In the Bible, “contend” often refers to the act of striving or fighting for a cause, particularly in relation to faith and truth. For example, Jude 1:3 urges believers to “contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints,” signifying a defense against false teachings and maintaining the integrity of one’s beliefs.
Scripture
19 Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and found there a well of spring water.
20 But the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac’s herdsmen, saying, “The water is ours.” So he called the name of the well Esek, because they contended with him.
21 Then they dug another well, and they quarreled over that also, so he called its name Sitnah.
22 He moved away from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it. So he called its name Rehoboth, saying, “For now the Lord has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.”
Biblical Meaning of “Contend”
The concept of “contend” in the Bible encompasses a broader spiritual struggle and the imperative to stand firm in faith and truth against opposition. This is vividly depicted in Jude 1:3, where believers are called to actively defend their faith as a precious and entrusted heritage. The imagery of contention suggests that faith is not just a passive state but requires active engagement and perseverance, reflecting the understanding that believers may encounter challenges, doubts, and false teachings. The apostle Paul echoes this sentiment in 1 Timothy 6:12, instructing Timothy to “fight the good fight of the faith,” suggesting that the act of contending is not merely about defending doctrine but also about living out one’s faith resolutely in the face of trials.
Furthermore, the idea of contention can also extend beyond personal belief to a communal responsibility among believers, often portrayed in the context of spiritual warfare. Ephesians 6:12 speaks of wrestling not against flesh and blood but against spiritual forces, underscoring the need for believers to engage in prayer and righteous living as part of their struggle. Overall, the biblical notion of contending combines elements of defense, perseverance, and active participation in the faith community, highlighting the importance of vigilance and strength in upholding the truths of Christianity amidst adversity. Through these engagements, believers not only affirm their faith but also contribute to the collective witness of the Church as a beacon of truth in a complex world.
In addition to the examples provided, the idea of “contending” is prominently featured in the life of the prophet Jeremiah, who faced immense opposition while delivering God’s messages to a rebellious nation. His relentless proclamation of truth amid hostile circumstances illustrates a profound commitment to contend against falsehood and injustice. The prophet’s experiences remind believers that the act of contending for faith often involves personal sacrifice, emotional turmoil, and the conviction to stand alone when necessary. Jeremiah’s lamentations reflect the weight of being a watchman for God and emphasize that spiritual contention can lead to moments of deep despair but ultimately serves a greater purpose in drawing hearts back to divine righteousness.
Moreover, the concept of contention can be associated with the necessary accountability within the Church itself, as addressed in passages such as Galatians 6:1. Here, believers are encouraged to gently restore those caught in sin, recognizing that spiritual contention also involves loving confrontation and mutual support within the faith community. This kind of contention highlights the importance of upholding one another in pursuit of holiness rather than engaging in divisive strife. Biblical contending, therefore, is not merely a battle cry but a call to collective responsibility, urging the Church to navigate conflicts with grace and truth while fostering unity. Through such endeavors, believers enhance their witness and encourage a deeper, more resilient faith that transcends personal struggle, forming a vibrant community dedicated to honoring God in every circumstance.
Spiritual Warfare and Perseverance
In the biblical context, to “contend” often signifies engaging in spiritual warfare. This involves a struggle against spiritual forces that oppose God’s will and purpose. Believers are called to persevere in their faith, standing firm against challenges and temptations. This notion emphasizes the importance of resilience and determination in maintaining one’s faith amidst adversity.
Defense of Faith and Doctrine
Contending also relates to the defense of one’s faith and the core doctrines of Christianity. It implies an active engagement in upholding the truth of the Gospel against false teachings and heresies. This aspect highlights the responsibility of believers to be knowledgeable and articulate about their beliefs, ensuring that they can effectively communicate and defend the tenets of their faith.
Community and Accountability
Another broader meaning of contend in the Bible involves the idea of community and accountability among believers. It suggests that contending is not solely an individual endeavor but also a collective one, where Christians support one another in their spiritual journeys. This communal aspect fosters unity and encourages believers to hold each other accountable in their faith, reinforcing the importance of fellowship and mutual encouragement in the Christian walk.
How to Walk in Faith and Seek Justice
Walking in faith and seeking justice is a beautiful journey that intertwines our spiritual beliefs with our actions in the world. As you deepen your relationship with God, remember that faith is not just a feeling but a commitment to live out His teachings. This means actively seeking justice for those who are marginalized and oppressed, just as Jesus did. Start by listening to the stories of those around you—understanding their struggles can ignite a passion for advocacy in your heart. Engage in your community, whether through volunteering, supporting local organizations, or simply being a voice for the voiceless. Pray for guidance and wisdom, asking God to open your eyes to the injustices that need addressing. Remember, walking in faith means trusting that your small actions can lead to significant change, and that every step you take in love and justice reflects the heart of Christ. Embrace this calling with courage, knowing that you are not alone; God walks with you every step of the way.
Bible References to Contend in Scripture:
Exodus 17:8-13: 8 Then Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim.
9 So Moses said to Joshua, “Choose for us men, and go out and fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.”
10 So Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought with Amalek, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.
11 Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed.
12 But Moses’ hands grew weary, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.
13 And Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the sword.
Deuteronomy 2:24-25: 24 ‘Rise up, set out on your journey and go over the Valley of the Arnon. Behold, I have given into your hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land. Begin to take possession, and contend with him in battle.
25 This day I will begin to put the dread and fear of you on the peoples who are under the whole heaven, who shall hear the report of you and shall tremble and be in anguish because of you.’
Judges 6:11-16: 11 Now the angel of the Lord came and sat under the terebinth at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the winepress to hide it from the Midianites.
12 And the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, “The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor.”
13 And Gideon said to him, “Please, sir, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all his wonderful deeds that our fathers recounted to us, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has forsaken us and given us into the hand of Midian.”
14 And the Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian; do not I send you?”
15 And he said to him, “Please, Lord, how can I save Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.”
16 And the Lord said to him, “But I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man.”
1 Samuel 17:32-37: 32 And David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.”
33 And Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for you are but a youth, and he has been a man of war from his youth.”
34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock,
35 I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him.
36 Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.
37 And David said, “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you!”
2 Samuel 22:40-43: 40 For you equipped me with strength for the battle; you made those who rise against me sink under me.
41 You made my enemies turn their backs to me, those who hated me, and I destroyed them.
42 They looked, but there was none to save; they cried to the Lord, but he did not answer them.
43 I beat them fine as the dust of the earth; I crushed them and stamped them down like the mire of the streets.
Nehemiah 4:7-14: 7 But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs and the Ammonites and the Ashdodites heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem was going forward and that the breaches were beginning to be closed, they were very angry.
8 And they all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to cause confusion in it.
9 And we prayed to our God and set a guard as a protection against them day and night.
10 In Judah it was said, “The strength of those who bear the burdens is failing. There is too much rubble. By ourselves we will not be able to rebuild the wall.”
11 And our enemies said, “They will not know or see till we come among them and kill them and stop the work.”
12 In the place where you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us.”
13 So in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, in open places, I stationed the people by their clans, with their swords, their spears, and their bows.
14 And I looked and arose and said to the nobles and to the officials and to the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes.”
Job 9:1-4: 1 Then Job answered and said:
2 “Truly I know that it is so: But how can a man be in the right before God?”
3 If one wished to contend with him,
one could not answer him once in a thousand times.
4 He is wise in heart and mighty in strength —
who has hardened himself against him, and succeeded?
Psalm 35:1-3: 1 Contend, O Lord, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me.
2 Take hold of shield and buckler and rise for my help!
3 Say to my soul, “I am your salvation!”
Proverbs 28:4-5: 4 Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, but those who keep the law strive against them.
5 Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the Lord understand it completely.
Isaiah 49:24-26: 24 Can the prey be taken from the mighty,
or the captives of a tyrant be rescued?
25 But thus says the Lord: “Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken, and the prey of the tyrant be rescued, for I will contend with those who contend with you, and I will save your children.”
26 I will make your oppressors eat their own flesh,
and they shall be drunk with their own blood as with wine.
Then all flesh shall know
that I am the Lord your Savior,
and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.
Jeremiah 18:19-23: 19 Give heed to me, O Lord,
and listen to the voice of my adversaries.
20 Should good be repaid with evil?
Yet they have dug a pit for my life.
Remember how I stood before you
to speak good for them,
to turn away your wrath from them.
21 Therefore give their children over to famine; hand them over to the power of the sword; let their wives become childless and widowed. May their men meet death by pestilence, their youths be struck down by the sword in battle.
22 Let a cry be heard from their houses, when you bring the plunderer suddenly upon them! For they have dug a pit to take me and laid snares for my feet.
23 Yet, O Lord, you know all their plotting to kill me. Forgive not their iniquity, nor blot out their sin from your sight. Let them be overthrown before you; deal with them in the time of your anger.
Lamentations 3:58-60: 58 “You have taken up my cause, O Lord; you have redeemed my life.”
59 You have seen the wrong done to me, O Lord; judge my cause.
60 You have seen all their vengeance, all their plots against me.
Hosea 4:1-3: 1 Hear the word of the Lord, O children of Israel, for the Lord has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land. There is no faithfulness or steadfast love, and no knowledge of God in the land;
2 There is swearing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed.
3 Therefore the land mourns, and all who dwell in it languish, and also the beasts of the field and the birds of the heavens, and even the fish of the sea are taken away.
Micah 6:1-2: 6 Hear what the Lord says: “Arise, plead your case before the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice.”
2 “Hear, you mountains, the indictment of the Lord,
and you enduring foundations of the earth,
for the Lord has an indictment against his people,
and he will contend with Israel.
Habakkuk 1:2-4: 2 O Lord, how long shall I cry for help,
and you will not hear?
Or cry to you “Violence!”
and you will not save?
3 Why do you make me see iniquity,
and why do you idly look at wrong?
Destruction and violence are before me;
strife and contention arise.
4 So the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; so justice goes forth perverted.
Luke 22:24-27: 24 A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest.
25 And he said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors.
26 But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves.
27 For who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves.
Acts 15:1-2: 1 But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”
2 And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders about this question.
1 Corinthians 9:24-27: 24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.
25 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.
26 So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air.
27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
Philippians 1:27-30: 27 Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel,
28 and not frightened in anything by your opponents.
29 For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake,
30 engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.
Colossians 1:28-29: 28 Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.
29 For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.
1 Timothy 6:11-12: 11 But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.
12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
2 Timothy 4:7-8: 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
8 Henceforth there is laid up 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 loved his appearing.
Jude 1:3-4: 3 Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.
4 For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
Reverend Ogunlade is a seasoned Church Minister with over three decades of experience in guiding and nurturing congregations. With profound wisdom and a serene approach, Reverend Ogunlade has carried out various pastoral duties, including delivering uplifting sermons, conducting religious ceremonies, and offering sage counsel to individuals seeking spiritual guidance. Their commitment to fostering harmony and righteousness within their community is exemplified through their compassionate nature, making them a beloved and trusted figure among the congregation.