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Rev Sarah Nyathi
I AM inspired to write about the fight of faith after watching the Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather fight recently. It is not my intention to ruffle any feathers, as I only watched the fight up the 8th round, after which I was left wondering whether the title should not have been given to Pacquiao instead. I was left with a yearning for the fighters of yester year great men like Mohammed Ali who could “float like a butterfly and sting like a bee”, and Big Mike Tyson who could floor a hulking, great opponent in a few minutes of the first round. Let me not digress and lose focus, I wish to discuss in this discourse the “fight of faith”. Several parallels may be drawn from a natural fighter to assist us in our fight of faith. Believers should note that we are all involved in the fight of faith. We would do well to prepare and acquit ourselves well in this regard.

Hebrews 11:1 describes faith as the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things we yet cannot see. If faith is a spiritual attribute that we should possess it follows that this fight of faith is fought in the spiritual realm. As believers we exist in two realms, the realm of the natural which comprises the physical material things that we see, this realm is comprehended with the five senses (touch, smell, see, feel, taste). Whereas faith gives us the eyes to comprehend and navigate in the spiritual realm where have to develop a sixth sense. This sixth sense gives us the intelligence and ability to operate in the spiritual realm.

The spiritual realm is as real as the natural realm, the only difference that makes the spiritual realm seem so distant and unreal is because we have not learned to see and navigate it. Both forces of light and darkness exist and operate in this world. Some have learned to navigate and operate in this spiritual realm and these would be prophets both of light and darkness, clairvoyants, fortune tellers, nyangas, sangomas, those who operate in African science (some have been known to fall off their vehicles at night and are seen wandering around strange places naked). Sadly though, many believers have not learned to operate in the positive realm of the spirit. Hence an over reliance on so called “spiritual giants” having to prophecy, pray over or deliver them.

When a believer learns to operate in this spiritual realm, they do so freely and will need little assistance as they go about their daily business. These are mature believers who know and understand the word of God and can use their own faith to communicate with God intimately and receive miracles directly from the hand of God through faith.

Believers should always remember that everything they have ever needed, or want exists already in the spiritual realm. It is up to the believer to develop spiritual eyes and the ability to manoeuvre in the spiritual realm. As this ability is developed the believer can start witnessing the blessings locked in the spirit realm becoming tangible realities in the natural realm. Ephesians 1:3 states

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places.”

There is a process that transfers blessings from the spirit realm into the natural realm it is called the “fight of faith”. This is a gospel that is not loved by many in the modern church. A “fight” implies effort, discipline, pain, sometimes we may lose and other times we may win. It is a process and a process is not instantaneous, rather it takes time. When we look at the “heroes of faith” such as Abraham, Hannah, Noah and others throughout scripture none of them were granted their miracles or answers to prayer instantly. They had to employ effort and get into a fighting mode and persist until they received their answers/miracles. 21st Century believers are going to have to build stamina and realise that the principles of the word of God have not changed, they will remain the same. They cannot be altered for us as we live in the technological, quick fix, comfort oriented age. We will have to put on our spiritual boxing gloves and get dirty in the arena of life. Anybody who wants to live and operate in the spirit realm will quickly master this fight.

Lessons from a fighter

Fighters engage in a fight with one goal, they want to win. They want to wear the victors’ belt. Neither Pacquiao nor Mayweather wanted to lose. They fought a tough battle, winning the $100,000,000 was not enough for the loser. Victory is sweet. It is the sweetness of victory that made Apostle Paul writes 1 Cor 9:26b “Therefore I do not run uncertainly (without a definite aim)”. We need to develop and indefatigable spirit that causes us to run with certainty, that we will win in the fight of faith. In order to win in the fight of faith, ensure that the purpose of the battle is scripturally based and doctrinally sound. Base your fight on scripture. God encourages us to ask rightly, and the right things to ask for are found in the word of God. A great preacher once said God is not moved by our self pity, tears or anger. There is only one thing God watches over and promises that He will deliver on. God promises to watch over and deliver on promises found in His word (the Bible) James 4:3“You ask and do not receive because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.” Jeremiah 1:12“Then said the Lord to me, you have seen well, for I am alert and active, watching over my word to perform it.” God’s highest pleasure and promise is to watch over His word and to perform it.

 

Fighters are single-minded

Fighters do not spread themselves too thin they focus on the fight at hand and their whole lives are consumed by the fight. Their energies, passions and zeal are all channelled toward the fight.

1 Cor 9:25a “Now every athlete who goes into training conducts himself temperately and restricts himself in all things.” Boxers do not spend time playing golf and practising track events when they are preparing for a fight. They spend time in the gym with sparring partners, equipping and preparing themselves for the fight. In the fight of faith you have to spend time reading the word of God, praying and reminding yourself of God’s promises. Abraham the great father of faith during his 25 year battle though swayed for a brief moment by Hagar had to keep believing God for the promised son. The fight of faith calls for single mindedness. James 1:6-8

“But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double minded man, unstable in all his ways.”

When coming before God in faith do not doubt. The scriptures warn us that there is no reward for being double minded.

There are restrictions that endure for that season. 1 Cor 9:27a “But (like a boxer) I buffet my body (handle it roughly, discipline it by hardships) and subdue it.” There are restrictions that prevail for a season. When preparing for a great fight boxers are careful about what they eat and drink. They watch their weight and strive to maintain levels of health and fitness. Boxers do not eat what regular overweight, unhealthy people eat they have a special diet and exercise routine. They are by no means ordinary, hence the extra ordinary stamina to produce the power and skill that provides entertainment for us all. Mayweather deserves the $5,000,000 he earned for every minute he spent in the ring being pounded relentlessly by Pacquiao. He deserves it because of the sacrifice and restricted lifestyle that he has chosen to live. Big Mike Tyson decided to reject this idea and chose to enjoy all the delights there were to partake because of his status. Wine, women and song were the order of the day for him instead of the restricted lifestyle that is necessary for a boxer. History illustrates clearly where he ended up.

Those who engage in the fight of faith should watch and restrict their spiritual environment and diets. If we expose ourselves to all types of environments that are not conducive to building strong faith we may not win in this fight. Faith is like a muscle that needs to be developed. Unused muscles atrophy. They lose their strength and tone eventually becoming useless. I would like to encourage believers and state that the faith of other believers whether they be our pastors, prophets, mentors, special men of God is only meant to be an encouragement so that we may emulate them and build great faith too.

At the end of day each believer will engage in personal battles, struggles, hardships and challenges that will not be overcome by the faith of another. It is in these times that a believer has to put on the spiritual boxing gloves and “fight the good fight of faith”.

In 2015 I have determined that I will not be excited about battles that others have won in other nations, I will not be on the prowl for other people’s testimonies in foreign lands. I want to fight my own fight of faith and win on home ground. For fear of sounding like I am venting, I think it is high time people crowded the airports in Zimbabwe (Bulawayo, Harare and other border posts) coming to hear and see of great exploits in faith that have been achieved by Zimbabweans. I am weary of Zimbabweans spending thousands of hard earned dollars travelling to distant shores for healing, miracles and deliverance when the answer is staring us in the face.

“Fight the good fight of faith” and bring down those spiritual blessings to the natural realm. Let us rise up in faith and prove that this miraculous, healing, delivering, favouring God is our God too, right here in our great Zimbabwe. This could be Pentecostalism’s contribution to the economy recovery of the nation — building a robust spiritual tourism sector as many flock from far and wide to experience our brand of “faith victory”. This could be a driver of the economy. Our once prized education was an economic drover too. Currently there is a gap in this regard. I dare say we should rise up and take the challenge.