<p>1:18 <i>This charge I commit to you, my child Timothy- </i>The charge of remaining in Ephesus and resisting the false teachers (:3); a charge which had been supported by inspired prophecy.</p><p><i>In accordance with the prophecies which were made about you, that by them</i>- There were prophecies about Timothy which had gone before, or &ldquo;led the way to thee&rdquo; (1 Tim. 1:18 RVmg.). But Paul had to encourage Timothy to fulfil them, to make them come real and true for him. Likewise the fearful and timid Jeremiah was told &ldquo;I have made thee this day a defenced city&hellip; be not dismayed&rdquo; (Jer. 1:17,18). He had to live out the potential personality which God had enabled him to have.</p><p><i>You may war</i>- But Paul had to warn Timothy that whoever goes to war cannot entangle himself in the things of this world (s.w. 2 Tim. 2:4). It seems that Timothy had the potential to pull down great strongholds in his warfare; but he was distracted by the things of the world. Not living up to potential is a tragic feature of so much spiritual life.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p><i>The good warfare</i>- The word is only used elsewhere in 2 Cor. 10:4: &quot;The weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but mighty before God to the casting down of strongholds&quot;. The warfare was too much for timid Timothy; but he had access to great spiritual strength to cast down the strongholds of false teaching.</p>