Fight the Good Fight: Living Out Your Faith Daily

Devotional

Day 1: Your Position Before God Comes First

Before any change in behavior or habits, it is essential to remember your identity as a person of God. True transformation does not begin with a checklist of do’s and don’ts, but with the reality that, through faith in Jesus, you are already forgiven, redeemed, and loved. If you try to change your life without first understanding your position in Christ, you risk falling into legalism or self-righteousness. God calls you to live out of your new identity, letting your patterns match your position, not to earn His love, but because you are already His beloved child. [30:59]

1 Timothy 6:11 (ESV)
"But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness."

Reflection: In what ways have you been trying to change your behavior without first remembering who you are in Christ? How can you remind yourself today that you are already forgiven and loved by God?

Day 2: Flee Destructive Patterns and Pursue Godly Habits

God’s call is not just to run from the senseless and harmful desires that lead to destruction, but to actively pursue something better. It’s not enough to simply stop unhealthy behaviors; you are invited to fill your life with righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, and gentleness. Real change happens when you replace old patterns with new, Spirit-led habits that reflect the character of Christ. Consider what specific area God is prompting you to change, and ask Him to help you pursue what is truly life-giving. [34:30]

1 Timothy 6:11 (ESV)
"But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness."

Reflection: What is one specific harmful pattern God is calling you to flee, and what is one godly habit you can intentionally pursue in its place this week?

Day 3: Be Specific and Honest About Your Struggles

Lasting change requires honesty and specificity. It’s easy to keep things vague or theoretical, but God invites you to name the exact patterns, environments, and triggers that lead you into sin. By identifying what a “relapse” looks like for you and what situations make you vulnerable, you can take practical steps to avoid those pitfalls and replace them with healthy, God-honoring choices. Don’t battle alone—find someone you trust to share your journey and pray with you as you seek freedom. [38:39]

Proverbs 4:26-27 (ESV)
"Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure. Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil."

Reflection: What is one specific situation or environment that often leads you into struggle? How can you plan today to avoid or change that environment?

Day 4: Take Hold of Eternal Life—Live Out Your Faith Now

Faith is not passive; it is a daily fight to take hold of the eternal life God has given you. Eternal life is not just a future hope, but a present reality—knowing and following God today. You are called to actively “fight the good fight of the faith,” to keep your life and doctrine pure, and to live in a way that reflects the truth of the gospel. God gives you the strength to persevere, and He is worthy of your wholehearted devotion. [47:20]

1 Timothy 6:12 (ESV)
"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."

Reflection: What does “taking hold of eternal life” look like for you today? What is one way you can actively live out your faith in a practical way?

Day 5: Remember Christ’s Sacrifice—Let Grace Motivate Change

At the heart of all transformation is the grace of Jesus, who gave His body and shed His blood so you could be forgiven and united with God. When you fall short or struggle with sin, remember that your hope is not in your own efforts, but in Christ’s finished work. Let His love and sacrifice motivate you to pursue change—not to earn His favor, but because you are already His. As you remember Jesus today, let gratitude and grace fuel your desire to live a life that honors Him. [53:37]

1 Corinthians 11:23-24 (ESV)
"For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, 'This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.'"

Reflection: When you are tempted to give up or feel unworthy, how can remembering Christ’s sacrifice help you receive grace and keep moving forward in your journey of change?

Sermon Summary

Throughout the journey in 1 Timothy, the focus has been on the importance of both accurate doctrine and a life that reflects the truth of the gospel. Paul’s letter to Timothy is not just a set of rules, but a call to live out our identity as people of God. Before any command to flee from sin or harmful desires, the foundation is laid: “As for you, O man of God.” Our position in Christ—righteous, forgiven, loved—comes first. Only then can our patterns and behaviors begin to align with who we truly are in Him.

It’s easy to treat faith as a checklist of do’s and don’ts, but that leads to legalism and self-righteousness. Instead, the invitation is to let our lives be transformed from the inside out, so that our patterns match our position. This means not just avoiding destructive habits, but actively pursuing something better—righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, and gentleness. The Christian life is not about emptying ourselves of bad habits and leaving a void, but about being filled with the life and Spirit of God.

Practicality matters. It’s not enough to vaguely want to change; we must get specific. What is the “relapse” or sin pattern in your life? What environments or situations lead you there? And what healthy, God-honoring practices can you pursue instead? Whether it’s the love of money, overeating, or any other struggle, the process is the same: identify, understand, and replace. This is not about earning God’s love, but responding to it—letting His grace shape every area of life.

The call is to “fight the good fight of the faith” and “take hold of eternal life”—not just as a future hope, but as a present reality. Eternal life begins now, as we know and follow God in the everyday. Communion reminds us that our standing with God is secure, not because of our performance, but because of Christ’s sacrifice. As we remember Him, we are invited to let our lives reflect the truth we believe, living as people who are both forgiven and being transformed.

Key Takeaways

1. Start with your position in Christ Before addressing any sin or habit, remember your identity as a person of God—righteous, forgiven, and loved through faith in Jesus. Transformation flows from knowing who you are, not from striving to earn God’s approval. This guards against legalism and grounds all change in grace. [28:27]
2. Replace, don’t just remove It’s not enough to flee from harmful desires; we must pursue something better. True change happens when we fill the void with godly habits and virtues, allowing the Spirit to shape us into Christ’s likeness. This is the difference between temporary behavior modification and lasting transformation. [32:22]
3. Get specific and practical about change Vague intentions rarely lead to real growth. Identify the specific patterns you want to change, the triggers or environments that lead you there, and concrete steps to pursue something better. This honest, detailed approach opens the door for God’s grace to work in tangible ways. [36:13]
4. Fight the good fight—actively pursue eternal life Faith is not passive. We are called to “fight the good fight,” to take hold of the eternal life God offers now. This means engaging both our beliefs and our behaviors, letting the truth of the gospel shape every part of our lives, not just our Sunday mornings. [47:20]
5. Let grace, not guilt, drive your transformation Change is not about earning God’s love, but responding to it. Communion reminds us that Christ’s sacrifice secures our position before God. As we remember Him, we are empowered to live out our faith with honesty, humility, and hope, trusting that His Spirit is at work in us. [53:37]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[21:27] - Kids and Volunteers
[22:02] - Introduction to 1 Timothy
[22:40] - The Importance of Accurate Doctrine
[23:43] - Recap: The Love of Money
[24:50] - Expanding Beyond Money to All Sin
[25:42] - Moving from Hearing to Doing
[26:25] - Context: 1 Timothy 6:9-10
[28:05] - Identity Before Commands
[29:37] - Patterns Matching Position
[32:22] - Fleeing and Replacing Harmful Habits
[36:13] - Practical Tool for Change
[41:15] - Example: Food and Overeating
[47:20] - Fight the Good Fight of Faith
[52:39] - Communion and Remembering Christ

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

1 Timothy 6:11-16 (ESV) — 11 But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.
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.
13 I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession,
14 to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,
15 which he will display at the proper time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords,
16 who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.

Observation Questions

In verse 11, what does Paul tell Timothy to flee from, and what does he tell him to pursue instead?
According to the sermon, why is it important that Paul starts with “But as for you, O man of God” before giving any commands? [[28:27]]
What does “fight the good fight of the faith” mean in the context of this passage? [[47:20]]
What are some specific examples the pastor gave of “relapse” or sin patterns, and what practical steps did he suggest for replacing them? [[36:13]]

Interpretation Questions

Why does Paul emphasize identity (“O man of God”) before giving instructions about behavior? How does this order protect us from legalism? [[28:27]]
The sermon mentioned that simply removing bad habits isn’t enough; we need to replace them with godly habits. Why is this replacement so important for lasting change? [[32:22]]
What does it look like to “take hold of eternal life” as a present reality, not just a future hope? [[47:20]]
How does remembering Christ’s sacrifice during communion empower us to live out our faith with honesty and hope, rather than guilt? [[53:37]]

Application Questions

The sermon challenged us to start with our position in Christ before trying to change our behavior. When you think about your own struggles, do you tend to focus more on “do’s and don’ts” or on your identity as someone loved and forgiven by God? How does this affect your motivation for change? [[28:27]]
Think of a specific sin pattern or unhealthy habit in your life (it could be related to money, food, comparison, or something else). What does a “relapse” look like for you in this area? [[36:13]]
What are the environments, situations, or triggers that usually lead you toward this pattern? How can you be more aware of these triggers this week? [[38:39]]
The sermon encouraged us to not just avoid bad habits but to actively pursue something better. What is one healthy, God-honoring practice you could start this week to replace an old pattern? [[32:22]]
The pastor shared personally about his struggles with overeating and being specific about what change looks like. What would it look like for you to get specific and practical about change in your own life? Is there a step you can take this week? [[42:01]]
“Fight the good fight of the faith” is an active command. What does it look like for you to actively pursue your faith, not just on Sundays but in your everyday life? [[47:20]]
Communion is a reminder that our standing with God is secure because of Jesus, not our performance. How can you let grace, not guilt, drive your transformation this week? [[53:37]]

Sermon Clips

If you look at the Bible as a list of a bunch of rules to take, like keep away from the things that are senseless and harmful. If you look at it as a list of rules, but you forget your position. You're going to be some religious person that no one probably would even want to be around. A legalist. A self-righteous person. If it's all about following a bunch of rules, and that's why I'm good with God. Following a bunch of rules, like how long I've gone without that habit or addiction or thought pattern. That's what makes me right with God. We're missing it. [00:28:53] (29 seconds) #BeyondRulesFaith

There are no good people in heaven. There are only forgiven people in heaven. Do you understand this? So before I start talking again, because I'm afraid, and maybe after this message you come up to me, or after the message you'll send an email. My name is Jeff Miller, if you don't like this message. I'm afraid it's going to sound like a list of do's and don'ts, what I'm about to share with you. When I have to, and don't let me forget to remind you, it's not about do's and don'ts. It's about who you are in Christ. [00:30:57] (31 seconds) #ForgivenNotPerfect

The problem is we have an empty life. And if we don't have God come fill our lives, come fill our hearts, if we don't place our faith in Jesus and have his Holy Spirit live in us, take on us, we're going to remove one habit and just have a whole bunch, seven more, that's probably going to be just as bad, and we're just going to be just as stuck. So it's not about messiness. It's about replacement. We can't have emptiness. [00:33:48] (22 seconds) #FillTheVoid

Guys, I know so many things, but it's not about what you know. It's about how are you living, right? Not to earn God. You can never earn your position before God. But because you're loved by God, because you have a position before God of being declared righteous, loved, redeemed, valuable, treasured, part of his body. His masterpiece created in Christ Jesus for good works. You know, all these things that God, because of your position, I think he wants us to be specific. [00:40:36] (30 seconds) #PositionOverPerformance

Does God care about my lifestyle or not, you know? And I'm like, I don't want to just give into this stuff, you guys. I don't want to just be a slave to this stuff and never talk about it. So, good to have all my closest friends here to talk about this with. But this is for my, and my life would be more of a relapse. It may be different for you. In you, it might be zero. You may have, like, you can't have any dessert. You can't have any, you know, you have to decide this for yourself. But for me, this is what it looks like. [00:43:34] (23 seconds) #LifestyleMatters

Fight the good fight of the faith. It's not just think correctly about God, which is important, by the way. You want to, you know, you want to think correctly about who God is and what he says. You want to know that. But fight the good fight of the faith. That's not a passive word, the word fight. In fact, none of these are going to be passive here in a second. [00:47:17] (22 seconds) #LiveForGodToday

Don't just swerve on your doctrine and your teaching. Don't just go with whatever's normal. Don't just be about gain. And don't just be about that. Be about God. The way you live and the way you know. Like both of those things. Take hold of eternal life. Follow God in your life today. That's eternal life. To know him. To follow him today. Not theoretically, not hypothetically, but practically. [00:48:03] (30 seconds) #GuardTheFaith

That's what it means to live for God. It's to know accurately who God is. And he revealed himself in the Bible. He revealed who he is in the Bible. And you can chat GBT, all the historical, scientific, archaeological evidence for who he is. That's a tool you guys have now that I didn't have 10 years ago. But if he is who he says he is, and he's worth living for, he's worth believing in so your position before God is changed. And he's worth following so that your patterns start to match your position. Yes? Maybe. [00:49:24] (35 seconds) #FreedomFromRelapse

What's a relapse in your life? Maybe write the big thing that you want freedom from. What do you want freedom from? Is it comparison? Is it envy? Is it greed? Is it addiction? Alcohol? Spending? Gambling? Online? What is it? What does God want to change? What do you need freedom from? Your position before God is there, but your patterns aren't. You're not walking in freedom. [00:50:34] (27 seconds) #DoersOfTheWord

Would you help us not battle this by ourselves? Would you help us get honest with others? Stop pretending. For those of us that don't have faith in you, I just pray, God, before even thinking about how to make your life a little bit better, I pray that they think about how they can just follow you. If you really are who you are, God, draw us to yourself. Help us to stop running. And help us to follow you in our everyday lives. [00:51:46] (34 seconds)

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