful struggle, a beautiful warfare, or battle. Why is that? Why is that? Well, because the goal when you fight for faith, in this case, the goal is to have more faith. Faith strengthens and builds us up. That is a beautiful thing.

The beautiful fight that we all have is against Satan, society, and self. When you have a warrior who is very capable, who is skilled and knows how to fight, whether it’s fighting Satan, fighting society, fighting our own struggles. When you’re skilled at that, and you know how to do it, I’m reminded of David. We will talk much more about him. When you see that warrior who is skilled and able to do it, it can be a very beautiful thing. That faith that we’re fighting for protects our relationship with God. Yet again, very beautiful, very good. We all want to have our relationship with God.

Ultimately, this good, beautiful fight is for eternal life. That eternal life that we were told to lay hold on and to not let go. What could be more beautiful than that? Imagine achieving the goal, laying hold on and keeping hold on eternal life, and eventually qualifying and having it. David’s fight against Goliath was a beautiful fight. It was a good fight. It was a fight of faith. That’s why God got involved. That’s why God involved Himself in that particular battle, in that particular fight.

When we study and look at David’s encounter with Goliath, this inspiring story that captures so many, it demonstrates so many basic principles of faith. So many verses that probably come to mind about faith and the importance of faith. Foundational verses of faith that we’re all very familiar with. We’re going to spot through. We’re going to look through this encounter with Goliath. I’m going to prove it to you. I’m going to show you, and we’re going to sort of go through and check off and look at how that encounter between David and Goliath, how it checks off so many basic foundational verses when it comes to faith.

And the point, brethren, is to do what? Is to inspire you, all of us. I’m inspired. I know where I’m going. You will soon know. But the goal is to inspire all of you to also, like David, be willing and capable and able to fight the good and beautiful fight of faith. Let’s go to First Samuel chapter seventeen. This is the encounter here that we can read about between David and Goliath. As I mentioned, we’re going to spot through it and we’re going to tie together many foundational faith verses, many if not all of them of these faith verses are in the New Testament. So we will be between the Old and New Testaments.

But we’re going to start with the encounter itself, First Samuel seventeen. We’re going to spot through and tie everything together. It’s amazing. As familiar as this account is, every time I read it, I get more out of it. There are details within this story or account. I tend to call it an account. Story can sort of like make you think bedtime story, so it’s made up. Well, no, this really happened. All these things really happened. So this is an account, a biblical account. But there are so many details here that I’m reminded of as we go through.

So let’s start to do that. First Samuel seventeen, verse two. First Samuel seventeen, verse two. “And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and pitched in the valley of Elah, and set the battle in array against the Philistines.” As I mentioned, Goliath was a Philistine and Israel was at war with the Philistines. Verse eight. “And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel...” this is Goliath, “...and said unto them, ‘Why are you come out to set your battle in array? Am I not a Philistine, you servants? And you servants to Saul?’” So, “Hey, I’m a Philistine, you serve Saul.” “Choose you a man for you and let him come down to me.”

So he’s challenging the armies. He has no idea. Goliath has no idea who’s in that army. But he was bold enough to think, “You know what, I don’t care who is in your army. They cannot defeat me.” Verse ten. “And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day and give me a man that we may fight together.” Verse eleven. “When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed.” So he was very bold. He wasn’t concerned about whatever Israel had to offer. Israel, on the other hand, was quite concerned, dismayed, as it says here, and greatly afraid. Just in case you did not know what dismayed meant. Greatly afraid.

Verse nineteen. “Now Saul and they and all the men of Israel were in the valley of Elah fighting with the Philistines.” Verse twenty-four. “And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were sore afraid.” So they saw Goliath. They were very, very afraid. Brethren, those men lacked faith. Those men lacked faith. They were fearful. That lack of faith led to fear. We’re talking armies, scores and scores, hundreds, thousands of men, all fearful. All afraid. Faith, brethren, faith is very rare. Faith is very rare. Let me prove it. I know you know it, but let me prove it.

Luke eighteen. You can hold your hand there or put a marker in First Samuel seventeen. But faith is very rare. Luke eighteen. Luke eighteen, verse seven. Luke eighteen, verse seven. “And shall not God avenge His own elect?” We’re God’s elect. Many over the centuries, many Christians over the centuries who’ve been killed or died in the faith, they’re God’s elect. “Shall not God avenge His own elect, which cry day and night unto Him, though He bear long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily.” So God has not forgotten about His elect. “Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, shall He find faith on the earth?” Think about that. When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?

Talk about expanding the scope when it comes to identifying and finding faith. It is being described, Christ is being described as looking for faith in the entire earth. The entire population of earth. I can imagine Him almost scouring the earth looking for those who are faithful. Faith is very rare. Everyone doesn’t have it. Not the godly faith that the Scriptures speak of. What is the faith that God is looking for? What is this faith that God is looking for?

Let’s go back to First Samuel. We’ve seen that faith is very rare. The armies of Israel are proving that. They were all sore afraid. But what is the faith that God is looking for? First Samuel seventeen, verse thirty-two. First Samuel seventeen, thirty-two “And David said unto Saul, let no man’s heart fail because of him, because of the giant. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” So out of all those armies, you have this young man saying, “You know what, I’m different.” Yet again, proving faith is very rare.

Verse thirty-three, “And Saul said unto David, ‘You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him.’” What are you thinking, young man? What are you thinking? You can’t do that. Lack of faith. “And you are but a youth, for you are but a youth. And he a man of war from his youth.” So you’re still a youth. He’s been fighting since his youth.

Verse thirty-four, “And David said unto Saul, ‘Your servant kept your father’s sheep. And there came a lion and a bear and lamb out of the flock. And I went out after him and smote him and delivered him out of his mouth. And when he arose against me, I caught him by the beard and smote him and slew him.’” Yes, I may be youthful. I may be young, but I have experience. My faith has been on display before. My faith has been proven before. I was able to defeat a lion and a bear. Two very vicious, deadly animals.

“And your servant slew both the lion and the bear. And this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them.” Look at that confidence. “Seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.” David said, moreover, “The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion.” Who is David giving the credit to? “God that delivered me out of the paw of the lion.” We’re seeing David’s faith on display. An extraordinary level of faith. “The same God that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, out of the paw of the bear, He will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said unto David, “Go, and the Lord be with you.”

What did Saul see to go from, “Young man? You cannot do this. You cannot fight Goliath. You’re yet but a youth. He’s been fighting since his youth.” Yet he turned on a dime. Saul turned on a dime. He heard David. What did he see to say, “You know what? You go fight.” Obviously, David’s conviction, his faith was so obvious. It was on display so clear that Saul quickly changed his mind. David believed God. Brethren, that is a big part of what faith is. It’s belief. Faith is belief.

Turn to Hebrews eleven. Your marker there in seventeen, First Samuel seventeen. Go to Hebrews eleven. Faith is belief. David believed God. Hebrews chapter eleven. What else is faith? How else is faith described in the Scriptures? Hebrews chapter eleven, verse one. “Now faith is the substance or assurance...” That word there, substance, means assurance “...of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” So faith is described as a substance. That substance is that assurance. An assurance that is so real, so obvious that it’s a substance. It’s tangible. A belief that is so heavy and so clear and so obvious that it’s actually compared to a substance, something that you can see.

It goes on here to talk about things that are being able to see, that you can experience through your senses, sight, smell, hearing. Faith is not any of those things. They lead to things that you can see, hear, and smell. But faith itself, that assurance, is not something that you can necessarily see. But it’s so thick. It’s so real. It’s so there that it’s compared to a substance. And so much so that it becomes the evidence of, like it says there, “things not seen.” The faith itself is the evidence.

Okay, give me some evidence. Prove to me what you’re saying. Well, it’s the faith that should be the evidence. It’s the faith, the belief, the strong conviction, the belief that God will do what He said He will do. It is so real that it is evidence, despite the fact that you can’t see it. Faith is not an imaginary thing. The world often writes it off of faith. That’s not. That’s make-believe. That doesn’t exist. Those are weak-minded people who have faith in a God that you can’t see. On the contrary, those aren’t weak-minded people. Those are strong-minded people who have faith in God. Most things in life that we experience, we experience through our senses. Faith is very, very different.

Back to First Samuel seventeen. We’re tying in this account to very foundational verses of faith, verses we’re all familiar with, but in this case, we’re seeing them in action through the account with David facing Goliath. First Samuel seventeen, verse forty-two. “And when the Philistine looked about and saw David, he disdained him, for he was but a youth.” So Goliath could also see what Saul saw. He saw that this is a youth coming before him, “and ruddy, and of a fair countenance,” continuing in the verse.

“And the Philistine said unto David, ‘Am I a dog that you come to me with sticks?’” What is this? “And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. And the Philistine said unto David, ‘Come to me, and I will give your flesh unto the birds of the air and to the beasts of the field.’” I’m going to rip you from limb to limb. You don’t stand a chance, David. David’s response. “Then David said unto the Philistine...” Okay, was David intimidated? Was he like, “Okay, what have I gotten myself into?” And I kind of jumped out here. Was he impulsive? And thinking, “Oh, no. This man is not backing down. This man is a serious man.”

David’s response. “Then David said to the Philistine, ‘You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a shield, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts.’” That is the Father, brethren. So amazing to be able to look at that and know who that is. The Lord of hosts, that’s the Father. “The Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.” You have offended God, not me, not these armies. You’ve offended God, Goliath, he’s saying.

“This day...” verse forty-six, “...will the Lord deliver you into my hand and I will smite you and take your head from you.” So not only will I defeat you, I will cut your head off. “And I will give the carcasses of the host of the Philistines this day unto the birds of the air.” So you think you’re going to rip me from limb to limb and give it to the birds of the air? No, no, no, no, it’s the other way around. “And to the wild beasts of the field and that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.”

Wow, wow. Talk about inspiring. “And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saves not with the sword and spear, but for the battle is the Lord’s and He will give you into our hands.” That is a bold, bold statement. How do you think God felt in hearing that declaration from David? How did God feel about that? Brethren, He had to be impressed. He had to be very pleased. Turn to Hebrews, back to Hebrews eleven. Hebrews eleven. God had to be very pleased that someone, all those men of Israel, including the king, did not have the faith that they needed, but someone was willing to stand up for truth. Someone was willing to put their neck on the line and stand up for God. And God was very happy about it.

Hebrews eleven. Take a look here. Verse six, Hebrews eleven, verse six. “But without faith, it is impossible to please Him.” Referring to God. “For he that comes to God must first believe that He is and that He is a rewarder...” In this case, defeating Goliath, standing up against the giant, against all odds. “He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” Clearly, David had been diligently seeking God. And with success. Seeking God with success.

God is pleased when we display the faith that He expects us to display. When we don’t show faith, it’s impossible to please God, which tells us when we do, we please Him. He’s pleased. How do you feel when someone believes in you? When you say you’re going to do something and they believe you, are you upset or saddened by that? Of course not, you’re very pleased by that. You know what, they believe me. They know, they can count on me. God is no different, brethren. God is no different than that.

We can do everything else right, but if we don’t have faith, brethren, we can’t please God. Now, I would say you really can’t do everything else right without faith, but you understand my point. We can do all the other things that we expect that God would have us to do, but if we don’t have faith, the kind of faith that He expects us to have, it is impossible to please Him. It cannot be done. It’s impossible. That’s how important faith is.

So it’s impossible to please God without faith. What is possible with faith? Back to First Samuel seventeen. What is possible? First Samuel seventeen, verse four. First Samuel seventeen, verse four. “And there went out a champion of the camp of the Philistines...” going back earlier into the chapter. “There went out a champion of the camp of the Philistines named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.” I want us to really understand what David was seeing, what he was facing when he was so bold in his words, in his actions.

Verse five. “And he had a helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail. And the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass.” It was very heavy. “And he had greaves of brass upon his legs and a target of brass between his shoulders. And the staff of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and his spear’s head weighed six hundred shekels of iron. One bearing a shield went before him.” So he had a man carrying a shield. “And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel and said unto them...” yet again, “Why are you out here to fight me? You don’t stand a chance.”

The point is, Goliath was very, very menacing, very capable, very fear-inducing. Conservative estimates have him standing at ten feet tall. The former basketball player Shaquille O’Neal, seven feet tall. Goliath was far taller than that. Trained from a youth to fight. The threat was very, very real. Going up against him, brethren, would seem impossible. That’s what the king and all the men thought. “We cannot defeat this man. It’s not possible. It’s not possible.” But brethren, with faith, it is possible. It is possible.

Hebrews ten. Hebrews ten. You go up against Goliath. Why are you fearful? Because you think you’re going to die. You think you’re going to lose. And he’s going to do what he said that he was going to do, was rip you from limb to limb and feed your body parts to the animals. You’re fearful. You’re scared of death. You don’t want to die. That’s why it seems impossible to defeat Goliath.

Hebrews ten. Verse thirty-eight. Hebrews ten, thirty-eight. “Now the just shall live by faith.” So as opposed to fearing death, going up against, in this case, Goliath, the just shall live, the opposite of death, obviously, the just shall live by faith. “But if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.” So the kind of faith that David displayed, it brought life. That faith, that evidence, that assurance, or substance, was so real that David lived by it.

And apparently, brethren, it doesn’t take a whole, whole lot of faith. And you think, “Okay, wow, this big giant.” From God’s perspective, it doesn’t take a whole lot of faith. Matthew seventeen. From God’s perspective, it doesn’t take much to have a profound impact. Matthew seventeen. This is where we really continue to look into going from impossible to possible. Matthew seventeen. Verse fourteen. Matthew seventeen. Verse fourteen. We’ll read a bit of an account here.

“And when they were come to the multitudes...” Matthew seventeen, verse fourteen. “When they were come to the multitudes, there came in a certain man kneeling down to Him...” kneeling down to Jesus, “...and saying, ‘Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is lunatic, and sore vexed, for oftentimes he falls into the fire, and often into the water. And I brought him to my disciples, and they could not cure him... I brought him to Your disciples, and they could not cure him.’” So the disciples, the followers of Christ, were not able to help this young man. So the father brought him to Jesus Himself.

“Then Jesus said unto him, ‘O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you?’” You wonder, was He talking to the disciples? He did say generation, but did it include the disciples who weren’t able to get the job done? It’s kind of like, ooh, you swallow hard there. You’re one of the disciples. “‘O faithless and perverse generation, how long will I be with you? How long shall I suffer you? Bring him here to me.’ And Jesus rebuked the devil, and he departed out of him, and the child was cured from that very hour.”

So obviously Christ had the power to do that. “Then came the disciples to Jesus apart...” So when they got back off to themselves, “‘Why couldn’t we cast him out? Master, why weren’t we able to do that? You made that look so very easy.’ And Jesus said unto them, ‘Because of your unbelief.’” So clearly a lack of faith. Faith is belief. So because of your lack of faith. “For truly I say unto you...” and this is the part where I say, from God’s perspective, it doesn’t take a lot of faith to be able to do extraordinary things.

Picking back up. Verse twenty, “For truly I say unto you, if you have the faith as a grain of mustard seed, you shall say unto this mountain, remove hence to yonder place, and it shall remove. And nothing shall be impossible to you.” So we talked about possible and impossible. So if nothing is impossible, that means all things are possible. It’s just the other side, just another way to say that. Nothing shall be impossible to you. All things are possible unto you. If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed.

Why choose that description? Because a mustard seed is very small. Yet that very small, almost imperceptible mustard seed has the ability to move an entire mountain from one place to the next. Appreciate the image. Appreciate the picture that God is painting. A tiny amount of faith, the size of a mustard seed, can move an entire mountain. Here’s the key, twenty-one. “How be it this kind goes not out but by prayer and fasting.”

So God cut them some slack. Christ cut them some slack. Fellas, disciples, this was a difficult situation. This particular situation required a level of faith that you didn’t currently have and that you have to come to Me, to the Father, through prayer. You have to come to God in order to be able to make a difference. Springs up a vital point, brethren. God will do His part, but we have to do our part. Talked about prayer and fasting.

Back to First Samuel seventeen. First Samuel seventeen. God will do His part, but we have to do our part. First Samuel seventeen. Pick it up in verse thirty-eight. First Samuel seventeen, verse thirty-eight. “And Saul armed David with his armor...” So he’s getting ready to fight Goliath. So he gave David his armor, and he put on the helmet of brass upon his head. Also, he armed him with a coat of mail. “And David girded his sword upon his armor.” I read that because David had to do his part.

He could talk tough. You know, he could tell Goliath, “You know what, I’m going to cut your head off, and I’m going to give it to the birds and the beasts, and you defy the armors of the living God.” I mean, he had all his words. It was very eloquent. He could talk very tough. But if he didn’t do anything, if David didn’t step out onto the battlefield and, in this case, attempt to put on the armor, then what was it all for?

Brethren, we can say all the right things. We can stand up and say, “You know what, I have faith. Faith as the grain of mustard seed. I can move mountains.” But if we don’t do anything about it, then it’s all for nothing. It’s all in vain. James chapter two. James chapter two. James chapter two, verse twenty. James chapter two, verse twenty. “But will you know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead.” It’s lifeless. It’s all just talk. Faith without works is dead. If we’re not willing to do anything about the faith, it’s dead.

“Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?” Abraham had to actually do something. He had to actually offer, begin to offer his son on the altar. That’s what kicked in and showed his faith was alive and well. Verse twenty-two, “See you how faith wrought with his works and by works was faith made perfect.” When you put faith together with the works and the willingness to do something, to take action, then it becomes perfect. It becomes whole. It becomes very vibrant. Really, brethren, it becomes unstoppable.

Back to First Samuel. We’ll pick back up in verse thirty-nine. First Samuel thirty-nine, and we’ll start at the beginning. “And David girded his sword upon his armor.” Like I said, he did his part. But look at this. It says “he assayed to go.” Assayed there means he yielded. He hesitated. “He assayed to go for he had not proved it.” He was not used to wearing that armor. That wasn’t how he’s fought in the past. That wasn’t how he displayed his faith.

Yes, he was willing to do something. He was willing to try. “Okay, I’ll put the armor on. I’ll do what traditionally the people who showed their lack of faith, I’ll do what they traditionally do.” He did that, and it didn’t feel comfortable to him. He assayed. He yielded. He hadn’t proved that armor. He wasn’t used to it. “And David said unto Saul, ‘I cannot go with these. I can’t wear this. This isn’t me. I have not proved them.’ And David put them off him.” So he took off that armor. It wasn’t something that he was used to wearing. He wasn’t comfortable with it.

David’s faith was enough. He didn’t need the armor of men to be able to come through and fulfill and do what he said he would do. He didn’t need men’s tactics or men’s ways. He did what got him there, which was just simply relying on God. Verse forty, “And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook and put them in the shepherd’s bag, which he had, even in a scrip. And a sling was in his hand.” This is the part that’s also all too familiar. David and the sling.

“He took the sling in his hand, and he drew near to the Philistine. And the Philistine came on and drew near unto David. And the man that bared the shield went before him. And when the Philistine looked about and saw David, he disdained him, for he was but a youth and was ruddy and of a fair countenance. And the Philistine said unto David, ‘Am I a dog?’” And we talked about the sticks, and he cursed him by his gods. And then, of course, David saying that, “You know what? I’m going to take your head. I’m going to feed your body to the fowls.”

Verse forty-seven, “And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear.” He doesn’t need those weapons, that armor that I took off. “For the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands.” “And it came to pass when the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.” Talk about having zeal. Not only did he have the courage to stand there, the faith to stand there, he ran toward Goliath. He was ready for the fight.

“David put his hands in his bag as he was running, and he took hence a stone, and sling it and smote the Philistine in his forehead. And the stone sunk into his forehead, and he fell upon his face to the earth.” It’s amazing. He had five stones, brethren, but he only needed one. He had five stones and four left over when it was all said and done. “So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone and smote the Philistine and slew him. But there was no sword in the hand of David.” You notice how the Scriptures keep emphasizing that. David didn’t have the traditional tools and war implements of men.

Brethren, we can learn from that. David simply had his faith. We can learn from that. We don’t have to take the approach that men, people who don’t have faith, take. When we do that, we are actually putting down the more powerful weapons that we have, which is our faith. David took a rock, a sling, and he defeated the giant. But let me ask, did the rock kill David, or did David’s faith... or did the rock kill Goliath, or was it David’s faith?

Ephesians chapter two. Ephesians chapter two. Ephesians chapter two, verse eight. Ephesians chapter two, verse eight. Ephesians two, eight reads, “For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God. Not of works...” I’m thinking of that stone that David slung, not of works. That took work for him to do that. That was a work. “Not of works, lest any man should boast.” I ask the question, I repeat the question, was it the stone that killed Goliath, or was it faith? If it was the stone, there’s a possibility that David could boast. “Wow, look how good I am with the stone. Look at my aim. Not only did I hit him with one shot, I did it while I was running. I took him out with one shot. Look at me.”

Well, brethren, it says here, as we see here in Ephesians, it wasn’t that stone. It wasn’t David’s works. It was his faith, lest any man should boast. It wasn’t about David boasting. It was about God being able to show His power and to prove Himself to the armies of the Philistines. Let’s go back to First Samuel seventeen as we begin to wrap up this account. First Samuel seventeen, verse fifty-one. First Samuel seventeen, verse fifty-one. First Samuel seventeen, fifty-one. “Therefore, David ran and stood upon the Philistines...” He had already hit him in his forehead, and Goliath had fallen.

“So he stood upon the Philistine, took his sword, drew it out of his sheath, thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head,” just like he said he would. “And when the Philistine, all the army, saw their champion was dead, they fled.” What happened? I thought they were so bold. Clearly, their boldness, the Philistine’s boldness, was tied up in who? Goliath. Yet they saw the faith that this young man, without any armor, and who took out the giant with one stone, they saw that and they became fearful. David’s faith caused them to have fear.

“The men of Israel and of Judah arose and shouted and pursued the Philistine.” Now the men on the Israel side who were afraid saw that same display of faith. Now they became emboldened. Brethren, it is amazing what faith, when we display faith and other people see it, it’s amazing the impact that that can have. People who were formerly very bold and very presumptuous and overlooking us, when we show faith, and God comes through, they can suddenly become very afraid. “Wait a minute, this person is different.” And at the same time, those who were previously afraid can now see our faith and become emboldened and said, “You know what? If they can show faith, we can too. God is there. God will come through.”

Verse fifty-three, “And the children of Israel returned from chasing after the Philistines, and they spoiled their tents. David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his armor in his tent.” I wonder if that was a memento and a way for David to remember the battle in the future. “And when Saul saw David go forth against the Philistine, he said unto Abner, the captain of the host, ‘Abner, whose son is this?’” and then he went on to figure out who this young man was, and David began to have much more recognition. David’s faith in God brought him recognition, and he got elevated and was promoted.

But the key is the impact that David’s faith had on others. Our faith can inspire others. Our faith, brethren, can even inspire God. Go to Matthew eight. Matthew eight. Our faith can even inspire God. Matthew eight, verse five. Matthew eight, verse five. “And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto Him a centurion beseeching Him and saying, ‘Lord, my servant lies home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented.’ And Jesus said unto him, ‘I’ll come and heal him.’” So I’ll join you. I’ll come back to your land and heal him.

“The centurion answered and said, ‘Lord, I’m not worthy that You should come under my roof, but speak the word only and my servant shall be healed.’” “Christ, I know enough about You to know You don’t have to come back to my home in order to heal my servant.” This is a centurion talking. This is not a Jew or someone who you would expect to believe Christ and have faith.

Verse nine. “For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say unto this man, go, and he goes. And to another, come, and he comes. And to my servant, do this, and he does it.” So this man says, I know how government works. I know how God’s government works. I’m in the army. I know how this works. “And Jesus heard it, and He marveled.” Jesus marveled. I mean, talk about impressing God. What? Jesus marveled. “And He said to them that followed, ‘Truly I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.’”

Brethren, our faith can impress God. That should be our goal. Our goal should be to have the faith that even God is impressed with. “Wow. I didn’t know my servant was capable of that.” Of showing faith in such difficult circumstances. And, of course, if our faith can impress God, then it certainly can impress others. People are watching us. People are watching you. They’re watching me. They’re seeing if we endure and maintain our faith in difficult circumstances. They’re watching us to see if we maintain the faith after the death of a loved one. Do we stay in the church? Do we keep going? Do we continue to fight and show faith when dealing with a difficult spouse? Or with a co-worker that’s giving us a hard time?

Do we maintain our faith when a date, a prophecy date comes and goes? We’ve had a few, quite a few over the years. Do we maintain our faith? God is impressed with that. Do we hold on in a severe trial, health trial? The type of trial that would take people out? Do we maintain our spiritual integrity? Again, God is impressed with that. Our goal should be, brethren, to have the kind of faith that people, including God, marveled at. That is very, very impressive. It goes against all odds. And brethren, that is the kind of faith that David displayed. That is why his story is so inspiring.

That’s why, even to the world, this movie was made, just taking this element of David’s life and his fight against the giant, and it inspires millions of people who see it, and it certainly should inspire us. But brethren, I talked about David being relatable, very relatable. You know, he was a youth. He was the underdog. People overlooked him, and they did it to their own detriment. Brethren, we can all relate to that. We can all see a little bit of ourselves in David. We can all think back to times we overcame and we relied on God. And it worked out. We got the victory. We ended up defeating that impossible situation with God’s help, and we gave Him the glory.

And in some cases, we were promoted. We were elevated. We grew closer to God. We became a better Christian. We were able to benefit from a display of faith in an impossible situation. But you can wonder, “Okay, well. Okay, that’s David. He fought the giant.” But brethren, he’s relatable, and he’s relatable even for the times that he fell short. David’s faith was not always so impeccable.

And that’s really the heart. That really gets to the heart of what I want to convey to each of us. And I talked about inspiring us in this message. It gets to the heart of what I want to make sure that I convey to all of you when it comes to talking about the story of David. David’s faith wasn’t always perfect. As successful as his faith was in physical battle, David lost a good number of spiritual battles.

Brethren, the battles that we face, we’re not out fighting giants. The fight and the battle that we face, brethren, our battle is spiritual. Spiritual battles, brethren, are very unique. They’re very different. This really gets us to the core of fighting the good, beautiful fight of faith, and really getting to the core of what that means for us today. We’re not out fighting giants and throwing stones and doing any of that and wearing armor. That’s not what we do. That’s not our experience.

We read about it, but that’s not our experience. Turn to Second Corinthians chapter ten. Second Corinthians chapter ten. That’s not our experience. You know, David’s an amazing account. It’s an amazing story, and we can relate to it in a lot of ways, but okay, it’s a nice story, and we believe it, but how does that apply to us? How does it apply to us? First of all, it shows that David can have very much success, but he can also have great challenges when it comes to fighting the good fight of faith.

Second Corinthians chapter ten, verse three. Second Corinthians chapter ten, verse three. “For we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh.” So though we are in the flesh, brethren, we’re not out fighting and, like I said, throwing rocks and wielding swords. And in the modern day, you know, we’re not packing. We don’t have guns. We’re not doing all that.

So we walk in the flesh, but we don’t war after the flesh. “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal.” They’re not physical, “but are mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds, casting down imaginations.” Many of our battles, brethren, are in our mind, in our imaginations. “...and every high thing exalts itself against the knowledge of God...” Knowledge is very much mental. It’s in your head. It’s in your mind.

“...the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought...” that thought. Our battlefield is in the thought realm. That’s where our fight is: in our thinking. “...bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. And having in readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.” Our battle, our fight, is for obedience versus disobedience.

Will we obey God and do what He wants us to do, or will we disobey Him and not do what He wants us to do? That is where our battles come in. Brethren, our fights are not physical fights. We do not have physical weapons that we’re fighting with. Our battles, our fight for faith, is a spiritual battle. It’s a mental battle. But they’re battles nonetheless. Spiritual battles are uniquely difficult.

As I stand here before you today and I talk to you, as I’m speaking to you, I could be going through a spiritual battle, and you wouldn’t know it. As I look out at all of you, and you’re hopefully paying attention to me and listening to all the things that I’m saying, each of you individually could be going through a spiritual battle as I’m talking to you, and I wouldn’t necessarily know it. The person sitting next to you wouldn’t necessarily know it.

If I was out fighting Goliath and slinging rocks around, you’d know it. You’d see me. You’d look at me, “Oh, wow, he’s fighting.” But spiritual battles are very different. They’re mental. They can’t be seen. Now the fruits, eventually, will come out and be seen. But brethren, each of us could be having a spiritual battle as I speak, as we go into the week, from day to day. As we move forward, we could have a spiritual battle, and no one would necessarily even know.

Galatians five. Galatians five. Spiritual battles are very sneaky. Galatians five. Verse sixteen. Galatians five, verse sixteen. “This I say, Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh. And these are contrary the one to the other, so that you could not do the things that you would.”

Brethren, I just described a battle. I just described a fight. A fight between God’s Spirit and the flesh. A war. A fight. Before salvation, before having God’s Spirit, it wasn’t really much of a battle. We were in the flesh. There was no resistance. Maybe our weak conscious or what men expect would hold us back to some level. But it really wasn’t a fight before having God’s Spirit.

The flesh was in control. We were in the flesh. I was living in the flesh. I didn’t have God’s Spirit in order to be able to counter it. It felt normal. Living in the flesh felt very normal. Perhaps you can all relate. It’s the reason that people in the world sin, and they don’t even think about it. Like, “What’s this? What do you mean? This is all very normal.” There is no resistance. There is no spirit of God to resist.

Well, brethren, once we receive God’s Spirit, now it becomes a fight. Now there is resistance. And if we’re successful, it becomes a good fight. A beautiful fight. But if we’re not successful, then it’s not beautiful at all; it’s ugly. It’s ugly. It takes God’s Spirit in order to fight. Romans eight. Romans eight. Verse one. Romans eight, verse one. “There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”

Now we’re seeing once again the flesh versus the Spirit. “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”

The law was laid out from the beginning. God laid out the Ten Commandments and expected men to adhere to them and to follow them. But brethren, without the Spirit of God helping us, when we’re in the flesh, we are incapable of following those laws. God knew that. He allowed His Son to come in the very same flesh that we are trapped in, and that gives us difficulty.

He allowed Jesus Christ to come in that very same flesh and to overcome sin. And by overcoming sin and making the Spirit of God available to all of us, the same Spirit that allowed Christ to overcome sin, that same Spirit is in us and now gives us the ability to overcome and to keep the law. To actually fight. To have a fighting chance to fight against sin, which is wrapped up in the flesh.

David, at a certain point, forgot that. Of course, Christ hadn’t come along, but he forgot this idea of reliance on God, God’s Spirit, in order to overcome. First Chronicles twenty-one. Let’s just look at one example here. First Chronicles twenty-one. One example of David, who, up until this point, in this message, had a stellar track record when it comes to showing faith. Stellar track record. But this is an example of how you can fall short.

First Chronicles twenty-one. Verse one. First Chronicles twenty-one, verse one. “And Satan stood up against Israel.” So I wanted to focus there. We know who was at the bottom of this, of what we’re going to read here. “Satan stood up against Israel and provoked David to number Israel. And David said to Joab and to the rulers of the people, Go, number Israel from Beersheba, even unto Dan, and bring the number of them to me that I may know it.”

Now, I picked this particular weakness of David because it’s tied to warfare, just like it was with Goliath. Now, David, who has gotten a lot older, he’s now leading an army. So instead of going out before the army on his own, God at his side or before him, instead of going out alone, now he’s leading an army, and suddenly he wants to count the number of soldiers.

“And Joab answered, The Lord makes His people a hundred times many more as they be. But my lord, the king, are they not all my lord’s servants? Why then does my lord require this thing? Why will he cause this trespass to Israel?” “King, sir, what are you thinking? God fights the battle. Why do you want me to go out and count the number of soldiers? It doesn’t matter.”

Joab is telling him, “It doesn’t matter. We have God on our side. There’s no need to do that.” David’s response, “Nevertheless, the king’s words prevailed against Joab. Wherefore, Joab departed and went through all of Israel and came to Jerusalem.” So David just blew it off. He blew off the warning. How did God feel about it? How did God feel about David blowing it off and no longer relying on him?

Verse seven, “And God was displeased with this thing. Therefore, he smote Israel. And David said unto God, I have sinned greatly because I have done this thing, but now I beseech you, do away with the iniquity of thy servant, for I have done very foolishly.” To David’s credit, he did very quickly realize the extent of his decision. Take note of that, brethren.

“The Lord spake unto Gad, David’s seer, saying, Go and tell David, saying, Thus says the Lord, I will offer you three things.” I’ll give you three choices here. “Choose you one of them that I may do it unto you. So Gad came to David and said unto him, Thus says the Lord, Choose you either three years’ famine, or three months to be destroyed before your foes, while that the sword of thine enemies overtakes you, or else three days the sword of the Lord, even the pestilence in the land and the angel of the Lord destroying through all the coasts of Israel. Now therefore advise yourself what word I shall bring unto him that sent me.”

Wow. “Make a decision, make a call, David. I’ll give you three choices. All of them are bad. Make a choice.” “And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait.” “I’m in trouble.” That’s what that means. “I’m in trouble.” “Let me now fall into the hand of the Lord, for very great are his mercies, but let not me fall into the hand of man.” “I fall upon the mercy of God. I can’t choose. All three of those are bad. I can’t choose. I don’t know what to do.”

Verse fourteen, “So the Lord sent pestilence unto Israel.” God made the decision. God made the choice. “The Lord sent pestilence unto Israel, and there fell of Israel seventy thousand men.” Brethren, our lack of faith can have grave, grave consequences. Leaders, take note. Leaders in your home, ministers, leaders at work, all of us are leaders. We’re all training to be kings and priests, future leaders. Take note.

Our lack of faith, brethren, can have grave, grave, grave consequences. If we live after the flesh, then we cannot have the faith that we need to have and to be able to fight that good fight. That fight for faith is no longer beautiful. It is something that is very ugly, to use the term again. Brethren, we cannot live after the flesh. We can’t live after the flesh. We have to walk after the Spirit.

And David’s story is so helpful. We can start out very well, but if we don’t maintain the faith and do what we have to do, then things won’t end well. Now, the inspiring thing about David is we know that he went on to do great things. He could read Psalm fifty-one. And he talked about having God’s Spirit, asking God not to take His Spirit from him and to renew that Spirit in him.

In other words, “Bring your Spirit back, and thus my faith back to where it was when I fought Goliath.” Brethren, there’s always hope for us, but we have to make sure that we don’t go too far, that we don’t put everything in jeopardy by focusing on the flesh instead of the things that God would have us to do. Brethren, one effective, very effective way to increase our faith is to ask God for it.

Luke seventeen. Luke seventeen. Let’s read one verse here. Luke seventeen. Luke seventeen. Verse five. Luke seventeen, verse five. Very simple verse here, cutting in on the context. “And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.” Brethren, if you feel like you lack faith, just ask God to increase it. “Increase my faith.” That short statement, that short request, carries so much weight.

It shows, for one thing, that you know the source of your faith is God and not yourself. It also shows a humility and admitting that you may not have the level of faith that you should have. “Father, increase my faith.” Hebrews ten. Hebrews ten. Hebrews ten, twenty-three. Hebrews ten, twenty-three. This speaks to how we should ask for faith. Hebrews ten, twenty-three, “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering, for He is faithful that promised.”

Brethren, when we ask for that faith, don’t waver. If a son asks a father for bread, would he give him a stone? If he asks him for fish, would he give him a serpent? How much more if we ask God for faith, will He give it to us if we simply ask Him? Ask God for more faith. Make that a part of your daily prayer. Commit, brethren, as we begin to conclude, commit to never giving up the fight, never giving up the good fight of faith.

Giving up is a choice. You know, giving up on anything. It’s a choice. Things can get tough. We can want to give up, but it’s still a choice. It’s still a choice. Take ownership of that. We can all give up fighting Satan’s society and self and just give up and just allow ourselves to be overtaken. “Father, it was just too hard. I just gave up.” Or we can decide to keep going no matter what.

To have that boldness to run toward our challenges, to run toward the giants that come up in our lives. The secret to winning these faith battles, brethren, the secret is to simply believe God. It sounds so easy, but it’s as simple as that. Believe God. He will fight our battles for us. Faith equals belief, and that belief leads to action. If we truly believe something, then we’ll do something about it, and that is us doing our part, which will allow God to do His part.

We read that without faith, it’s impossible to please God. Let’s see what else is impossible. Hebrews chapter six, final verse, or final couple of verses. Hebrews chapter six. Hebrews chapter six, verse seventeen. Hebrews chapter six, verse seventeen, “Wherein God, willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise...” Who is that? That’s us. We’re the heirs of promise. That’s each of us.

“Wherein God, willing to abundantly show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed by an oath.” So this is a confirmation or an oath from God Himself, “that by two immutable things,” unmovable things, “in which it was impossible for God to lie.” So it’s not possible for God to lie. Without faith, it’s impossible to please God, but it’s also impossible for God to lie.

“We might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us.” Brethren, there is a beautiful, beautiful thing set before us, an amazing future set before us, that eternal life that we’re holding onto, that hope that we’re holding onto. If we truly believe that verse, that it is impossible for God to lie, then we will fight and fight and fight and never give up. We will continue and go as long as we need to go and never give up. Brethren, we all have a job to do. Now I implore you, go fight the good and beautiful fight of faith.