ARE YOU A CONTENDER, OR A PRETENDER?
By Michael Reid

The Word of God is always pertinent to life. When you study the epistles and consider that they were written two thousand years ago, it’s amazing that you can apply them to what is happening in the Church today. God’s Word is alive! It’s a living thing; it does not return to God void.

Jude 1-4 says:
“Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James. To those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ: Mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you. Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.”(NKJV)

Jude says he found it necessary to remind us that we need to earnestly contend for the faith. Jude is a very short letter; it is just one chapter, and those of us in the Word of Faith often overlook this epistle, with the exception of one verse, Jude 20,
“But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit.”

It is, however, imperative that we read and study this letter in its entirety. You see, at that time there were people teaching false doctrine, just like today, deceiving Christians! Jude found it necessary to warn the Church, so he makes this statement in verse 3:
“Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation…” “Our common salvation” refers to salvation found in the Lord Jesus Christ. So we are all in common with that if we are believers in Christ Jesus and have confessed Him as our Lord and Savior… “I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.”

I ask you to examine yourself today with this question when it comes to fighting the good fight of faith: “Are you a contender or a pretender? Do you go around speaking the Word, pretending to be a believer but your actions say something different? Or are you really a contender?” A contender has to go through sacrifice and opposition. A contender is what one must become to reach the goal and obtain the prize.

Remember when Paul made the statement in Philippians 3:14, “I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus?” Well, as a contender for the faith I have to make sure on a daily basis that I am consistently doing the best I know how with the knowledge I have. We are told that the just should live by faith (Romans 1:17). We know we are in a battle the moment we are born again.

We are told the faith fight is a good fight because faith always leads to victory over the situations we face in this world. We are enlisted like soldiers. Much like the military during war, we must endure hardship while staying focused on the battle - not distracted with the affairs of civilians (1 Timothy 6:12, 2 Timothy 2:3-10, and 1 John 5:4). Such soldiers are heroes; not war casualties. They are coming home intact!

The world is not going to encourage you to follow Christ. It’s all up to you; it’s a choice that you make. Champions train intensely for long periods of time to achieve (or maintain) their title. Even when they win, they have taken punches in the ring. As believers, all we have to do to win is show up - not in our own strength but in the strength that God has given us through Christ Jesus, Messiah, Yeshua, the highest God (Zechariah 4:6). Know that you will heal from the punches; just focus and keep swinging with your weapon, the Word of God!

Visualize this: You’re in a boxing ring, where your opponent is pounding away at you, and you’re in pain. There is a cheering section and a trainer. They are shouting, “You can win! Focus on your opponent’s weakness! Remember your strategies…!” It’s the twelfth, thirteenth, fourteenth round, and the opponent is still pounding away. Now pain, humiliation, and exhaustion threaten to slow you down. It appears that you are being defeated. Yet, you keep getting up, in faith and power, knowing you can and will triumph in Christ Jesus who always leads you to victory when you trust and believe (1 John 5:4). You surprise your opponent with a right to the kisser. He falls over, unable to get up. The referee counts to ten, and you have won! In a short time your battle wounds heal and you have learned to examine your weaknesses during the fight to prepare you for an even higher title as you go from glory to glory in Christ Jesus. Not your own glory, but the highest glory, the glory of God (John 17:22).

When we learn to rely on the same Spirit that raised Christ Jesus from the dead and really understand that that same power dwells in us - the same Spirit; not a lesser one, not an offshoot, but the same Spirit - we will realize that resurrection power dwells in us to raise from any defeated lifestyle, illness, temptation, persecution or test. Our mortal bodies can be run by our spirits with supernatural eternal life if we let our spirit man rule our senses, and not the other way around. (See Romans 8:11 and 12:1.)

We must stay focused as contenders, giving it all we’ve got no matter what. Even if you feel you have no one in your corner cheering you on, or just being there for you, you really do. You have a whole cloud of witnesses in heaven. Most importantly, you have your heavenly Father on your side! So don’t let the weight of what others think, their ugly comments, or persecution, get to you. Ignore their rejections and cast off self-pity, fear, and doubt. You can endure this race. (See Hebrews 12.)

Confessions are great, but not if we don’t act on them. God has been speaking to us through His Word, and tells us we are the Body of Christ. We are not to be some fragmented, fractured, weak body that cannot put up or take a punch. If you are a prizefighter you learn how to take punches. We are told that we don’t wrestle against flesh and blood (Ephesians 6:12). It doesn’t say we don’t wrestle. So when we’re contending we’re going to get punched with challenges, but when those challenges come, we make a choice. Is this going to be a stumbling block or a steppingstone to a higher level in God, or a tumble into the pit? In every opportunity we have, there is an “A” and a “B” way. The “A” represents God’s way, and “B” represents the enemy’s way. Satan wants you to respond and react (John 10:10), but God wants you to rule and reign (Romans 5:17).

I don’t know if you realize it, but we’re kings and queens in Christ. People shy away from this attitude because they get accused of being prideful. The Word tells us not too think more highly of ourselves than we ought to (Romans 12:3). I’ve come across some people who think a little too highly of themselves. We all have. Yet, we are told to think highly, but not more highly than we ought to. We certainly shouldn’t think of ourselves more highly than our brother and sister. There’s only One Who’s higher than we are, and that’s God, the Lord Jesus. We’ve been identified with Christ, so God doesn’t see us; He sees Christ in us.

Christ was a contender. In everything He stayed strong to the end. He was tempted in all points more than we can ever know, but was without sin (Hebrews 4:15).

We have to earnestly contend and work out this salvation on a daily basis. Never forget what is contained in salvation; everything we have need of, whether it is a physical, mental, financial, or relationship issue, the victory has been given to us. It will not come on a silver platter, because we have an opponent. A contender studies his opponent and understands his moves. He finds out how he intimidates, plant thoughts and uses his weapons. We’ve given Satan far too much credit for power he doesn’t possess over us. We’re so used to coming to God with our problem and magnifying it to Him, saying, “Look how big this cancer is! Look how awful this AIDS is! Look how big this bill is!” We should be going to the problem and saying, “Look how big my God is! Look how big my supply is! Look how big my Healer is!” Most of the time we have to battle our mind; that’s the arena. “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7).

I’ve learned that being courageous and strong does not mean that fear is not present. Though fear is a spirit that is not of God, you can’t stop fear from coming and attempting to harass you. Being strong and courageous is learning how to operate in spite of fear. Fear is simply false evidence appearing real. The enemy wants you to think that something is going to happen whether you do anything or don’t do anything. We must speak to the fear and say, “No! I’ve got the spirit of truth in me, so the spirit of truth is not going to give me false evidence. He is going to give me the truth and lead me and guide me to all truth. I don’t have to act in desperation.” We must learn to rely on Him, and then we have to let God be released in our lives and do what He says (John 14:16-17, 16: 13-14).

Everybody deals with something, whether they talk about it or not. There comes a time as we purpose to do the Word when things turn around in our favor. This is the time and the season for the tide turning. Many of us in Christ have been contending and have wondered, “Is this really working?” Yeah, it’s working! You just don’t see it yet. You must continue to see problems through the eye of faith. We all have a general purpose as believers, a specific assignment as an individual, and an assignment as a corporate body. I believe that in this time and hour God wants to move through us. He wants to touch people through your hands and speak to people through your mouth. We must make ourselves available to Him. He does not require us to be perfect, but to have a right heart. We must stop thinking we are so great in and of ourselves, yet God says we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13). He said we’re blessed going in and going out (Deuteronomy 28:6), because we’ve been hid in Christ (Colossians 3:3). He sees Mike in Christ. We can strive for perfection, though we won’t reach it. Yet, we must strive for it to conform to Jesus.

Now, along the way, while contending, you’ll find it can be rough. In case you haven’t noticed, sometimes it gets a little hot in battle. But I found out that a beautiful diamond is formed under great pressure. And to those of you who have a ministry of any kind (we’ve all been called to the ministry of reconciliation), the mark of a good minister is how much pressure you can withstand. I’ve been too close to the edge, been told, “You’re not going to live. You’re not going to do this or that; you’re not going to have kids.” (I already have a son and a little girl will be on the way, I believe by faith). So I’ve gone too far to be persuaded that the Word of God is not true. The Word is true, that settles it, but the question is, do I believe it or not? If I pretend this Word is true, I’m not going to see the results because His Word is Truth. It cannot be separated from the truth. The truth will always outlast a lie. Some are pretending, threatening to deceive the very elect through the pulpit, ministries, etc. Jude expounds on this in his text.

There are people out there that believe that we are supposed to suffer. I’ve heard well-known ministers who are out traveling the world, afraid to go to some places, say, “If I have to give up my life, so be it.” I understand what they are saying, but Jesus says, I have come that you might have life, and not just life, but life more abundantly (John 10:10).

Even many ministers you see on television are becoming fearful of what they are seeing. I’ve heard some say, “I was praying this morning and I became fearful of what I got in my spirit” (because of 9/11, the tsunami, etc.). I said, “Now wait a minute, God told me in His Word that He has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7). A contender is courageous. Most importantly, God is love, and His perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:8 and 4:18).

We need to go from just living, to living abundantly. We’ve been just surviving too long, and I’m tired of surviving. I’m tired of the Body of Christ just putting up with surviving. That’s just pretending. What you’re telling me is that all God wants us to do is just get by, get a little scrap here, a little scrap there, always living on the other side of Grumble Alley. Always grumbling, always complaining. I used to be told that God doesn’t want me to prosper because it will corrupt me. God put the sickness on me so that He can make me a better person. It would have turned me off to God if I had not come in contact with someone who taught me the truth. One of two things was going to happen, since I was literally physically dying: either I was going to be with the Lord, which is a better place, or I was going to be back in the race and go from being a pretender to a contender.

When I found out His Word is Truth, I knew I could experience my healing. I found something more than wonderful! All my need could be met also! Not only could I be healed, I could believe God for a wife, which I did.

I didn’t date, didn’t want to date. I didn’t have sex before marriage - one woman, one time, that’s it for life. The point is, it’s in His Word. Everything pertaining to life and godliness He’s given to us, but we must contend for it. You can pretend you’ve made it. You can buy a house or car on credit and think you really own something. A lot of people talk the talk, but they don’t walk the walk. God doesn’t want us to be ashamed of the Gospel. Let them call you a Jesus freak or a holy roller. Don’t be ashamed! Jesus wasn’t ashamed to go through what He went through on the cross for us, so what is our excuse? Are we going to pretend or contend? It takes effort, but oh, the benefits are worth it. God wants to demonstrate His power to the world.

We have to make a choice if we’re going to conform to His image. We’re going to have to live this life. As we do that, we will become that witness to the world. God wants to demonstrate Himself to the world in this hour, but we are the ones He’s got to use. We are His hands that have got to go out and touch the people. We are His mouthpieces that have got to go out and speak the Word. Jesus came and did what He did and is sitting at the right hand of the Father now. He is saying, “I’ve given you all power, I’m given you all authority, what are you doing with it? Are you helping others with the material things you’ve been blessed with?” (Read the parable of the talents, Mathew 25:14-30.)

We are in a time and a season when Jesus wants to manifest Himself and demonstrate His love and power through us (Mark 16:15-18 and John 14:12-14). The enemy is not playing; he is intimidated because there is a great move of God operating in the Church in 2005.

We may not be popular. Some of us fear the idea of someone rejecting us. But they are not rejecting us as much as they are rejecting Christ. Maybe they don’t want to hear what you have to say, but your actions and your life will speak louder than any words. That’s why Jesus says to the disciples in Acts 1:8, “Wait here because when the Holy Spirit comes you will receive power.” I don’t believe we are truly effective witnesses until we receive the power of the Holy Spirit. Next, He says something very important. He says, “Then you will be a witnesses unto me.” Notice, He didn’t say you would go witnessing. Now there is nothing wrong with witnessing. We should go out into the highways and byways. He told us to go into all the world and preach the Gospel. But we ought to be able to live this Gospel also, and living this Gospel is what witnesses to people.

Keep contending, keep pressing on, keep fighting as if you’re going into the ring already winning. You’re anointed for the battle; all you have to do is stand - not in your own strength, but in the strength of Jesus. Ephesians 6:10 tells us, “Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might, keeping that armor on.” We never take the armor off because we’re told never to take it off. It’s something we’re clothed in, but most importantly we’re clothed in the righteousness of God. I believe it’s that righteousness that causes the arm to hold up the shield of faith. I don’t hold the shield of faith up in my own strength, but in the strength of the Lord Jesus Christ who made me righteous, because my righteousness is as filthy rags. I’m not strong enough to lift up that shield. My blood isn’t strong enough to wash away even my own sins, but His blood washed away the sins of mankind. I don’t stand in my own righteousness, but His righteousness and His strength are in me, so I can stand and hold that shield of faith up. I don’t care what dart comes, what issue I’m dealing with, who’s in the ring with me, I’m the contender and I come out victorious. You, too, come out victorious, and that’s the attitude that you have to continue in.

God is so ready and willing to bless and move through us. He’s saying, “Just give me the opportunity.” Our seed provides Him opportunity to give us the increase and produce a harvest. What kind of a seed am I putting out there? Whether it be financial, the words that I speak, an act of kindness, an act of love, because what a man sows he reaps, God wants us to have strong faith because we are to be blessed like Abraham, who was strong in faith, giving glory to God and fully persuaded. There was a point when Abraham was not fully persuaded, but somewhere along the line he became fully persuaded. Doubt still came to his mind, but at some point he believed what God had said. We are born again; not only do we have that twofold relationship that Abraham had (God with him and for him), we’ve got the threefold cord: God with us, God for us, God in us! I am aiming at God’s best, because He only has the best. He doesn’t have bronze or silver, just gold, and I’m not settling until I get His best.

In reference to my mate, I left the choice to God, because I didn’t know what I wanted. He said, “You leave the choice to me because I will give you my best because I have nothing less.” And I got it! I love my wife! That woman has stuck with me through some stuff that would curl your straight hair and straighten your curly hair. I’m taking care of her. I’m contending, and many of you are right at the threshold of something so great that you don’t even have an idea of how great it’s going to manifest. Keep holding fast to your confession; keep swinging at the enemy with the confession of the Word without wavering. Though thoughts of doubt and fear may come, don’t give in to it. God wants to move through His Body (believers) this time because we are not on our timetable, but on His timetable. He is right on schedule. He’s never early or late, but right on time. He’s always in the eternal now. We can’t comprehend that. We don’t have to understand it; we just have to believe it. So hold fast, keep contending. Don’t be a pretender but a contender. As you contend, you then have a right to know that you can build ourselves up on our most holy faith.

Jude in his epistle, talks about ungodly men, then he says, “But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit” (verse 20). He says we can be the contender who we were created and intended to be -- not because of ourselves, but because of this common salvation that we all have the opportunity to receive. Of course, everybody will not receive it, though they have a right to. We should be the examples and demonstrators of Christ. We are His hands that touch people, His mouth that speaks to people. We are His arms that wrap around those who need to be loved when others think them unlovable.

People who are not saved are not wrong but need correction; they are lost and need to be shown the Way. Too many times we approach people and say, “You’re wrong; this is the Way,” and people shut off. When we show people they are lost and lead them to the Way of Jesus, we are representing Him.