POWERFUL RESISTANCE ON THE BATTLE FIELD, 2Tim.1

“Share in afflictions? According to the POWER OF GOD”???
Isn’t that a contradiction? Doesn’t the WEAK one experience the pain, and the POWERFUL experience victory, and peace? What is Paul taking about? He’s taking a beating from God’s enemies—literally–and talking about. “…according to the power of God”?

As we learned in Romans 1: the gospel is the “POWER of God; the FORCE of God unto salvation.” Rom. 1:16 (a parallel verse.)

Therefore the forces in the world are soo powerful that God must use FORCE to accomplish salvation!

• FORCE is necessary to overcome the enemy and rescue the captives. 2Tim. 2:9-12, 15, 3:8, 11, 12, 4:2-8
• FORCE is necessary to give life, sight, and faith to those being rescued. 2:25-26
• POWER is necessary for the children of God to overcome during this life and receive the inheritance. 1:6-14, 2:3-6, 4:2-8
• The GOSPEL is that power/force: “And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise UNTO SALVATION through faith which is in Christ Jesus.  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is PROFITABLE for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:  That the man of God may be PERFECT, THOROUGHLY FURNISHED unto ALL good works.
  2 Timothy 3:15‭-‬17 KJV

“Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. And the Lord SHALL DELIVER ME from every evil work, and will PRESERVE me [POWER TO RESIST CORROSION] unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. –2 Timothy 4:17‭-‬18 KJV 

YOU SEE, THE POWER IS NOT WITH THE OPPRESSOR, THE POWER IS WITH THE OVERCOMER. AFFLICTIONS ARE MERELY RESISTANCE ON THE BATTLE FIELD.

” be thou partaker of the AFFLICTIONS of the gospel ACCORDING to the POWER of God;” 2 Timothy 1:‬8 KJV