Our annual watch night service helps us discern and focus on what God is calling us to do together, identify and concentrate on the shared direction God is leading us toward.
Theme for 2026: Fight the good fight of the faith.
As we approached the end of year, God made it clearer that we must strive and persevere to go further and deeper in cultivating the faith as individuals and as a community of believers.
1 Tim 1:5 “The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.”
1Tim 6:12 “ Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”
1 Tim 1:18 “This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, 19 holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith,”
What does it mean to fight the good fight of the faith, and why is it so important for Christians?
- Because the Christian life involves a continual struggle between spiritual desires and fleshly impulses, the battle first takes place in the mind before it shows itself outwardly.
Four practical ways we can stand strong and fight the good fight of faith.
1. Be resolute in our belief
We must grow in our conviction of our personal belief and assurance.
Romans 4:20-22 “No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, 21 fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. 22 That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.”
This highlights the importance of individual conviction in matters of faith, encouraging us to seek personal clarity and assurance in our relationship with God.
The biblical meaning of conviction is essential for the strengthening of one’s faith. When we are deeply convicted about our beliefs, we are more likely to withstand challenges and temptations.
Living with conviction impacts how we (believers) engage with the world. It motivates us to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God.
As we cultivate our convictions, we not only strengthen our relationship with God but also become vessels of God’s courage, love and truth in the world.
To truly live by faith is to allow our convictions to shape every choice we make. When our decisions reflect what we believe, our lives become a living testimony, pointing others to the transforming power of God at work within us.
2 Cor 5:1-10 explains our present is secure and our future is firmly assured.
2. Be Rooted in Christ
Our roots grow deep because HE IS FAITHFUL
1 Thes 5:23,24 ”Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.”
John 10:27,28 “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.”
Isaiah 41:10 “fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God;I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
Security in Christ is a reality to enjoy and meditate on it until our hearts warm, allowing HIM to guide and nourish our souls! this is how we persevere by trusting the one who is faithful.
Being rooted in faith is NOT a one-time event but a continuous journey of growth and connection with God, It requires intentional choices and a commitment to live out the teachings of Jesus Christ in everyday life.
To be rooted in Christ means GROWING FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH
We must nurture a sincere yearning for the Lord, one that continually grows from strength to strength.We need to build a real hunger for the Lord, a hunger that grows stronger by time.
Ps 84:7 “They go from strength to strength;each one appears before God in Zion.”
This pilgrimage psalm explains deep longing that they have to be in the presence of God. While Christians do not travel to a special location to be in Christ’s presence but this psalm articulates their yearning to experience Christ’s nearness.
The follower of Christ must maintain steady growth and NOT slow decline, DO NOT become weary and tired from common obstacles brought into our path (at times we invite them into our way by keeping a number of distractions).
We must love the truth, show grace, and stay grounded. When we stay rooted in Christ, our ministries grow stronger and keep moving forward. And when something is lacking, we strengthen it, steady it, and keep going.
1 Tim 6:11 “But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.”
1Tim 6:3-5 Flee: puffed up, conceit, void of understanding, controversy, quarrels, envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, constant friction.
John 15:4 “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me”
The central emphasis is ongoing sanctification brought about by the miraculous work of God.
3. & 4. Be watchful and alert: stay vigilant and on guard
In seasons of stress and trouble, we are quick to cry out to God, echoing the words of the hymn, “I need Thee every hour.” Yet when the storm passes and life grows calm, we often let our guard down and drift into self-reliance. This must not be the pattern of those who follow Christ, we are called to depend on Him in every season, not only in times of need.
Gal 5:25 “If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.”
Heb 2: 1 “Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. ”
When we find our hearts drifting, we must be quick to return, training ourselves to recognize and respond to His gentle whisper. It is through this daily practice of listening that we stay anchored in Him.1 Peter 5:8-9 “8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.”
Prov 4:23 “Keep your heart with all vigilance,for from it flow the springs of life.NIV 23 Above all else, guard your heart,for everything you do flows from it.
The truth is, if you don’t fight, you leave yourself open to be devoured by the enemy. A passive attitude leads to decay and death in your spiritual life.2 Cor 10:3-5 “…but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ”
Our weapons of divine power are worship, prayer, proclamation of God’s powerful word!
If every thought, then the whole person belongs to Christ;
Every idea, motive, desire, and decision belong to Christ.
CONCLUSION:
Perhaps, adding to the times, in our opulence we tend to take everything granted and neglect the spiritual abiding and necessary alertness needed in our good fight!
The key is walking daily in obedience and trust (2 Corinthians 5:7).
As individuals, we are called into the good fight, a fight that transforms us. And as we are transformed, God brings us together, united, to contend for the faith. This work of transformation is not sudden or shallow; it must be steady, consistent, and clearly evident for all to see..
Blessing: 1 Cor 15:58 “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”