The hymn just sung by the Choir was written well over 150 years ago, and it was inspired by words that are much older than that. Nearly 2,000 years ago, the Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, a companion and fellow believer who had served alongside Paul in his ministry. Paul encouraged his beloved young friend with these words: “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life” (1 Timothy 6:12).
In a similar spirit, the hymn “Fight the Good Fight with All Thy Might” encourages us to:
Faint not nor fear,
[God’s] arms are near,
He changeth not, and thou art dear:
Only believe, and thou shalt see
That Christ is all in all to thee.[i]
It might seem odd to describe Christian life as a “fight” when Jesus spoke so much of love and kindness and turning the other cheek.[ii] But the fact is that living with faith, hope, and charity in a world awash with doubt, discouragement, and hatred can sometimes feel like a fight, a struggle. As Paul said, “We wrestle not against flesh and blood” but against darkness and despair (Ephesians 6:12). We fight to keep the faith—because faith doesn’t just happen. Without a fight, we are “tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine” or opinion or momentary fad (Ephesians 4:14).
Those who have faith have fought for it. It’s as if they have “an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast” (Hebrews 6:19). They reject the idea that truth is relative or that it must be seen to be believed. They resist the human tendency toward selfishness, and they open their hearts to others. They patiently and relentlessly seek the good in everyone. They courageously move forward, even when the path ahead is dark or rugged. That is “the good fight.”
In that sense, Paul, though a loving Christian, was also a fighter. Near the end of his life, he wrote again to Timothy: “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing” (2 Timothy 4:7–8).
[i] John S. B. Monsell, Hymns of Love and Praise for the Church’s Year (1863), 164.
[ii] See Matthew 5:38–44.
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May 21, 2023
Broadcast Number 4,888
The Tabernacle Choir
Orchestra at Temple Square
Conductor
Mack Wilberg
Organist
Richard Elliott
Host
Lloyd Newell
Join We Now in Praise and Sing
Spanish melody; Arr. Mack Wilberg
If the Savior Stood beside Me
Sally DeFord; Arr. Sam Cardon
I Sing the Mighty Power of God
English melody; Arr. Mack Wilberg
I Am Jesus’ Little Lamb
German melody; Arr. Robert Cundick
Give Glory to His Honored Name
George Frideric Handel
This Is the Christ
Michael F. Moody; Arr. Barlow Bradford
Fight the Good Fight with All Thy Might
John Gardner
Redeemer of Israel
Freeman Lewis; Arr. Mack Wilberg