Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
I have never been in the armed forces but friends of mine who have tell me that basic training is not for softies. It is rigorous, repetitive physical conditioning, done to equip the soldier to be fit and able to take care of himself in battle. We Christians are soldiers in the Lord’s army. We are fighting the toughest enemy of all time - Satan and his angels. Wimps won’t make it. You have to be tough. That’s why the Apostle Paul in our verse exhorted Timothy to endure hardness, to put up with the trials and difficulties, and keep fighting - to be a good soldier. A coward turns and runs. A good soldier keeps on facing the enemy and doesn’t give up.