day no. 16,328: saved souls will always be found to have fought a fight

"Every baptized churchman is by his profession a 'soldier of Jesus Christ,' and is pledged 'to fight under His banner against sin, the world and the devil...' Christian warfare is a great reality and a subject of vast importance. It is not a matter like church government and ceremonial, about which men may differ, and yet reach heaven at last. Necessity is laid upon us. We must fight. There are no promises in the Lord Jesus Christ’s epistles to the seven churches, except to those who 'overcome.' Where there is grace there will be conflict. The believer is a soldier. There is no holiness without a warfare. Saved souls will always be found to have fought a fight.

It is a fight of absolute necessity. Let us not think that in this war we can remain neutral and sit still. Such a line of action may be possible in the strife of nations, but it is utterly impossible in that conflict which concerns the soul. The boasted policy of non–interference, the 'masterly inactivity' which pleases so many statesmen, the plan of keeping quiet and letting things alone—all this will never do in the Christian warfare. Here at any rate no one can escape serving under the plea that he is 'a man of peace.' To be at peace with the world, the flesh and the devil, is to be at enmity with God and in the broad way that leads to destruction. We have no choice or option. We must either fight or be lost." -- J.C. Ryle, Holiness

Enmity is inescapable. If you are not fighting, you are lost and all who are fighting, will win. The fighting is the winning. The faith to fight is what overcomes, by believing, it has already won. To lie down, to give up, to stay down, etc... is defeat. To surrender or give up is to be lost. To rise again, to get up, to stand up, etc... is victory.

Ephesians 6:11-13

Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 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. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

To wrestle is to win. To refuse to wrestle is to have already been pinned. You cannot opt out. If you do not fight, you are conquered. But if you fight, you are already more than a conqueror.

Romans 8:35-37

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

And how do we conquer? By having faith in the Conquerer. By being conquered by Him, we conquer the world. By losing ourselves in Him, we win. By surrendering our lives to Him , we are victorious.

1 John 5:4-5

For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

Revelation 3:21

To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

Revelation 21:7

He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.