Paul often uses images from sport to describe the spiritual life. At the end of his life he states that he has fought the good fight and kept the faith. He has fought his fight with sin to the finish and was resting a complete victory. What a happy ending to a strenuous, active, heroic life.
Listen to this sermonThe Boxer
My father was a featherweight champion boxer in the SA Air Force during the II World War. He had many cups and a broken nose to prove it. When I was 3 I got my first two pairs of boxing gloves. My father used to stand on his knees and teach me how to box. Then, when I was 4 I had my first K.O! The dominee’s little boy that lived opposite us in Leeudoringstad used to come and play at our home and he used to be rude to my mother and swore a lot. When mom asked him why he swore so much he replied, ‘Ag, tannie, dis nog niks! Tannie moet my pa hoor vloek!’
He never greeted my mother when he came in or left.
One day when mom complained about his manners, my dad suggested that we put the boxing gloves on and sort the matter out. But he was not interested. So I felt that I could not abort the mission and put my pair of gloves on. Then I got a brilliant idea! I said, ‘Kom ruik hierso!’ as I held my left leather glove out to him. He came forward like a sheep to the slaughter and did not notice my right hand winding up behind me. As his nose touched my left glove my right hand came through with an upper cup that lifted him off his feet and sent him sprawling backwards. His head hit my mother’s wooden cupboard and he was knocked out stone cold! I thought that I had killed the boy.
‘Ma!’ I shouted and she came running in with a damp cloth and tried to help him recover his senses. She even offered him a piece of cake when he came to, but he left our home, crying.
From then on I told him to greet my mother when he came to play. For some strange reason he obeyed me!
At primary school I used to organize boxing events in our back yard. I had two pairs of gloves. So when boys wanted to fight on the school grounds at Gustav Preller, Florida, I arranged for them to come and sort out their differences in a proper, civilized way. So I became a little boxing promoter.
I had some fights myself; some I won and some I lost.
But when I got filled with the Holy Spirit at the age of 12 I no longer felt like fighting any more. At Stoffberg Seuns High School I was often tempted to fight again, because the taunts of boys calling me names sometimes got to me, but I resisted the temptation and rather took the taunts.
Boxing is a sport that requires skill and technique, not just brawns and strength. When Paul writes about the ‘good fight’ he does not refer to good inner or moral values of the sport but to the outward skills that one can admire and copy. So in a sense he is saying, watch my technique when I box and learn from me – it will make you a champion!

2 Timothy 4:5-8
5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. 6 For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

1 Corinthians 9:26, 27
26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: 27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

Paul often uses images from sport to describe the spiritual life. At the end of his life he states that he has fought the good fight and kept the faith. He has fought his fight with sin to the finish and was resting a complete victory. What a happy ending to a strenuous, active, heroic life. The word fight is ‘agon’ in Greek and referst to the contest in a stadium where the games were held. The word good is ‘kalos’ and speaks not necessarily of moral goodness but rather of the beauty of technique used by the boxer or wrestler in the games. The techniques Paul prescribes to us would also characterize our warfare against evil. The words ‘have fought’ are described by the Greek word agonizomai and it depicts a strenuous, painful struggle, almost to the point of exhaustion, but it is a completed action in the past with present results!
The desperate, straining, agonizing contest marked by its beauty of technique, I, like a boxer or wrestler, have fought to the finish and at present am resting in tis victory.
Now a crown awaits him. ‘Stephanos’ tells of a garland of ok leaves or ivy, given to the champion. We receive a victor’s crown of righteousness from the Lord, the Referee, who makes no mistakes and is always fair.
This reward awaits all of us who love the Lord’s appearing: in other words the love in our hearts (agapao) is drawn out because of the object loved, His appearing is literally, ‘when He becomes visible’ (epiphaneia). It is because of our expectation to see Him in the air and to be caught up to be with Him that we enter the contest against evil and sin in order to receive our crown of righteousness from His hand!
What was it that Paul was fighting for? It was a battle to keep on believing. It was a fight of faith. But it is a good fight because in the end, he wins!
He had to keep the faith; he had to keep on believing in spite of all the agony he had to face in his life as an apostle.
In II Timothy 4 we have a few indications of the kind of boxing matches Paul had to fight in order to keep the faith and win the crown. This will encourage us in our own private battles for the sake of the body of Christ of which we are a part.

I. It is a good fight
II. We do not beat the air uncertainly
III. A crown awaits us
IV. Battles are of a great variety
V. Our coach is also the Referee and fights for us!

Paul had to face afflictions from people like the coppersmith who withstood his words. He faced persecutions, perils in the city and in the country, the Lord had to deliver him from the mouth of the lion and from false brothers who betrayed him; he often had sleepless nights, faced hunger, thirst, cold, nakedness and many distresses for the sake of Christ. Often he was deserted and no one stood with him to defend him; Demas loved the present evil world more than the things of God. He was being poured out as a drink offering and the time of his departure from this world was at hand.

But here is the good news for all you boxers: our coach is also our referee and eventually He climbs into the ring and fights for us! He strengthens us in the fights so that we can deliver the message of the Gospel. He will preserve us for His heavenly kingdom. He cannot be defeated! We are on the winning side!
So keep on believing – fight for what you believe, for the holy Scriptures, for the apostolic doctrine, for the faith that saves our souls – God is on your side and will not allow you to be defeated.
The devil may knock you down now and again, but he can never knock you out! Get up and go on, the Lord is with you and will strengthen you and give you the knock out punch to deliver to the enemy of your soul who wants to destroy you!
In Christ we are more than conquerors! Hallelujah!