Bible Study: The Church at War
1 Timothy 6:11-21
Click here to read the passage, 1 Timothy 6:11-21.
Click here to read the notes and questions for 1 Timothy 6:3-10: What about slavery, Paul?
We turn now to Paul’s final words in this letter to Timothy and the church at Ephesus. Consider some of the subjects covered by the apostle thus far:
False teaching
The importance of prayer
The role of women in the church
The qualifications for church leaders
Instructions about widows and slaves
The dangers of materialism.
Possibly the statement that best sums up Paul’s final word to Timothy is found in Verse 12: “Fight the good fight for the faith.” This is similar to the language Paul used in Chapter 1 when he told Timothy to “strongly engage in battle” (1:18).
So at the beginning and end of this letter, Paul was reminding Timothy of the battle and the struggle involved in the Christian’s life. Timothy needed to realize that he was in a battle for the Gospel. As followers of Christ, this is precisely the realization we need to come to today.
This week’s lesson is best summed up by pastor David Platt in “Exalting Jesus in 1 Timothy”:
“If we profess to follow Christ, then we are involved in a spiritual war, whether we realize it or not. The Bible is clear on this: we are in wartime, not peacetime.
“This truth can be found all over Scripture:
Hebrews 12:4 says that we are at war against sin
1 Peter 2:11 talks about war taking place within our souls
Jude 3 speaks of the struggle for our faith
2 Timothy 2:3 refers to Timothy as a soldier for the gospel
2 Corinthians 6:7 and 10:4 mention the weapons that believers possess
Ephesians 6:12 reminds us that ‘our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens.’
“Every Christian is involved in a spiritual war, and his or her faith may be under attack in any number of ways. Sometimes the battle is for a marriage. Sometimes the battle is between a parent and a child. For many men today, their mind is a battleground for purity. As we saw in the previous section of 1 Timothy 6, there’s a battle to be fought against materialism in our consumer-driven culture. And, of course, there’s always the battle with unbelief and doubting God.
“Needless to say, the Christian life is not an exercise in simply coasting along. And don’t think this struggle doesn’t apply to non-Christians. A spiritual battle is raging for their souls as well.
“Followers of Christ should not take this spiritual battle lightly, for the enemy in this spiritual war is formidable. Satan aims to defame God’s glory, distort God’s gospel, and destroy God’s people. He wants to wreck your marriage, destroy your relationships, abolish your purity, attack your integrity, and at all costs keep you from knowing the glory of God and spreading the gospel of God.
“First Peter 5:8 describes the Devil as ‘a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour.’ While it’s true, Christian, that your foe is not all powerful, you are still no match for him, regardless of how strong or smart you are. This enemy cannot be taken lightly.
“We not only need to see that the enemy in this spiritual war is formidable but also that the scope of this spiritual war is universal. This battle is cosmic. You do not choose whether to be involved in it; your involvement began the day you were born. So you can’t just ignore it and hope to make it out alive. The Bible doesn’t say, ‘Ignore the Devil, and he will flee from you.’ No, it says, ‘Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you’ (James 4:7).
“The stakes in this spiritual war are eternal. The casualties are so much more than merely losing an arm or a leg. A casualty in this war means losing everything, even your own soul. There is a God over this world who wants all people to be saved, and there is another power in this world who wants all people to burn in hell. There is a battle raging for your friends, coworkers, neighbors, and for all the peoples of the world.”
Questions
How is life different in a country that is at war? What does it look like for a Christian to have a (spiritual) wartime mind-set?
For Christians, on what fronts is spiritual war being waged? Where are most of your own battles fought?
Historically, what has happened to nations that were not prepared for war? How can a Christian prepare for spiritual war?
What are the temptations in your life from which you should flee? Are there some areas where the temptation of overconfidence blinds you to the prudence of flight?
How do righteousness, faith, trust, love, patience, and kindness function as weapons in spiritual warfare?