Ladies and Gentlemen, Let’s get ready to Rumble!!!

Growing up in Puerto Rico I used to love to fight. I became an amateur boxer as a teen just to add to the “reputation.” Shortly after 1991, as I made Jacksonville home, I started studying various styles of Martial Arts; it was a more civilized and in a sense, legal way, of getting some of this fighting steam out of me. I have been involved in many fights in my life, but nothing can even come close to the intensity of fighting the good fight of faith.

“FIGHT the good FIGHT of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.” (I Timothy 6:12)

The assault against our faith is brutal in our secular society today. For many politicians and celebrities in Hollywood for example, it is almost a career killer to declare their faith in Jesus Christ publicly. Stating that you are pro-life or that you believe in the sanctity of marriage between a men and a woman is in fact a career risk that not many are willing to take. You will be mocked, ridiculed and lied about. The liberal media will fashion a distorted public image of you with the intention of destroying your reputation that will be next to impossible to rehabilitate. They will find ways to dig things out of your past with the sole intention of discrediting you as a true Christian and label you as a hypocrite. It is indeed a bloody fight. The Bible tells us in Ephesians 6:12:

“For we WRESTLE not against flesh and blood…”

The word “wrestle” here implies that you are fighting an enemy whose objective is to choke you to death as he sits on top of you! Neither boxing, Kickboxing or even Ultimate Fighting can compare to the nature of this brutal clash. Your enemy is bold; he is not doing a “drive by shooting” on you; he enjoys being on top of you choking and   watching you as you die!

“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy…” (John 10:10)

I must also admit that not all of the fights I engage in were good. A good fight for us is the one we can be declared winners of at the end. I myself lost a few while I also got seriously hurt. The good news about this fight of faith is that, if we don’t quit, our victory is guaranty. The Apostle Paul, who fought bloody battles himself, encouraged us with these words:

“I have fought a good FIGHT, I have finished my course; I have kept the faith:” (I Timothy 4:7)

No one is taking away from the fact that the blows are real and very painful at times; but do not be discouraged; you and I will win this fight if we persevere until the end. So, ladies and gentlemen let’s get ready to rumble!