What did Paul mean when he said he had fought the good fight?

There is no hint of disappointment or regret in prospect of his death, but fresh, vibrant joy. He had "fought the good fight," not "a good fight," as though drawing special attention to his own fighting; but the fight in which all Christianity is engaged, as against evil and for the glory of God: his fighting in this engagement was about to conclude. He had finished the course, he had kept the faith. He is not saying how well he had fought, nor how well he had run in the racecourse, nor how well he had kept the faith: these things God would estimate. But there was no other good fight, no other proper course, no other true faith except Christianity. In this he had continued to the finish.

The earth is filled with fightings as the fruit of sin, and perhaps none have been fiercer and worse than those that have been waged in the arena of "the church." What a tragic misuse of energy there has been all down the ages when brother has drawn the sword against brother over comparatively trivial and oft-times selfish matters, to the great delight and profit of the common foe! Alive to this and tired of it, we must not slip into the opposite error of thinking that there is really nothing worth fighting about. There is such a thing as "a good fight" as verse 7 makes manifest. The Apostle fought a good fight inasmuch as his contentions were for God and His truth and not of any selfish sort, and further he used spiritual and not carnal weapons in his warfare (See, 2 Cor. 10:3-6). If we go to war for ourselves, or if warring for God we use carnal weapons, our fight is not a good fight.

Paul not only fought a good fight but he ran his race to the finish and he kept the faith. Having kept it, he could hand it on intact to those who were to follow him. The faith of Christianity is the great object of the adversary's attack. If he attacks us it is just in order that he may damage the faith. It would almost seem as if the Apostle in these verses had in his mind's eye a relay race. The baton of the faith had been placed in his hands and beating off the attacks of the foe he had raced through to the finish of his section and was now handing it on intact to another, with the assurance that at the day of Christ's appearing the crown of righteousness would be his; and not only awarded to him but also to all others who like him faithfully run their bit of the race with their eye on the goal. The rewards of faithfulness will be seen at the appearing of Christ and that moment will be loved by those who diligently seek His pleasure. To those who seek their own pleasure His appearing will be an unwelcome thought.

(V. 7). If, however, the church was going to be bereft of the active guidance of the Apostle, his example remains for our encouragement. Here, then, Paul on the eve of his departure looks back over his path as a servant, and looks on to the day of glory when his service will have its bright reward. Looking back, he can say, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.” In Paul's day the faith was already assailed on every side, and it is still more attacked in our day. Without the Christian circle it was opposed by Jewish ritualists and Gentile philosophers. Within the Christian profession there were those who “erred concerning the faith” (1 Timothy 6:21), and some who were “reprobate concerning the faith” (2 Timothy 3:8). In the presence of those attacks from within and without Paul could say, “I have fought the good fight.” He had fought for the faith and he had “kept the faith”.

Since Christ had first called him, Paul had "fought a good fight;" in the conflict of good against evil he had remained true to Christ, even although he had suffered the loss of all things, and was about to seal his testimony with his blood. He had not sought to be relieved from the trials of the conflict, or of the race, but having finished the race, and having kept the faith, he could rejoice that the time of his release had come. By Christ's grace he had triumphed over every difficulty, and had remained true to His beloved Lord and Master until the end. Living "by the faith of the Son of God," he could say at the very close, "I have kept the faith."

And now let us note how strikingly the contrast appears when we reach the closing scenes in the lives of the two men. Near the end of his sad career, and after David had for the second time spared his life, we find Saul saying, "I have sinned … I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly" (1 Sam. 26:21). We turn to the last Epistle that came from the pen of the Apostle Paul, just before his martyrdom, and we find him saying, " I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith" (2 Tim. 4:7). Saul of Gibeah fought for his kingship and his crown, when God had displaced him. It was a bad fight. Saul of Tarsus, now Paul the Apostle, fought for the truth of the Gospel and the glory of his Lord and Saviour. It was a good fight.

The Apostle, in the expectation of his departure, reviews his course and, as led by the Holy Ghost, he is able to affirm his fidelity. Precious grace of God to His devoted servant, to permit him to write such words with the unerring pen of inspiration! The fight he had fought, or the conflict he had waged, he knew was a good one. It should be noted that he only speaks of the character of the conflict, and not of the manner in which he had carried it on. His course was now ended, and he had kept the faith. Many had departed from it; but he by grace had kept it, maintained the truth, and had indeed transmitted it exactly as he had received it.

The apostle there speaks of his past career in three distinct aspects: as a christian soldier he has "fought the good fight;" as a racer he has "finished his course;" and as a witness for God in this world he has "kept the faith."

In writing this epistle Paul speaks of himself as having finished his course. He is old in years, feeble in body, covered with the scars of a thousand battles fought in defence of the truth. Never once had the enemy seen his back in the battle. From the moment he drew the sword of the Spirit in the synagogues of Damascus until the day in which he laid down his life for that Saviour who was so dear to his heart, it never went back to its sheath. He was always in the forefront of the battle, and not his life, but that which he fought for, was what was sacred to his soul. To be slandered, to be bound, to be beaten, to be imprisoned, were things to which he was well accustomed. And he knew how to meet such persecutions with the kindness and love of a Saviour-God. Hunger, thirst, nakedness, weariness, loneliness, desertion, betrayal, enclosed his pilgrim pathway, and stung him to the centre of the soul. Cursed by his enemies, criticized by his friends, scoffed at by the learned, stoned by the madding multitude, he passed on upon his weary way, distributing infinite blessings and riches imperishable with no niggard hand. Now bent and broken in body, but strong as a giant in faith and hope and charity, he pours out of his sorrowful heart his desires, warnings, and encouragements into the ear of the only man who was like-minded with himself in things relating to the testimony of God. He had fought a good fight, he had finished his course, and now nothing remained but to seal that testimony, which he had been by the grace of God enabled to render, with his heart’s blood.

It is now that Paul speaks of the end of his own course, and we may contemplate the man who had fought the good fight.

Paul was about to serve as a libation; a precious ending to a devoted life, and a wonderful privilege. The close of his earthly history had come, and before leaving the arena whence his very life went up to God in sacrifice he could say that he had fought the good fight, finished his course, and kept the faith. He had received his commission from the Lord of glory, and had fulfilled it. The struggle had been severe, and all Asia Minor had been turned upside down during part of the conflict. Now the term approached when he should rest from his labours, and the very sword of Nero should give him repose. It is a wonderful passage, and should wake us up to ask if each one of us is finishing his course according to the Lord's mind. I mean not merely "finishing one's time" as an exile in a Siberian mine, but finishing one's course, in which the active love of God works in the vessel upon earth, and the result is true devotedness and fidelity.

In view of all this the Spirit of God would stir up the saints to contend for the faith. The effort of the enemy is to rob us of the precious faith. Whatever we may lose in the battle is not really loss if we keep the faith. Paul lost everything in defence of the faith. He lost his property, reputation, religion, liberty and life, but he kept the faith. He could say when the battle was over and he was going out of the world, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith." It is a great thing to be able to say, when the battle is ended, "I have kept the faith."