There is a part of me that has always wanted to get into a fight just to see what I'm made of and what kind of damage I could do. In college I often provoked my roommate in hopes that she would throw a punch. (This was before I was saved. I'm not condoning this mentality or behavior.) What if she had? What if she had punched me in the face and we began fighting? Can you imagine what would happen if I stopped fighting mid-fight? I can; I would've been beaten up. To stop fighting in the middle of a fight is absurd.
The same is true in your faith. To stop fighting for your faith and in your faith is absurd. Yet, it is realistic to expect that at some point, and probably several points, in your journey of faith you will stop fighting for one reason or another. Perhaps you are overcome with laziness or indifference. Sometimes you might become angry with God and blame Him for circumstances. Whatever the reason, ceasing to fight is a dangerous place in which to be.
In Scripture several metaphors are used to describe our faith. Our fight against sin and for holiness is compared to fighting a fight (1 Timothy 6:12, 1 Corinthians 9:26), running a race (1 Corinthians 9:24, Hebrews 12:1), and preparing to be a bride (Revelation 19:7, Matthew 25:1-13). My favorite picture of our struggle against sin isn't one that's used in the Bible, I don't think. It is that of swimming against the current. Since I think of salvation as being rescued from the water, especially since this incident, it naturally flows that I would keep with the theme of water. If our faith is a river, then sin is the current. We spend our entire lives fighting against the current of the sin so that we are not dragged away by it. If at any point you stop fighting you do not remain at the same spot in the river, but instead you begin to drift away instantly. Let that strike fear in us so that we do not become so cold that we begin drifting away without even caring. Do not think that when you are disobedient or negligent of spending time with Him that you are ok. You are drifting away. I am not intending to imply that our salvation can be lost- it cannot. Our salvation, if we are in Christ, has been secured. We will, however, at times be in disobedience and allow the current to pull us away. It is so dangerous because as we stop fighting we become slowly desensitized to our sin. Our hearts lose a bit of their softness. Regretfully, I know this from experience.
Lately, I've been reliving my drowning experience nightly in my sleep. Why? Because I have stopped fighting. No, not entirely, but partially. I have become lazy and undisciplined in my faith. As a result, I know that I am being dragged away with the current. The good news is that God is gracious. He always brings me back to Him. And since I am not relying on my own righteousness to begin with, but His instead, there is no shame when he draws me back to Himself. The times in which I give up the fight are good reminders that I need Him; that I could not ever resist the current of sin without Him. So while tiring of swimming is never good, it can be used for our good. (Romans 8:28)
Running a race, fighting in a battle, preparing to be the bride of Christ, swimming against the current; regardless of which set of biblical imagery we best connect with, we must be consistent. We must persevere. Whether you view your faith as a race, a battle, a marriage, or a swim against the current- in reality it is all of these. So, if you find yourself in the same position as I am right now, be encouraged. Keep swimming! Do not let the current drag you away! Saturate your mind with the Word of God and let your mind and heart meditate on it. And if you have never begun to swim against the current of sin in your life, then perhaps you have never been rescued to begin with. What do you do if you are in need of rescue? Cry out for help from the only One who can save you.
"Find rest, my soul, in God alone
Amid the world’s temptations;
When evil seeks to take a hold
I’ll cling to my salvation."
