What does it mean to wage the good warfare (1 Timothy 1:18)?

At the end of 1 Timothy 1 he commits the charge to him — sends him his mandate. The term he employs relates to verses 3 and 5. He had left Timothy at Ephesus in order to command some persons there not to teach other doctrines than the truths of the gospel. Now the end of the command, of this evangelical commission, was love flowing from a pure heart and a good conscience and faith unfeigned. For the gospel, while revealing the marvellous counsels of God, maintains the great eternal principles of His nature. It is this which distinguishes truth from the lofty pretensions of heretical imaginations; it requires that man should be in relationship with God really in heart and in truth according to those principles. And this commission the apostle now entrusted to Timothy, his own son in the faith. He was to maintain it with an authority that had its basis in divine testimony, but which he held formally from the apostle who appointed him to it; not merely of his own accord, but according to prophecies which had pointed him out for this purpose, and which were a means of strength to him in the conflict he was thus brought into. The conditions of victory were in accordance with the nature of the commission. He was to keep the faith and a good conscience. Now faith here is the doctrine of Christianity; yet not merely as doctrine, but as that which the soul held between itself and God as coming from Him. He had to maintain the truth, the christian doctrine, but to hold it as so revealed by God Himself to the soul that it should be the truth. The light should possess, with well-defined outlines, the authority of God. It was the faith, that which God had revealed, received with certainty as such — as the truth.

As the Holy Spirit said, Separate Me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them (probably through one of the prophets at Antioch, Acts 13:2), so it appears that Timothy had prophecies leading the way to his work. Indeed in the case of the apostle the Lord had revealed his mission from his conversion. That the prophecies were uttered over Timothy at his ordination is absolute assumption. It was certainly not a part of the service whence the first and greatest of those sent to the Gentiles went forth recommended to the grace of God by the laying on of their brothers' hands. The prophecy preceded and led to that separation for gospel work; and so analogy, if not express intimation here and in chapter 4:14, compared with 2 Tim. 1:6, might give us to infer for Timothy.

It is no mere battle but a campaign that the apostle puts before his "child" and fellow-labourer. He must war the good warfare, but he is not asked to go at his own risk. The Master had given the word: if ever so gentle, sensitive, timid, he might trust Him, Who by His servants had prophesied about Timothy. There is no necessity, nor sufficient reason, to understand with the grammarian Winer that in these prophecies lay his spiritual protection and equipment, the armour as it were in which he was to wage his good warfare. This is to narrow and emphasize unduly the forge of the preposition. The English Authorized and Revised Versions seem to me more simple and correct. So again the transient form of the verb (adopted by Tischendorf and Tregelles on the meagre authority of the first hand of the Sinaitic and the Clermont MSS.) does not commend itself in comparison with the ordinary text (as in all other copies) which has the present. Observe also that "faith" as an inward state is different from "the faith" or truth believed.

But condition of soul has much to do with warring the good warfare. Faith must be kept up, bright and simple and exercised, the eyes of the heart ever on the things unseen and eternal. Withal a good conscience is imperative. For if faith bring God in, a good conscience judges self so as it keep sin out. This, of all moment for every Christian, is pre-eminently needful for him who is devoted to the service of Christ. There is nothing which so hardens the heart as the continual giving out of truth apart from one's own communion and walk. Take the extreme case of Judas falling under the power of the devil; but look also at Peter, who was far from a traitor, himself betrayed into the denial of his Master. Here, however, it is the maintenance not only of faith, but also of a good conscience, "which some having thrust away made shipwreck concerning the faith."

(Vv. 18-20). To Timothy his child he commits this charge of which he had already spoken in verses 3 and 5. Timothy was to act with all the authority conferred by the Apostle, according to prophecies as to the service that had been marked out for him. To carry out this service would involve warfare. This conflict to be successful would require that the faith be tenaciously held. Faith in this passage is, as one has said, “the doctrine of Christianity … that which God had revealed, received with certainty as such — as the truth” (J.N.D.).

This is what He came to accomplish and what He has done; it is the "end of the charge." "This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief; howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all long-suffering for a pattern to them who should hereafter believe on him unto life everlasting." "By him we believe in God," and thus we get a good conscience in His presence — a conscience that can be charged with nothing that it sees not fully answered according to the light of God; and we learn to trust Him, to exercise faith unfeigned. This is the charge he commits unto his son Timothy, according to prophecies which went before on him; and to us also that we may learn to war a good warfare, holding faith — faith unfeigned; entire and unbounded confidence in God's unbounded love; and a conscience practically good, void of offence towards God and man.

A solemn charge was laid upon Timothy to bring the regulating truth of God to bear upon all for practical salvation. There is tremendous opposition. The supine condition of our day is as much an indication of Satanic opposition as were the fires of persecution in other days. It is essential that every servant — and we are all, even if in varying degrees, servants of God — should maintain faith (the whole body of Christian truth) and a good conscience (fruit of personal obedience to the truth) in every-day practice. If there is failure in this we shall surely fail as to the "faith once delivered to the saints."

"This charge" of verse 18, refers again to verse 3. For the precious revelation of the grace of God must not be kept in men's hands to trifle with as they desire. Those who regard grace as mere indulgence will soon turn it into lasciviousness, and God supplied guards against this from the beginning. Timothy had been marked out by prophecy beforehand as one who should maintain a true warfare against such abuse. God chooses His servants long before they are aware of it, but it is important that they fulfill the purpose for which they are chosen. What form these prophecies took it is not essential to know: no doubt Timothy knew what it was to which Paul referred. They may have been given through other saints of God before ever Timothy was called to the work. But they were not to be forgotten.

Ques. "That thou by them mightest war a good warfare." What is that?

311 By the prophecies; a consciousness that God had called a man out would give him great courage, but it may be additional honour put on us to work without it. Yet, in itself, this would give great strength. Such an one would, of course, still require the strength of God every moment. Faith may give a man the same place now.

Now, returning to the purpose for which he wrote this epistle, he commits the charge to Timothy, his child in the faith, who had been marked out by prophecies for this service, exhorting him by them to war a good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience. The faith he was to keep, and to maintain a good conscience as well, the effect of putting away the latter being seen in the cases of Hymenaeus and Alexander, who had now made shipwreck concerning the faith, and had in consequence been delivered by Paul to Satan to learn not to blaspheme. Two points are noteworthy here: first, the importance of maintaining a good conscience, and the results that may follow its abandonment; and second, the way God can use the enemy for the profit (if such an one will learn) of the person delivered up to him. Souls once doing his behests are set free from his thraldom by the gospel. (Eph. 2:2.) Professors could be delivered up to him to learn by punishment their needed lesson. Thus God can use him as a creature in the carrying out, of His designs, he himself having no such power over one in the assembly, unless such an one is delivered up to him.*

Mr. Darby calls this virtue, "Spiritual Courage", or "Moral Energy". The Christian life is a warfare. From the day we are converted, till the day we leave this world, the Christian life is one long, hard fight. "Fight the good fight of faith" (1 Tim. 6:12). "War a good warfare". (1 Tim. 1:18). And how carefully the Word describes the armour of God for us. (Eph. 6; Rom. 13:12; 2 Cor. 6:7). In 2 Peter 1:5 we are told to add to our faith virtue: the same word we have been considering. The first thing we need after faith, is courage, — courage to confess Jesus as our Lord. How often the Word tells us: "Be strong and of a good courage". Seven times Joshua was given this command when he was to lead the people into the promised land. And if we are to take possession of the heavenly blessings promised us, we too must have this "virtue", of "spiritual courage" and "moral energy". And I doubt not the way to get it is by meditating upon it. How we see this "virtue" in many of the martyrs!

An army without the necessary equipment to wage war is an army destined for total defeat. David's soldiers were well prepared to fight for him. They had shields and spears; they were armed for war with weapons of war. They were fighters with fighters tools. David's soldiers had the necessary tools and were trained and ready to use them to make David supreme in Israel. Do Christians require armour and weapons? Yes, if they are going to be good soldiers of Jesus Christ (2 Tim. 2:3). The whole armour of God is available for all believers in Christ (Eph. 6:13-18). The armour is necessary, indeed is vital, to engage in the conflict with the unseen forces of Satanic evil. Without the whole armour of God believers in Christ are vulnerable to Satan's power and wiles. Every part of the armour must be put on. Any part that is left off exposes a part of the soldier which the fiery darts of Satan can pierce. The strongholds of the enemy are powerful but the Christians weapons, empowered by God, can topple them to the ground (2 Cor. 10:3-5). No Christian need be afraid of the powerful enemies of the faith. A good Roman believer uses his armour, as does a good Thessalonian believer (Rom. 13:12; 1 Thess. 5:8). Thank God for the abundant and reliable equipment that is available for Christians in their good warfare (1 Tim. 1:18). But do believers enter into the divine armoury and equip themselves to wage warfare? That is a serious problem. If the armour and weapons that are made available for Christians are lying rusty and unused it is certain that many casualties will occur in the daily conflict. Satan is always attacking the truth of Christianity, which involves the honour and glory of Christ. Christians properly clothed with truth and the Holy Spirit's power must be ready to defend and to attack as their great Commander directs. It is very sad and solemn to remember that there was a period in Israel's history when they had no weapons of war (1 Sam. 13:19-22). They had to rely on farm implements and axes to wage warfare with the powerful Philistines. Why was there this unpreparedness? Because for years there had been gross unfaithfulness in the nation. Sin leads to weakness and weakness leads to defeat and dishonour.