Contending for the Faith: A Combat Manual for Christian Men

The Christian Life Is Not a Coffeehouse

The fists get wrapped. The shoes get laced. The fighter makes the way to cage or ring. After ceremony and rule keeping, we all know the words that are going to cause hands, knees, elbows, and feet to be thrown.

“Contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3).

Ok, so it’s not exactly “let’s get it on” but I argue that the original Greek would matchup according to the MSG translation (on a 2 drink minimum). Jude, the brother of The Man Himself, was purposeful in his choice of terms. He uses epagōnizomai (which is just as fun to say in that movie narrator voice as you’d think it should be). This is the same root where we get “agonize.” It’s the language of wrestling and combat, not of soy-nonfat-decaf-latte-sipping dialogue where we give each other a pass on our own personal favorite habitual sin.

Paul agrees: “We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, the authorities, the cosmic powers over this present darkness” (Eph. 6:12). Wrestling, not strolling. Grappling, not networking. Christianity is not a spectator sport; it’s the cage fight of the soul.

The Church has long understood this. John Owen thundered, “Be killing sin, or sin will be killing you.” Jonathan Edwards warned that sin is not a scratch on the paint but dynamite under the floorboards. And John Knox? Knox would have laughed at “winsome dialogue.” He believed wolves deserved the sword, not a handshake. I think the faith deserves some given name diversification but we can revisit that some other time.

Iron Sharpens Iron (and Sparks Fly)

“Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another” (Prov. 27:17). You don’t see that in the same font as “live, laugh, love” decaled onto the wall of apartments flanked by curtains of twinkling lights. It is an image of violence. Sharpening requires friction, heat, and sparks. The painful scraping of burr away from blade so that the cut will be cleaner and to more effect.

This is why true Christian brotherhood can feel uncomfortable, especially to prideful men who can’t separate their sense of “knowing everything” from the discourse. This isn’t just a mark against the guy who gets corrected in his knowledge of a verse or tradition’s history; it goes double for the man who with smug satisfaction climbs back into his lifted pickup. Sparks fly when pride collides with truth. But better to get cut and refined in the gym than to face wolves and dragons being both dull and brittle.

Knox famously said, “A man with God is always in the majority.” That edge only comes when brothers sharpen one another. If your men’s group never draws sparks, you’re not sharpening iron… you’re folding tin foil.

Wooden Blades for Real Wolves

Roman soldiers trained with a rudis, a heavy wooden sword which was double the weight of their gladius and spatha. Other times they would use equal weighted blades to their own weapons with blunted tip and edge. Why? Because weight when training means speed in combat with lighter weapons and bruises in training meant survival in the field.

The Puritans sparred in much the same way. Owen and Baxter argued fiercely, but both left sharper. Edwards left scorch marks in debate not because he loved conflict, but because he loved truth.

But when wolves showed up, they didn’t keep sparring. Calvin put it bluntly: “Nothing is more poisonous than corrupt doctrine.” Wolves aren’t confused sheep; they’re predators. And predators don’t need dialogue; they need sword work.

If you think sparring with the village atheist in a Reddit thread or YouTube comment section counts as “defending the faith,” you’re swinging a Nerf sword at a ceiling fan. Brother, please stop.

Landmines and False Edges

When brothers argue, it can be even worse than when contending with the pagans. The collateral damage, sadly, increases as influence rises. Alas and alack, we live in a fallen world and as such, there can be times when a brother with an axe to grind or motivation to win a theological sniping match can cause real damage to the flock. At such times, you can be assured that there are one or more of the following at play:

1. Pride – think running into the middle of Sterling to route the English and, though believing your claymore is whetted to a razor’s edge, it is in fact less effective than a sharpened stick. This ol’ go-to is likely a component when you see YouTube tribunals being held on a variety of channels over a topic that has the theological equivalent to an annoying pebble on a long hike. Rather than stop, unlace and evict the squatter from your instep or toe box, you grouse about the freeloader for many a mile and make everyone else reconsider the ancient biblical practice of stoning. Twitter, now X (because of the rating and how beneficial it is for the mortal soul of the brethren), is another stomping ground for this all to common sin and playground for reviler’s that Paul equated to a now partially protected class in Corinthians. Rest assured, if hay is being made on these platforms… image should be taken into consideration.

   
   

2. Hidden sin – rust under the surface; the first clash will shatter or pierce you. If the first is an instant provocateur for a digital firebombing, this one upgrades a small plastic jar of Tannerite into the online version of the firebombing of Dresden. There’s a list of requirements that are given for elders, deacons, and those considering or being considered for leadership in the church. Those are not a casual list of polite “it’d sure be nice to haves” but a list of requirements for a deadly and dangerous game. The heart of the man being considered should be many witnesses to testify to it’s character so that when, not if, someone comes along with some kind of charge and desire to impugn the character, dignity, and reputation of the man at the helm… the whole community can snort in curt rejoinder to the astounding and brazen dimwittery of those who cried wolf. Hidden sin is the rotting floorboards beneath the carpet. It’s the rust on the back side of the lorica which hasn’t quite cause the blemish to the face of the armor. It will get you killed when you least expect it.

   
   

3. Bad-faith wolves – never spar with them endlessly; they’re not here to sharpen, only to devour. This is Genesis 6 style unholy mixing of someone with candy shell of brotherly affection and the chewy center of bad intentions of the previously mentioned pagans and atheist. From the prosperity gospel style-tactic of bilking for more money so you can “reap a larger harvest” to the polygamy enthusiasts who take verse upon verse out of context to support a point that isn’t there… the idea of nailing jello to a wall becomes more feasible than finding biblical common ground with grifters and liars. It’s a form of theological narcissism; and when this conclusion dawns upon you by the appeal of better angels and the Spirit of God himself… just back away slowly and let the Lord be the judgement.

   
   

4. Pure, dyed-in-the-wool ignorance: Sometimes it’s as simple as a poor discipleship process or having theological blinders on. You’ll find this admission online about as often as you will find Big Foot in real life (Blurry Creatures podcast not withstanding).

   
   

Bottom line: Knox didn’t flatter wolves, Edwards didn’t humor pride, and Owen didn’t excuse sin. They drew steel where it mattered.

Conclusion: Sharpen or Shatter

Every sparring match with a brother, every spark of correction, every bruise from the wooden sword is training for the day when real steel is drawn. By this point the conclusion could be drawn “they why the hell bother with contending at all if the 4 horsemen of the online apostleship apocalypse are essentially a lost cause (with the exception of #4… ol’ Nessie the Never Taught Rightly)?” Because when you’re engaged with someone on these issues, you never know who is in proximity listening and learning. Something you use to correct can be a blessing to someone you never even knew was there. Or, by the power of the Holy Ghost, one of those 3 may have their heart changed long after your duel. So armor up, and sharpen up, we need you in this fight, but remember if you want a Christianity without combat, you’re in the wrong faith. The way of Christ is a battlefield. The question isn’t whether you’ll clash… but whether your sword will hold when it does.

Sharpen. Or shatter.