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Timothy 6:11-16
Fifth Sunday after Pentecost Pastor Nathan P. Kassulke Sunday, June 14, 2026
“Fight the Good Fight of Faith”
“Those are fighting words.” Have you ever told someone that they need to watch what they say for that reason? Partly in jest, I’ve reminded people that they got it wrong when they asked me if my church is near Arizona State University. That’s not just wrong, it is such a serious error that it could cause trouble. Those are fighting words. Obviously, fighting words can come in much more serious circumstances, too. When someone is personally insulting, aggressive toward loved ones, or over-the-top offensive, it is hard not to react harshly. Those sorts of attacks should be avoided. They are fighting words.
Sometimes fighting words come when we would least expect them. Jesus tells us in our Gospel today that he, whom we have come to know as the Prince of Peace, did not come to bring peace but a sword. He turns family members against one another. And that probably strikes us as a bit strange, as he also tells us to honor our parents and to train up our children. Here are unexpected fighting words.
Perhaps it surprises us a little less that the Apostle Paul would share fighting words. But he doesn’t mince words or hide the fact that he is using fighting words. He comes right out to say, “Fight the good fight of faith.” We’ll sing a hymn later with a similar title and first line. And maybe we have become so used to that phrase, “Fight the good fight,” that it doesn’t even strike us how strong those words are. They truly are fighting words.
Fighting words tell us that we have something to fight against. We’re looking closely at a section from Paul’s first letter to Timothy, the sixth chapter, near the end of that letter. Paul, the experienced pastor and missionary is encouraging Timothy, a young pastor with close ties to the apostle. He has instructed Timothy in many areas in this letter, warned against false teachers, given specific encouragement for Pastor Timothy to share with others. And as he nears the closing of the letter, Paul reminds Timothy that greed is a powerful temptation. There are false teachers who are bringing some other gospel who are trying to make a living, a good living, by deceiving people. And their attitude is exactly what Paul wants Timothy to fight against.
The section starts with two small but powerful words, “But you.” There is to be a sharp difference and distinction between a false teacher and a true preacher. Timothy should be setting himself apart and doing something different. How will he do this? By fleeing from greed and falsehood and pursuing righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. God had rescued Timothy from sin and unbelief, and his life could reflect that. Don’t pursue the things the world pursues, pursue the things that are godly and righteous. Be firm in the convictions of your faith. Be active in love toward God and others. Persevere, even when it is a challenge to do so, even when adversity strikes, even when it is painful. But don’t be harsh toward others, even when they challenge you, be gentle and caring.
These are the instructions for Pastor Timothy. They have a clear and special application to those who preach and teach God’s Word. Timothy is a Man of God because God has called him into a special role. He is to represent God, just like Old Testament prophets and Paul the Apostle. He is to be a man of God in this sense. But as we consider the directions given to Timothy, we realize they apply to all of us as Christians, too. We all face the temptation of greed. We can all be self-serving in our pursuits. We can easily get caught up in those same traps that have ruined the faith of others. But God has made you his. You are a man or woman of God, whether you serve in full-time ministry or not. You have been given the perfect life of Jesus as your very own, and he took your sins on himself and suffered and died for them.
So live as the person God has made you to be. Flee from greed. Flee from the worldly wisdom that contradicts the revealed wisdom of God. Live a life of faith and love and perseverance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith. You have plenty to fight against. The love of money is a root of all kinds of
evil. That reminder, which maybe is familiar to you, comes right before this section of Paul’s letter. Be on your guard against loving wealth more than God. That is a temptation that has captured many. Instead, take hold of eternal life. Do you see why our lesson draws such a sharp contrast between faithful living and selfish living? Do you see why God would have Paul write such strong fighting words? Do you see why Jesus would even turn family members against each other? Here’s how Jesus explained it in our Gospel: “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” It is worth losing everything, even our closest relationships in this life, if it means holding onto the salvation that God has given us. Loving anything more than we love God puts us in danger. Real danger. Eternal danger.
Paul is not suggesting that anything Timothy has done or will do could earn salvation for him. But the fact that God has given him eternal life is a reality that should change his life. God empowers believers every day to live for him and to run away from temptation of all kinds. Timothy made a good confession when he was baptized into the family of God. But his confession was only good and useful because of the good confession Jesus made. Jesus stood before the Roman official, Pontius Pilate. He could have said what he needed to so his life would be spared. He could have denied the accusations that were leveled against him if he were worried about his own selfish objectives. But he wasn’t. He confessed that he was the Christ, the Son of God, the spiritual King of the universe with a kingdom that wasn’t part of this world. And then he died to prove that everything he said was true. He offered himself for a world that was far too often only concerned with and even aware of selfish objectives.
That’s what Jesus did for Paul, and for Timothy, and for you, man or woman of God. So you have a job to do until Jesus returns. “Keep this command without spot and without fault, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
When Paul thinks of the glorious appearing of Jesus, he can’t help but describe him in glowing terms of praise. So he launches into a doxology, a hymn of praise. Here’s what he says about Jesus Christ: “the blessed and only ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or is able to see. To him be honor and power forever! Amen.”
These are not so much fighting words any more. These words of praise provide strength for our fight. If it were up to us to do battle with temptation, we could not succeed. If it depended on us to keep our hearts and our minds focused on what is truly important, we would fail. If we needed to rely on our own strength to flee from temptation and to pursue godliness and righteousness, that would be a lost cause. But thanks be to God. Praise be to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
When Paul tells Timothy about how to live as a Christian, those instructions never appear very far from a mention of the reason Timothy can carry out those instructions. The directions are always connected to the motivation and the empowerment and the cause. A Christian can live as a Christian only because of Christ living in them. We Christians can only live as Christians because of Christ living in us. We can fight the good fight because our Savior has won the fight for us.
I’m going to mention one more hymn that is noted in your worship folder. Listen to the music played after the service, and you may be familiar with the words. “Onward Christian Soldiers, marching as to war with the cross of Jesus going on before.” The closing hymn we sing is perhaps a bit less familiar, but includes similar thoughts. Have you stopped to think about what hymns like those are saying? War is not something to be taken lightly. War is hard and harsh. It calls for effort and attention. It demands concentration and focus. It has high stakes. The Christian life is high-stakes, too. When we are told to Love God above all, that’s a battle cry. That’s a war motto. Those are fighting words.
The cross of Jesus is our rallying point. The Word of Jesus is our battle plan. The love of Jesus gives us strength. Let’s fight the good fight of faith.
The Text: 1 Timothy 6:11–16 (EHV)
11But you, O man of God, flee from these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. 12Fight the good fight of faith. Take hold of eternal life, to which you were called and about which you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who made a good confession as a witness before Pontius Pilate, 14that you keep this command without spot and without fault, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15which he will make known at the proper time—the blessed and only ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16who alone has immortality, who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or is able to see. To him be honor and power forever! Amen.