Fight The Good Fight
Fight the Good Fight
Fight the good fight with all thy might!
Christ is thy strength, and Christ thy right.
Lay hold on life, and it shall be
Thy joy and crown eternally.
Run the straight race through God’s good grace;
Lift up thine eyes, and seek His face.
Life with its way before us lies;
Christ is the path, and Christ the prize.
Cast care aside, lean on thy Guide;
His boundless mercy will provide.
Trust, and thy trusting soul shall prove
Christ is its life, and Christ its love.
Faint not nor fear, His arms are near;
He changeth not, and thou art dear.
Only believe, and thou shalt see
That Christ is all in all to thee.
TOO MANY OF US are spiritually flabby, often avoiding spiritual conflict instead of facing it. That was certainly not the apostle Paul’s style, nor was it John Monsell’s. Monsell was a gifted Anglican clergyman who could hold his congregation spellbound as he spoke and who advocated “more fervent and joyous” singing in his church. He once said, “We sing, but not as we should, to Him who is the chief among ten thousand, the altogether lovely.”
This hymn was written to accompany the reading of Ephesians 4:17-32, where Paul outlines the nature of new life in Christ. But Monsell’s hymn has allusions to many other passages of Scripture as well. Stanza 1 refers to 1 Timothy 6:12 and Philippians 4:1; stanza 2 to Hebrews 12:1, John 14:6, and Philippians 3:14; stanza 3 to 1 Peter 5:7; and stanza 4 to Galatians 6:9, Mark 5:36, John 6:29, and Colossians 3:11.
Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have confessed so well before many witnesses.
1 Timothy 6:11-12
From the book
