In his message at TGC's 2018 West Coast Conference, Kevin DeYoung teaches from 2 Timothy 2:1–13 on what it means for Christians to be strong, not according to their own strength, but by that which has been given to them by God through Christ.When Paul writes to Timothy, he compares spiritual strength to a soldier's readiness for battle. DeYoung emphasizes the importance of understanding that suffering is a part of life as a soldier, and not to be surprised or emotionless about it. He also encourages his audience of pastors and ministry leaders to prioritize their relationship with God as a soldier would—with a single-minded devotion.DeYoung says that we need both halves of 2 Timothy 2:1 in our walk as Christians, and concludes, “We need grace and we need strength. We need grace not simply because we're all failures. And we need strength not because we're all so strong and mighty. But rather, we can be strong because of grace and by grace, we must be strong.”