Fighting the Good Fight: Spiritual Warfare & Perseverance – Staying Steadfast against Discouragement and Doubt

Is there anyone here who is a veteran? Anyone been on the frontline of war in Iraq, Afghanistan, Ukraine?

Most of us have never fought in World Wars.

But sometimes, our very lives can feel like a battlefield. Not just in the physical sense, but in our minds, emotions, and especially in our spirits. 

We can easily admit that there are days when the weight of discouragement feels like armor too heavy to carry. Doubt creeps in like an unseen enemy, whispering lies that you’re not good enough, that your prayers aren’t working, or that God has forgotten you. 

The truth is, every believer is called to fight. But guess what? If we fight in our own strength, we will lose. Because the battles we face are so tough and overwhelming.

But thanks be to God we do not fight in our own strength, but with spiritual armor and heavenly support. Hallelujah. 

Spiritual warfare is the ongoing battle between the forces of God and the forces of evil, impacting believers through temptations, trials, and opposition that must be resisted through faith, prayer, and the Word of God.

2 Corinthians 10:3–4 (KJV) “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds)”.

The Apostle Paul writes to Timothy in 1 Timothy 6:12, KJV, that we must “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses”. 

In other words, Family, we must persevere.

To persevere means to remain steadfast in faith and obedience to God despite trials, suffering, or opposition, trusting that His promises will be fulfilled in due time.

The Bible tells us in James 1:12 (KJV) “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.” 

This is great encouragement from the Word of God. Some say it’s wonderful poetic language. But it isn’t just poetic language; it’s a command to be actively engaged in a spiritual battle, to not back down when things get hard, and to keep pressing forward even when we feel like giving up.

Think of David before he became king. In 1 Samuel 30, David and his men return to Ziklag to find their city burned and their families taken captive. His own men, devastated and bitter, considered stoning him. 

How often have we been set up, ridiculed, scoffed at, by our own family members, friends, church brothers and sisters!

David could’ve crumbled under the pressure and pain. But the Bible says, “But David encouraged himself in the Lord his God” (1 Samuel 30:6, KJV). 

In his darkest moment, he didn't allow discouragement to paralyze him. Instead, he sought God, received direction, and pursued the enemy until he recovered all.

Maybe you’ve faced moments like that in your own life. Maybe you’ve been the single mom working two jobs, wondering if your sacrifice matters. Or the young professional facing rejection after rejection, doubting whether your dreams were ever God’s will in the first place. Or perhaps you've been the caregiver watching a loved one suffer, and your faith has grown weary in the waiting.

Here’s a truth we can all hold on to: Perseverance in faith doesn’t mean you won’t be fearful or you won’t get tired. It means choosing to trust God even when nothing around you makes sense. 

Romans 5:3–4 (KJV) reminds us, “And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope”. 

Here’s another truth: Your pain isn’t pointless. It’s producing something. God is building endurance, spiritual muscle, and hope that will not disappoint.

Let’s look at Job. He lost everything—his wealth, his health, his children. His own wife told him to curse God and die. We have to be careful who we listen to.

We have Job’s story as an example. Job held on. He wrestled with doubt, he asked questions, but he never gave up. 

In the end, Job says to God, “I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee” (Job 42:5, KJV). 

His suffering led him to a deeper revelation of who God is. I can testify!

In our modern world, maybe your “fight” looks like choosing not to give in to depression after a devastating breakup. Maybe it’s waking up to pray even though you cried yourself to sleep. Maybe it’s going to work every day with a smile while silently battling anxiety. That’s the fight. That’s the perseverance.

Ephesians 6:12 (KJV) puts it plainly: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places”. 

Somebody needs to be reminded today that the struggle you feel isn’t just earthly—it’s spiritual. And because it’s spiritual, you need spiritual strength to endure.

We are reminded in Galatians 6:9 (KJV), “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not”. 

The harvest is coming Family. The reward is on the way. But only if we don’t quit. 

Perseverance is not glamorous—it’s often gritty and quiet. It’s unseen in the hours of prayer, in the tears no one else knows about, in the choices to forgive, to believe, and to keep going.

I encourage us to let this devotional be our reminder that discouragement is not the end. Doubt is not our master. The enemy may whisper defeat, but God speaks victory. 

Keep fighting. Keep standing. Keep believing.

Because in Christ, the fight is already fixed. 

aub- 8May25

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