How Jesus Provides The Perfect Example As A Fighter Of The Faith

While there are many battles not worth the effort, there remain some causes that are worth fighting for. Paul writes, "The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." (2 Cor. 10:4-6) Christ-like weapons do not include prideful anger, arrogance or intellectual philosophizing. Instead, Jesus teaches us how to fight for noble causes in a way that exhibit all of His Godliness, wisdom and grace.

1. Jesus stood up to religious authorities that tried to discredit His reputation. The Lord maintained the highest level of dignity, truth and self-control in the face of stinging slander. Jesus said, "You claim that I drive out demons by Beelzebub. Now if I drive out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your followers drive them out?. . . But, if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you." (Luke 11:19,20) Do not back down when people try to discredit you for a wide variety of motivations. Unflinchingly faced your critics with the certainty of whom you believe.

2. Jesus waged war against sin, corruption and greed. Jesus said, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed, a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." (Luke 12:15) The Lord knew the insidious nature of greedy people who think they can control others through the power of money and possessions.

3 . Jesus waged war against sin as an enemy of holiness. The root cause of everyone's problem is sinful desires. For this reasons Paul says, "The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace... The sinful mind is hostile to God." (Rom. 8:6-8) Everyone who is serious about improving their life must be a warrior against sinful impulses.

4. Jesus waged war against infidelity. The Lord knew that every person is tempted to stray from those whom we have pledged our faithfulness. Jesus said, "For this cause, a man and a woman shall leave their Father and Mother and the two will become one flesh."

5. Jesus waged war against rebellion, treason and disloyalty. Jesus said, "Render to Caesar, the things that are Caesar's, but to God the things that belong to God."

6. Jesus waged war against broken families. The Lord wanted every child to be loved and raised in the nurture and instruction from the Lord.

7. Jesus waged war against loneliness. When the Lord saw Zacchaeus, the infamous tax-collector who had betrayed his own people, He said, "Come down Zacchaeus, for I would like to stay in your house." (Luke l 9)

8. Jesus waged war against hypocritical criticisms. Jesus said to the Pharisees when they brought an adulterous woman to Him, "You are without sin, cast the first stone." The oldest and wisest Pharisees left first because they were convicted by His wisdom.

9. Jesus waged war against faulty judgments. The Lord said, "In the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." (Matt. 7:2)

10. Jesus waged war against apathy and indifference. The Lord said, "A new commandment I give to you that you love one another as I have loved you. By this will all men know that you are my disciples because you have love for one another." (John 13:34,35)

11. Jesus waged war against the devil and all that was evil. "Jesus was led into the desert by the Spirit to be tempted by the devil. . . Jesus said to him, "Away from Me, Satan! ! For it is written,'Worship the Lord your God and serve him only."' (Matt 4:10)