Hell In a Cell
As a teenager, I enjoyed watching professional wrestling, specifically WWE. My parents did not allow me to watch wrestling because of the violence and sometimes foul language the performers used. However, I would sneak in viewings when they were asleep or not at home. Reflecting on it now, I see why these sports are unsuitable for kids.
There’s a type of wrestling match called a “Steel Cage” match where two or more opponents fight in a cage (barbed wire steel cage or electrified cage), and whoever successfully escapes the cage is declared the winner. There is also a type of Steel Cage match that is brutal; it is called “Hell In a Cell”. In contrast to the typical Steel Cage match in which the cage surrounds only the wrestling ring, in a Hell in a Cell match, the cage surrounds the ring and the ringside area, complete with an attached roof. When two or more opponents fight in this Steel Cage, the only way to win or achieve victory is by pinfall or submission. You must secure victory by confronting your opponent, keeping them down on the ring floor for a designated duration as the referee counts, or having your opponent submit/concede victory. You can’t win by running out of the cage like a typical Steel Cage match because there’s no way of escape. Hell In a Cell matches are always brutal and extreme. It’s a fight to the finish.
Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have declared so well before many witnesses. 1 Timothy 6:12, NLT
The fight over our Christianity and spiritual life can be likened to a “Hell In a Cell” wrestling match. As a Christian, you have to wake each day knowing that there’s always a fight or battle over your spiritual life and that the only way to be victorious is to defeat the devil and fight him to a stop— to submission. You don’t win this battle by running or hiding. It is either you come out victorious or defeated.
If there’s anything I have learned this year, it is that you never get to a level in your spiritual journey where you are above fighting for your spiritual life. Fighting the good fight of faith means actively pursuing righteousness and righteous living over sin. It means that you prioritise godliness over your fleshly desires. It means you do all it takes to preserve your faith, no matter your difficulties. The concept of “fighting” means it’s a struggle; it is not a walk in the park.
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. Ephesians 6:12, KJV
We must understand that this fight is not against flesh and blood but against powers and forces consistently fighting righteous living and holiness. These forces and powers might appear differently from how they did in the days of old, but they are the same spirit with the same goal. For instance, today, we are inundated with more information than at any time in history known to man. Yet, this increase in knowledge and access to information has become strongholds in the minds of many, consistently fighting their faith. I have seen people who genuinely set out to research the authenticity of Jesus Christ but ended up with another gospel that fights/fought their belief in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
The point is that if you are caught sleeping or lose your guard, the devil will come for your faith. Loving righteousness or Jesus Christ is insufficient to preserve your faith or belief in Christ. You must fight and actively pursue the life Christ wants you to live.
The day you accepted and believed the gospel of Jesus Christ, you decamped from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light. You declared war on your former commander; understand that he will come to fight you because he lost his hold over your life. No soldier publicly pledges allegiance to an opponent’s camp and then goes to sleep. You have to live like you have a target on your back. Like the “Hell In a Cell” wrestling match, make up your mind that the devil and his hosts must submit to God in your life. Make up your mind that your back will not be pinned to the floor. The devil’s ultimate aim is that you lose your faith or belief in Christ. He will do everything to attack your faith. He will go through various means. He could go through your parents, siblings, loved ones, boss at work, a random stranger, etc., to make you doubt your faith. He would use poverty, sickness, and loss of lives and property to fight your faith. Never forget that you aren’t dealing with flesh and blood but with principalities and powers.
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day — and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. – 2 Timothy 4:7-8, NIV
If you are struggling with your faith, I want you to know that you are not alone and that God has given you all it takes to fight successfully and become victorious. It is a struggle because it is a fight, so cheer up; you will not be defeated. Are there times when you have thought, “Is God real?” “Have my prayers been answered?” “Has God forgiven me?” “Am I worthy to call on the name of God?” “I don’t think I can live a righteous life”, “I don’t think I can overcome this sin”, etc. That’s the devil right there. He wants to plant a seed that will begin a battle in your heart over your faith. Please don’t give him leeway; reject his antics and engage him in a spirited fight.
For instance, when he says to you, “Is God truly real?” remind him of all the times you prayed and God came through for you. Fight him with 1 Corinthians 8:6, ESV: “Yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.”
When you begin to think you are far gone in sin to receive forgiveness, fight that thought with Psalms 32:1-2, NIV: “Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit.”
If you think God is angry with you or doubt that He is with you, think of Psalm 48:14, NIV: For this God is our God forever; he will be our guide even to the end. See 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10, NLT: For God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us. Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with him forever. In life or death, God will always be with you.
The word of God and prayers are viable tools to deploy in this fight. If you think you are losing this battle, get on your knees and pray. Pour your heart to the Lord, and let Him know you want to fight. He will surely give you the courage and strength to fight. Your victory is guaranteed if only you fight because the devil has already been defeated (John 12:31).
I admire when Paul boldly proclaimed, “I have fought the good fight… Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness”. He spoke like a man who knew he was victorious. For me, these should be the words of every believer at the end of their life. When all is said and done, let it be said that you lived for Jesus Christ and died fighting at your post like a loyal soldier.
May the Lord help us all stand firm in our belief, faith, and trust in the gospel of Christ until the end. Amen.
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