Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9:26: “I do not fight like a man beating the air (NIV).The NLT says, “I am not like a boxer who misses his punches.” A boxer can throw a lot of punches, but if none of them hit the opponent, he will lose the fight. This is one reason a boxer trains so that he punches with skill. He not only needs to know how to hit his target when he throws a punch, but he needs to know how to assert proper force behind each punch. A jab serves a different purpose than a hook. Technique matters. Heart matters. A champion boxer must know technique, but he must also have the heart of a fighter. He must be tenacious and persistent. He must know how to take a punch as well as give a punch. Paul told Timothy to “endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ” (KJV).
That boxer also needs to know how to defend himself against the onslaughts of his adversary. For spiritual battles, Paul tells us to “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Eph. 6:11). God has given us what we need to win our battles, but we have to put on the armor he provides. A soldier may possess the armor, but if he does not put it on, then he is just as vulnerable as the man who has no armor.
Shared in sermon by Richard Tow entitled "Ready for Anything (Part 4: Going on the Offensive).