so fight I, not as one that beateth the air

So fight I, not as one that beateth the air — This is a proverbial expression for a man’s missing his blow, and spending his strength, not on the enemy, but on the empty air. 

Hitting the Mark

2 Timothy 4:7
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

empathy

The ability to identify with or understand another’s situation or feelings: synonym: pity