But Watch “Thou” In All Things Endure Afflictions

2Ti 4:5  But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. 

2Ti 4:6  For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. 

2Ti 4:7  I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: 

Oftentimes, we find the word “watch” used in conjunction with ‘standing at guard’ for someone while they rest, but this is in the face of imminent danger. And throughout the “night,” there are ones who are on a “first watch,” a “second watch,” and a “third watch,” and so on; and these “watchmen” were ‘on guard’ so the camp will not be taken ‘unaware’ the enemy, or any “evil.” And as Jeremiah 44:27 says, “behold I will watch over them for evil,” this is what the Lord had in mind, and what the Apostle Paul had in mind when the Lord told His Apostles to “watch with” Him, and when Paul exhorted Timothy to watch as well. But the fascinating part about second Timothy chapter 4 verse 5 is, Paul says watch thou, in other words; ‘be on watch for your own self.’ And what we see Paul doing here is, warning Timothy about the effects of the bad doctrine of this world, and the lusts of this world that could hinder Timothy from making full proof of his ministry. Paul says he “fought a good fight,” he was in prison most of his ministry, the fight he was in was the Spiritual battle that we too are in; but sadly enough, many do not perceive the Spiritual battle that our Father is in, nor do many understand the enemy to whom we are to beware of.

2Ti 4:2  Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 

2Ti 4:3  For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 

2Ti 4:4  And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. 

Moreover, the Apostle Paul warns Timothy to ‘watch himself’ in the face of the “night” of this world, and it’s darkness against him, and other Saints who desire to be “good soldiers” for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And the terminology of ‘watching’ in the night is synonymous with being in battle, and one standing guard against an attack by the enemy. But this is what we face today, we are told by Paul that we too ought to watch, and beware of the darkness of the world, and Satan’s “night” that we are living in today. But when Paul says, “watch thou,” we have the word of God to stand “watch over” our soul, and it is by putting on the Whole Armour of God which is His word, that we are able to “stand fast” and watch, and then we too can “fight a good fight” for our Father’s sake.

1Th 5:5  Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. 

1Th 5:6  Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. 

1Th 5:7  For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. 

1Th 5:8  But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. 

Therefore, just as Paul told Timothy in second Timothy chapter 2 that he was in a war, and in battle whether he knew it or not, we also are in battle with the darkness of this world. And we see our doctrine given unto us that we ought not sleep in the night, because we too will be taken unaware by the enemy, we are to watch onto ourselves as a good soldier of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. And walking as the children of light, and the children of the day we are to be on watch by the light of the knowledge of the word of God. And notice what the Lord tells his apostles in the verses below, the thief spoken of here is Satan and the evil of this world. And This is why we see the Lord say unto his apostles, “watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation, the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” The temptation of this evil world, and the bad doctrine of this world are all part of Satan’s night, and as we see in Romans 13 verse 14 Paul says, “but put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lust thereof.”

Mat 24:42  Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. 

Mat 24:43  But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. 

Mat 24:44  Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. 

Mat 26:40  And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? 

Mat 26:41  Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. 

Furthermore, the “good soldier” of our Lord Jesus Christ ought to be on “watch,” and understand that the temptation of this world, and it’s darkness is designed to thwart the godly edifying, and the godly life of the son who desires to walk in the “light of the knowledge” of His will. There is a Spiritual battle that is waged by Satan against our Father’s ministry, and the doctrine “which is according to godliness.” It is Satan’s desire to keep the Saint “conformed to this world,” but we are taught to “stand fast in the faith,” and the Lord Himself told his Apostles that their “spirit is indeed willing, but the flesh is weak.” Our flesh and our outward man desires conformity to this world, and to have the lust of the flesh fulfilled. And the darkness of this world is designed to cater to these earthly things that are not of our Father, but are of this world. And we are beseeched to “watch thou in all things,” because our “things” ought to be the Spiritual “things” of the Father, not the things that be of this world, and this is because as we see in 1Jn 2:16; “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” 

1Co 16:13 Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong. 

2Ti 2:3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 

2Ti 2:4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. 

Finally, the only way we will fully understand and appreciate the necessity to “watch” unto ourselves, is that we must expose the darkness of this world, and it’s “life.” And understanding that we are ‘warned’ about the dangerous consequences to our “life” with our Father on this earth as “sons and daughters” in godliness. And we too must “watch in the night,” because the “Spiritual wickedness” of this world desires to take “captive” those who are the Lord’s. and when the “temptation” of the darkness of this world comes for us, we use the Power of the doctrine in us to do as Ephesians 5:11 says: “and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.” And notice what Paul preached unto the Elders in Acts chapter 20, he told them to “stand” upon the Word of God to “build” them up. Therefore, we ought to be on “watch” for our sakes, because the “prince of the power of the air” desires come in the night as a “thief” to take away justified captives unto himself.

Act 20:31 Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears. 

Act 20:32 And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified. 

2Ti 2:26  And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will. 

Rod Jones