URC Daily Devotion Wednesday, 8 October 2025
1 Timothy 6: 11 – 21
But as for you, man of God, shun all this; pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life, to which you were called and for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. In the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep the commandment without spot or blame until the manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he will bring about at the right time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords. It is he alone who has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see; to him be honour and eternal dominion. Amen. As for those who in the present age are rich, command them not to be haughty, or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but rather on God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, thus storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life that really is life. Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you. Avoid the profane chatter and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge; by professing it some have missed the mark as regards the faith. Grace be with you.
Reflection
In 2 Timothy 1, Paul gives us three pictures of the Christian life: a soldier, an athlete, and a farmer. What unites them? The need to persevere, even when the going gets tough. Here in 1 Timothy 6, Paul is using soldier-like imagery as he urges Timothy to “fight the good fight of faith.” What does that look like?
First, it means shunning false teachers; those who cause controversies and friction between people; and idols such as the love of money (vv.3-5,10). I wonder: What do you and I need to shun to live faithfully as Jesus’ disciples?
Secondly, it means fighting – not other people, but the attacks of the enemy, who seeks to lead us away from Christ. In CS Lewis’ Screwtape Letters, a master demon tells his young apprentice “The safest road to hell is the gradual one – the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts.” I wonder: Are we alert to the spiritual battle going on around us – and within our own hearts?
Thirdly, we need to take hold of the new, eternal life Jesus offers – a life of righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. When we hear the words ‘eternal life’, our minds can immediately jump forward to heaven. That’s a part of it, but when the Bible speaks of ‘eternal life’, it’s not just thinking of the life to come. One translation puts it like this: “get a firm grasp on the life of the coming age” – because eternal life starts now. Sometimes we make the mistake of only looking ahead to heaven when God’s calling us to bring heaven down to earth.
Shunning, fighting and taking hold are all active, not passive. What might God be calling you to do this week to shun, fight and take hold?
Prayer
Gracious God,
help us to shun all that leads us away from you.
Equip us with your armour to fight the forces of darkness.
Enable us to take hold of your eternal, kingdom life.
Shape us so that our lives shine with righteousness,
godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.
Embolden us to work with you, bringing heaven to earth in all that we do.
Amen.