Monday, December 22, 2008

Remember who you are fighting for

Last night I watched the movie Cinderella Man. Here is the plot synopsis from Wikipedia:

James J. Braddock (Russell Crowe), an Irish-American hard-nosed boxer, formerly a light heavyweight contender, is forced to give up on boxing after breaking his hand in the ring. As the United States enters the Great Depression, Braddock works at a variety of menial jobs to support his family, but still dreams of somehow returning to boxing and making it big. Thanks to a last minute cancellation by another boxer, Braddock gets a second chance to fight but is put up against the number two contender in the world by the promoters who see Braddock as nothing more than a punching bag. Braddock stuns the boxing experts and fans with a third round knockout of his formidable opponent. Fighting with permanent injuries to his hands, Braddock continues to win and before long he comes to represent the hopes and aspirations of the American public coping with the Depression. Dubbed the "Cinderella Man," in one of the biggest upsets in boxing history, he would eventually defeat the seemingly invincible Max Baer (Craig Bierko) to become the heavyweight champion of the world.

There is a point in the movie where James' wife, played by Renee Zellweger, tells James he has to remember who he is. She tells him he is the hope of New Jersey and the hero to his children. This is right before the biggest fight of his life. There is another point in the movie where a reporter asked him what he is fighting for and he responds, "milk." James remembered who he was and what he was fighting for. This led him to do great things that no one else thought he could accomplish. What and who are you fighting for?

This reminds me of the passage from Ephesians 6:10-20:

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people. Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.

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