1 Timothy 1:18-20 Fight the Good Fight

This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you fight the good fight, keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith. Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan, so that they will be taught not to blaspheme. [1 Timothy 1:18-20 NASB]

Three times in the New Testament, the Christian life is compared to fighting the good fight. In each of these cases, it was Paul writing to Timothy. He mentions it again later in this letter;

Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. [1 Timothy 6:12 NASB]

And again, referring to himself;

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; [2 Timothy 4:7 NASB]

There is a war for your faith. You can fight in the war, and keep the faith, or you can sit idly by and let your faith be shipwrecked.

There are many things in the world that will try to steal your faith. The world is full of temptations that would compromise your moral integrity.

Paul told Timothy to keep a good conscience. This doesn't mean, "Don't fell guilty about what you do." It means, "Don't do anything to feel guilty about." 

As Christians, we are called to be above reproach. We must assume that the world wants to see us fall. The media seems to take a particular delight whenever a professing Christian does anything of a questionable nature. And they seem to exult whenever a Christian falls into outright sin.

We understand our own humanity, and we know how easy it is to stumble. We forgive one another when we lapse because we can relate. Ironically, the world, which rejects Jesus and His moral standards, hold us to a higher standard than we do ourselves. They may not agree with our morals, but they expect us to strictly adhere to them, and label us "hypocrite" when we fail.

Our fight is not against the world, or against the moral decay of society. The fight is within ourselves. We must fight the temptation to give up. How much easier life would be if we could just go along with our coworkers and friends.

Paul gave Timothy  two examples of people who gave up on moral purity, and he said the result was that they "suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith."

Paul said that these two men, Hymenaeus and Alexander, were "handed over to Satan, so that they will be taught not to blaspheme." This is reminiscent of another scripture regarding a believer who was living a sinful lifestyle;

I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. [1 Corinthians 5:5 NASB]

I think what this means is that the misbehaving brother was removed from the fellowship of believers. He was placed back into the world, where he was, once again, under the dominion of Satan, who is also called the god of this world. Because of the grievousness of his sin, he was removed from the protection of God, and subject once again to the oppression of the devil.

The purpose of this removal was to highlight the depth of his loss by being separated from God's people, and God's protection. The goal was to bring him back to a place of repentance, so that he would once again be embraced by God and by the church.

Don't be like Hymenaeus and Alexander, sacrificing your faith for the pleasures of this world.

Instead, be like Paul and Timothy, fighting the good fight, holding fast to the faith, and maintaining a good conscience before the Lord.

Father, I pray for grace that You will help me to stay clear of those things that would wreck my faith. Please give me the wisdom to see them for what they are. Lord, I choose to follow you. I commit to the discipline to keep the faith, and the moral purity to maintain a good conscience.