1 Timothy 1:18

¹⁴Don’t neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the elders.

¹I command you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at his appearing and his Kingdom: ²preach the word; be urgent in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort with all patience and teaching. ³For the time will come when they will not listen to the sound doctrine, but having itching ears, will heap up for themselves teachers after their own lusts,

²⁰Timothy, guard that which is committed to you, turning away from the empty chatter and oppositions of what is falsely called knowledge,

¹You therefore, my child, be strengthened in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. ²The things which you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit the same things to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. ³You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. ⁴No soldier on duty entangles himself in the affairs of life, that he may please him who enrolled him as a soldier. ⁵Also, if anyone competes in athletics, he isn’t crowned unless he has competed by the rules.

³For though we walk in the flesh, we don’t wage war according to the flesh; ⁴for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the throwing down of strongholds,

²²But you know that he has proved himself. As a child serves a father, so he served with me in furtherance of the Good News.

¹²Fight the good fight of faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you confessed the good confession in the sight of many witnesses. ¹³I command you before God who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus who before Pontius Pilate testified the good confession, ¹⁴that you keep the commandment without spot, blameless until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,

¹²For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world’s rulers of the darkness of this age, and against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. ¹³Therefore put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. ¹⁴Stand therefore, having the utility belt of truth buckled around your waist, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵and having fitted your feet with the preparation of the Good News of peace, ¹⁶above all, taking up the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one. ¹⁷And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word^[+] of God; ¹⁸with all prayer and requests, praying at all times in the Spirit, and being watchful to this end in all perseverance and requests for all the saints.

⁷I have fought the good fight. I have finished the course. I have kept the faith.

¹¹according to the Good News of the glory of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.

¹²I thank him who enabled me, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he counted me faithful, appointing me to service,