When to Run and When to Fight: Living Life of Godliness
When to Run and When to Fight: Living a Life of Godliness
Life often presents us with a critical choice: when should we stand our ground, and when should we walk away? The gambler's wisdom tells us to "know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, know when to walk away, and know when to run." While this might sound like advice for a card table, it's surprisingly relevant to our spiritual journey.
In 1 Timothy 6:11-16, we discover a powerful framework for pursuing godliness that addresses this very question. The passage begins with a sharp contrast: "But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness."
Notice the two-part instruction. First, flee. Then, pursue. We're not just running away from something; we're running toward something far better.
What Does It Mean to Be Godly?
Before we can understand what to flee from and what to pursue, we need to grasp what godliness actually means. Godliness isn't just religious activity or moral behavior. It means "likeness to God" or living with a God-focus. It's about resembling the One we follow.
Think about it this way: disciples of Christ should look like Christ. There should be proof in the pudding, as they say. Godliness involves holiness, spiritual-mindedness, studying God's Word, being an effective witness, and worshipping God with our whole lives.
The world tells us that contentment is found in ourselves—in our achievements, possessions, and experiences. But Scripture flips this upside down. True contentment is found in God. Therefore, if we want to experience genuine satisfaction in life, we must pursue godliness with everything we have.
The Qualities of Godliness
1. Escaping Any Association with Evil
The first quality of a godly person is that they flee from evil. The word "flee" means to seek safety in flight, to escape, to run away. It's where we get our word "fugitive." As believers, we're called to be fugitives from certain things—specifically, the depravity of sin, the pursuit of wealth as an ultimate goal, and the love of money.
A man or woman of God is first recognized by what they run from. We must flee from anything ungodly, anything associated with evil. The apostle Peter warned that the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. We need to take that threat seriously.
But here's the crucial point: if we just run away without a destination, we'll end up in trouble. We might leave one bad situation only to find ourselves in something worse. That's why fleeing is only half the equation.
2. Pursuing the Fruit of the Spirit
As we run from evil, we must run toward something good. The passage lists six specific qualities to chase after:
Righteousness refers to the holiness of an individual marked by obedience and right living. This is authentic holiness—not faking it—that others can see in our outward behavior.
Godliness emphasizes the inward reality. While righteousness deals mainly with outward behavior, godliness focuses on our thoughts, attitudes, and motives. Our motives must be pure before our actions can be pure. The outward is always a reflection of the inward.
Faith means reliability and trust, specifically in Christ. We rely on Him not just to enter the Kingdom, but to live faithfully as His disciples every single day.
Love is agape love—the love of choice and decision based on Christ. We're called to share this love with all people, regardless of their background or what they've done. Our mission is simple: love God, love people, because He first loved us.
Perseverance or patience means endurance and steadfastness. It's the quality of remaining focused on Christ no matter what trials come our way. It's about being a spiritual grinder who keeps moving forward.
Gentleness shows kindness and meekness. It's the recognition that we bring nothing to the table on our own, that any good in us comes from God alone. It encompasses great humility. These aren't new concepts. They mirror the fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians. The point is clear: chase after these things. This doesn't happen automatically. There's work involved, effort required, yielding necessary.
3. Fighting the Good Fight
The passage continues with a call to "fight the good fight of faith." As believers, we must realize we're in a spiritual battle whether we recognize it or not. But it's a specific fight—a good fight, one that is noble and excellent, focused on Christ.
This isn't about fighting to be right or proving our opinions. It's not about bombing abortion clinics, picketing funerals, or holding signs condemning certain groups. Those aren't the good fights. The good fight requires discipline and conviction to move forward focused on Christ, no matter the consequences.
We fight because of eternal life. But here's an important distinction: we're not fighting to possess eternal life—that's secured through faith in Christ alone. Rather, we're fighting to get a grip on the eternal life we already have. We're grasping the quality of our eternal life, making sure what we're doing represents Christ dynamically, not statically.
If you've been knocked down spiritually, get back up and fight again. Yes, it hurts, especially when fellow believers wound us. But part of being a faithful disciple is getting back up and continuing to plow forward. Fights mean wounds, scars, pain, and aches. But it's worth it.
4. Keep Striving
The final quality is simple but profound: keep striving. Don't quit. Don't stop. Stay on target.
We can keep striving for three powerful reasons:
God's presence never leaves us. He's the author of all life, the great Creator, the source of eternal life. He has power over death and the grave. God is crazy amazing, and He always has your back. Christ's faithful testimony encourages us. Even at His sham trial before Pilate, Jesus didn't run away or lie. He told the truth and was a faithful witness. The same Christ who witnessed to Pilate enables us to be witnesses today.
Christ's soon return gives us eternal perspective. We should live as though Jesus could return at any moment. Life on this earth is relatively short compared with eternity. We can keep striving because it may only be a little while longer.
Moving Forward
You can make it because of Christ. Yes, life is hard. Being a parent is difficult. Marriage has challenges. Work is sometimes tough. But you can survive and keep pressing on because our God is sufficient and Christ is with you.
Are you gripping your eternal life, or have you become static in your spiritual walk? It's time to get moving again. It's time to fight the good fight and point others to Him. Life is short. God is looking for men and women willing to be used by Him.
This week, spend time focusing on how great our God is. He is sovereign, King of kings, Lord of lords. He possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light. To Him be honor and eternal dominion.
If God is this great, then our fight isn't much of a fight at all. We can survive as believers in this upside-down world. There is hope. And that hope has a name: Jesus Christ.
Life often presents us with a critical choice: when should we stand our ground, and when should we walk away? The gambler's wisdom tells us to "know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, know when to walk away, and know when to run." While this might sound like advice for a card table, it's surprisingly relevant to our spiritual journey.
In 1 Timothy 6:11-16, we discover a powerful framework for pursuing godliness that addresses this very question. The passage begins with a sharp contrast: "But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness."
Notice the two-part instruction. First, flee. Then, pursue. We're not just running away from something; we're running toward something far better.
What Does It Mean to Be Godly?
Before we can understand what to flee from and what to pursue, we need to grasp what godliness actually means. Godliness isn't just religious activity or moral behavior. It means "likeness to God" or living with a God-focus. It's about resembling the One we follow.
Think about it this way: disciples of Christ should look like Christ. There should be proof in the pudding, as they say. Godliness involves holiness, spiritual-mindedness, studying God's Word, being an effective witness, and worshipping God with our whole lives.
The world tells us that contentment is found in ourselves—in our achievements, possessions, and experiences. But Scripture flips this upside down. True contentment is found in God. Therefore, if we want to experience genuine satisfaction in life, we must pursue godliness with everything we have.
The Qualities of Godliness
1. Escaping Any Association with Evil
The first quality of a godly person is that they flee from evil. The word "flee" means to seek safety in flight, to escape, to run away. It's where we get our word "fugitive." As believers, we're called to be fugitives from certain things—specifically, the depravity of sin, the pursuit of wealth as an ultimate goal, and the love of money.
A man or woman of God is first recognized by what they run from. We must flee from anything ungodly, anything associated with evil. The apostle Peter warned that the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. We need to take that threat seriously.
But here's the crucial point: if we just run away without a destination, we'll end up in trouble. We might leave one bad situation only to find ourselves in something worse. That's why fleeing is only half the equation.
2. Pursuing the Fruit of the Spirit
As we run from evil, we must run toward something good. The passage lists six specific qualities to chase after:
Righteousness refers to the holiness of an individual marked by obedience and right living. This is authentic holiness—not faking it—that others can see in our outward behavior.
Godliness emphasizes the inward reality. While righteousness deals mainly with outward behavior, godliness focuses on our thoughts, attitudes, and motives. Our motives must be pure before our actions can be pure. The outward is always a reflection of the inward.
Faith means reliability and trust, specifically in Christ. We rely on Him not just to enter the Kingdom, but to live faithfully as His disciples every single day.
Love is agape love—the love of choice and decision based on Christ. We're called to share this love with all people, regardless of their background or what they've done. Our mission is simple: love God, love people, because He first loved us.
Perseverance or patience means endurance and steadfastness. It's the quality of remaining focused on Christ no matter what trials come our way. It's about being a spiritual grinder who keeps moving forward.
Gentleness shows kindness and meekness. It's the recognition that we bring nothing to the table on our own, that any good in us comes from God alone. It encompasses great humility. These aren't new concepts. They mirror the fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians. The point is clear: chase after these things. This doesn't happen automatically. There's work involved, effort required, yielding necessary.
3. Fighting the Good Fight
The passage continues with a call to "fight the good fight of faith." As believers, we must realize we're in a spiritual battle whether we recognize it or not. But it's a specific fight—a good fight, one that is noble and excellent, focused on Christ.
This isn't about fighting to be right or proving our opinions. It's not about bombing abortion clinics, picketing funerals, or holding signs condemning certain groups. Those aren't the good fights. The good fight requires discipline and conviction to move forward focused on Christ, no matter the consequences.
We fight because of eternal life. But here's an important distinction: we're not fighting to possess eternal life—that's secured through faith in Christ alone. Rather, we're fighting to get a grip on the eternal life we already have. We're grasping the quality of our eternal life, making sure what we're doing represents Christ dynamically, not statically.
If you've been knocked down spiritually, get back up and fight again. Yes, it hurts, especially when fellow believers wound us. But part of being a faithful disciple is getting back up and continuing to plow forward. Fights mean wounds, scars, pain, and aches. But it's worth it.
4. Keep Striving
The final quality is simple but profound: keep striving. Don't quit. Don't stop. Stay on target.
We can keep striving for three powerful reasons:
God's presence never leaves us. He's the author of all life, the great Creator, the source of eternal life. He has power over death and the grave. God is crazy amazing, and He always has your back. Christ's faithful testimony encourages us. Even at His sham trial before Pilate, Jesus didn't run away or lie. He told the truth and was a faithful witness. The same Christ who witnessed to Pilate enables us to be witnesses today.
Christ's soon return gives us eternal perspective. We should live as though Jesus could return at any moment. Life on this earth is relatively short compared with eternity. We can keep striving because it may only be a little while longer.
Moving Forward
You can make it because of Christ. Yes, life is hard. Being a parent is difficult. Marriage has challenges. Work is sometimes tough. But you can survive and keep pressing on because our God is sufficient and Christ is with you.
Are you gripping your eternal life, or have you become static in your spiritual walk? It's time to get moving again. It's time to fight the good fight and point others to Him. Life is short. God is looking for men and women willing to be used by Him.
This week, spend time focusing on how great our God is. He is sovereign, King of kings, Lord of lords. He possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light. To Him be honor and eternal dominion.
If God is this great, then our fight isn't much of a fight at all. We can survive as believers in this upside-down world. There is hope. And that hope has a name: Jesus Christ.
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