Defining "Good" Warfare

In his charge to Timothy, the Apostle Paul specifies the need to "war a good warfare." This implies that it is entirely possible for a believer to engage in warfare that is not good. In the eyes of God, "good" is not defined by the intensity of the struggle or the sincerity of the warrior, but first by the origin of the mandate.
Just as God looked upon His creation in Genesis 1 and saw that it was "good," spiritual warfare is only qualified as good when it originates from Him. A soldier in a natural army cannot engage in every brawl he stumbles upon; to do so is to risk a court-martial. True medals are only awarded for authorised battles. We must not assume that every conflict we encounter is one we are sanctioned to fight.

David understood that yesterday’s victory does not guarantee today’s authorisation.

• The Go-Ahead: In 1 Samuel 30:8, David enquired of the Lord before pursuing the Amalekites. God sanctioned the battle, and David recovered all.

• The Pivot: In 2 Samuel 5:23, when facing the Philistines again, David did not rely on his previous success. He enquired again, and this time, God changed the strategy, instructing him not to go up directly.
  
  

David’s testimony in Psalm 144:1 was, "Blessed be the Lord my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight." This suggests a formal education system in the Spirit. As Jesus promised in John 16:13, the Holy Spirit is our Guide who teaches us all things, including the discernment to identify which battles are ours to fight and which we must bypass.

A "good warfare" is also defined by the weaponry employed. Timothy was instructed to use prophecies as his weapon. This indicates that our weapons must be Spirit-identified, not carnally chosen. Scripture shows us that the "mighty" weapons of our warfare are often unconventional, chosen by the Spirit of Wisdom for a specific moment:

• Samson: In Judges 15, by the Spirit of the Lord, he identified a fresh jawbone of a donkey. It was the right weapon for that specific ambush, resulting in the defeat of 1,000 men.

• David: He rejected Saul’s royal armoury in favour of a sling and stone (1 Samuel 17:40). Wisdom showed him that his advantage lay in agility and distance, not in imitating the weaponry of others.
  

One of the greatest traps in ministry and warfare is building a "system" around a weapon that worked in the past.

• The Samson Disposition: After his victory, Samson "cast away the jawbone out of his hand" (Judges 15:17). He did not start a "Jawbone Ministry" or mentor others in donkey-bone combat. He knew the weapon’s purpose was fulfilled.

• The Davidic Transition: David used a sling to bring Goliath down, but he immediately used the giant’s own sword to finish the task. We never see David relying on a sling and stone for the rest of his life. He knew when to put the sling down and when to pick up the sword.
  

If our warfare is to remain "good," we must allow God to remain the Commander-in-Chief. We must be willing to drop a strategy, no matter how successful it was, the moment the Spirit indicates a shift. The weapons of our warfare are only mighty "through God" (2 Corinthians 10:4). If the weapon is no longer in line with His current agenda, it loses its divine backing.