Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people. For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord. Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord at one time delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe.

Jude was a brother of Jesus Christ, and he was a church leader. He cared deeply about the Christian church. He writes to all the churches and admits in his preamble that, though he would have loved to just focus on the salvation they share, the current situation demands he addresses some issues in the church universal. And his admonition is to CONTEND FOR THE FAITH! So, what does this mean? It means we must 1) know what we believe by studying God’s Word, 2) actively spend time in prayer, listening to his Spirit, and living out his Word, and 3) that we do battle for the truth — protecting the minds of our children, and rescuing those trapped in darkness, into the light of Christ!

Back then as in our time, twisted and evil-minded people do the bidding of their master the Devil, and try and pervert the truth and lead others astray. These people can look innocent, talk the talk on the outside, but they do not walk with God. Sadly, some of these evil-minded people are leaders and act as wolves in sheep’s clothing.

So, contending for the faith means we first know it well, second shine it brightly, and third, dispel the darkness (evil) by calling it out and pointing out its empty promises.
Lord, please teach me to be a strong contender for the faith. Help me to stand firm on the truth and to speak out in response to evil and the twisting of the truth in my church family first, and then my world!