Quick Definition
I wage war, fight
Strong's Definition
to serve in a military campaign; figuratively, to execute the apostolate (with its arduous duties and functions), to contend with carnal inclinations
Derivation: middle voice from the base of G4756 (στρατιά);
KJV Usage: soldier, (go to) war(-fare)
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
στρατεύω: middle, present στρατεύομαι; 1 aorist subjunctive 2 person singular στρατευση (1Ti_1:18 T Tr text WH marginal reading); (στρατός (related to στρωννύω, which see), an encampment, an army); from Herodotus down; to make a military expedition, to lead soldiers to war or to battle (spoken of a commander); to do military duty, be on active service, be a soldier"; in the N. T. only in the middle (Greek writings use the active and the deponent middle indiscriminately; cf. Passow, under the word, 1 at the end; (Liddell and Scott, under the word, I. 2)): properly, of soldiers, Luk_3:14; 1Co_9:7; 2Ti_2:4; to fight (A. V. war): tropically, of the conflicts of the apostolic office, 2Co_10:3; with a kindred accusative (Winers Grammar, § 32, 2; Buttmann, § 131, 5), τήν καλήν στρατείαν, 1Ti_1:18 (ἱεράν καί εὐγενῆ στρατείαν στρατεύσασθαι περί τῆς εὐσεβείας, 4Ma_9:23); of passions that disquiet the soul, Jas_4:1; 1Pe_2:11. (Compare: ἀντιστρατεύομαι.)
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
not given
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
στρατεύω ,
and depon., -ομαι , so always in NT
( < στρατός , an encamped army ),
[in LXX for ξδδΜ hith ., H3318 , H6635 ; metaph ., 4Ma_9:23 ;]
used of the general, to make war, do battle , and (chiefly) of the soldiers serving under him, to serve as a soldier: Luk_3:14 , 1Co_9:7 , 2Ti_2:4 . Metaph . ( cf. MM , ii, xxiii), of spiritual conflict, to war, make war: 2Co_10:3 , 1Ti_1:18 , Jas_4:1 , 1Pe_2:11 .†
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
στρατεύομαι [page 592]
στρατεύομαι is common in the general sense serve in the army, am a soldier (whether on active service or not). See e.g. P Rev L xxiv. 6 (B.C. 259 8) τ̣ῶν στρατευομένων καὶ τοὺ [ς . . . . . . . . .] κλήρους πεφευκότων , P Tebt I. 5 .168 (B.C. 118) τοὺς στρατευομένους Ἕλληνας , the Greeks serving in the army (Edd.), ib. 27 .49 (B.C. 113) ἀπό τε τ [ῶ ]ν στρατευομένων καὶ τῶν ἄλλων τῶν τόπους κατ [ο ]ικούντων , from those in the army and the other inhabitants of the district (Edd.), P Amh II. 32 .1 (ii/B.C.) where certain στρατευόμενοι defend themselves against the charge of returning for taxation purposes their κλῆροι at less than their true value, P Lond 1171 verso ( c ) .7 (A.D. 42) (= III. p. 107) where a distinction is drawn between στρατευόμενοι regular soldiers and μαχαιροφόροι armed attendants upon officials (see further the editors note ad P Tebt I. 35 .13 ), P Hamb I. 31 .18 (A.D. 103) ἀπογραφὴν περιέχουσαν ἐστρατεῦσθαι αὐτὸν [ἔ ]τεσι κ̄ς̄ , and P Oxy XIV. 1666 .5 (iii/A.D.) φθάνω δὲ ὑμεῖν πρότερον γεγραφηκὼς περὶ τοῦ μεικροῦ Παυσανίου ὡς εἰς λεγιῶναν στρατευσάμενον , I have previously written to you about the little Pausanias becoming a soldier of a legion (Edd.).
The idea of active service seems to be implied in such passages as P Par 63 .175 (B.C. 164) (= P Petr III. p. 34) where the cattle belonging ἄλλοις τοῖς στρατευομένοις are impressed into the service of the State, P Grenf I. 21 .3 (Will B.C. 126) τὸν μὲν ἵππον ἐφ᾽ οὗ στρατεύομαι , BGU IV. 1097 .7 (Claudius/Nero) ἀπῆλθεν εἰς παρεμβολὴν̣ στρατ̣ε̣υ̣σασ̣θ̣αι , cf. .8 ff. , P Ryl II. 189 .5 (A.D. 128) receipt for cloaks ἰς <σ >τρατιωτικὰς χρεία̣ς̤ τῶν ἐν τῇ Ἰουναύδαίᾳ στρατευομένων , for the needs of the soldiers serving in Judaea (Edd.), and P Oxy VIII. 1103 .5 (A.D. 360) τῶν νεολέκτων τῶν στρατευθέντων , the new levies raised by us for military service (Ed.).
For the metaph. usage, as in 2Co_10:3 al. , cf. BGU IV. 1127 .28 (B.C. 8) ἐὰν δὲ κατά τι σ̣τ̣ρατεύηται ὁ Ἀπολλώνιος ἐν τοῖς κατὰ τὴν παραχώρησιν , where Schubart notes that the meaning must be Schwierigkeiten, Umstδnde machen, make difficulties, troubles, comparing ib. 1131 .20 (B.C. 17). This is rather like our phrase, He has been in the wars. Cf. the use of μάχομαι in the sense of quarrel ( Scottice , fecht ), e.g. Menander Fragm. p. 86, No. 302 .6 γυνή κρατεῖ πάντων , ἐπιτάττει , μάχετ᾽ ἀεί . The use illustrates the large metaphorical application of the term in the NT. Cumont Les Religions Orientales p. xiv ff. (Engl. Tr. pp. xx, 213f.) has collected a number of passages on the Salvation Army in ancient times. See also Harnack Militia Christi (1905), and Dibelius HZNT ad 1Ti_1:18 .
STEPBible — Tyndale Abridged Greek Lexicon
στρατεύω and depon., -ομαι, so always in NT
(στρατός, an encamped army), [in LXX for מההּ hith., יָצָא, צָבָא; metaphorically, 4Ma.9:23 ;]
used of the general, to make war, do battle, and (chiefly) of the soldiers serving under him, to serve as a soldier: Luk.3:14, 1Co.9:7, 2Ti.2:4. Metaphorical (cf. MM, ii, xxiii), of spiritual conflict, to war, make war: 2Co.10:3, 1Ti.1:18, Jas.4:1, 1Pe.2:11.†
(AS)
📖 In-Depth Word Study
Soldier (4754) strateuomai
Wage war (4754) (strateuomai from strategos = army, stratos = an encamped army) means literally to perform military service, serve as a soldier in the army, go to fight, carry on a military campaign, make a military expedition, lead soldiers to war or to battle.
Strateuomai is used figuratively in this verse (and James 4:1) of spiritual battle, thus meaning to carry on a campaign of spiritual warfare, in both the NT uses planned and orchestrated by the indwelling flesh, the evil disposition all mankind inherited from Adam and which is still "latent" even in believers.
Note the use of strateuomai in the present tense which indicates that the spiritual campaign spearheaded by fleshly lusts against our souls is a continual struggle we can expect to engage in until the day we see our Commander in Chief, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Vincent remarks that..
The thought of wars and fightings is carried into the figurative description of the sensuality which arrays its forces and carries on its campaign in the members. The verb does not imply mere fighting, but all that is included in military service. A remarkable parallel occurs in Plato, “Phaedo,” 66: “For whence come wars and fightings and factions? Whence but from the body and the lusts of the body?”
Moulton and Milligan write that this verb
is common in the general sense “serve in the army,” “am a soldier” (whether on active service or not).
Strateuomai is used 8 times in the NT (See all the uses below) and is translated -- active service, 1; fight, 1; serves as a soldier, 1; soldier in active service, 1; soldiers, 1; wage war, 2; war, 1.
Strateuomai is used 3 times in the Septuagint (LXX) (Judges 19:8; 2Sam. 15:28; Isaiah 29:7)
Luke uses strateuomai with the literal meaning...
And some soldiers (strateuomai) were questioning him, saying, "And what about us, what shall we do?" And he said to them, "Do not take money from anyone by force, or accuse anyone falsely, and be content with your wages." (Luke 3:14) (Vincent comments: Strictly, soldiers on service: hence the participle, serving as soldiers, instead of the more comprehensive term stratiotai, soldiers by profession. Some explain it of soldiers engaged in police inspection in connection with the customs, and hence naturally associated with the publicans.)
Paul uses strateuomai literally writing....
No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier (strateuomai) (See note 2 Timothy 2:4)
Who at any time serves as a soldier (strateuomai) at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard, and does not eat the fruit of it? Or who tends a flock and does not use the milk of the flock? (1Cor 9:7)
Strateuomai means to engage in a conflict as referring to spiritual battle in the following verses...
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war (strateuomai) according to the flesh (2Cor 10:3)
This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may fight (strateuomai) the good fight (1Ti 1:18)
James uses strateuomai in a similar manner as Peter asking...
What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war (strateuomai) in your members? (James 4:1)
What a picture Peter paints in regard our old enemy, the indwelling flesh nature which is totally opposed to God and godliness. And so we see that believers are in a war until the day we go to glory.
The picture of strateuomai is not that of hand-to-hand fighting so much as it is of a planned expedition against a military objective. For example, recall Delilah’s persistent exploitation of Samson’s fleshly lusts which waged war against his soul and led to his capture by the Philistines.
We would also do well to consider the English words derived from strauteo, words such as strategy and stratagem (trick).
In Peter fleshly lusts are personified (portrayed as persons in the imagery, cf Genesis 4:7 where sin is pictured as a "wild animal crouching ready to pounce") as if they were an army of rebels or guerrillas who intend to capture and enslave and destroy the human soul. And the term implies not just antagonism, but a continual aggression that is malicious and ongoing and does not stop.
Fleshly lusts wage an incessant "search and destroy mission" against believers. The world allures us and the flesh is the beachhead by which its allurement takes place. And Peter simply says stay away from it. Don't pander your fleshly desires. They want to destroy you.
In the classic allegory "The Holy War" (read it) John Bunyan pictures a city and he calls the city Man's Soul because it represents the soul of man. And he pictures the city as surrounded by high walls. And the enemy wants to assault the soul of man but he has no way over the walls or through the walls. The only way the enemy can get to the soul is through the gate. The only way that the World or Satan can get to the otherwise impregnable soul of a believer is through the gate of fleshly lusts, the gate of fallen desire. Beloved, if you keep the gate closed, you cannot lose the war. You say, "How do you do that?" (Gal 5:16-note) It's all about living in the spiritual dimension. It's all about walking in the Spirit's power (Ro 8:13-note). The battle begins on the "inside" (Ro 13:12, 13, 14 - see notes 12, 13, 14). We wage war on the inside. And the weapons of our warfare are spiritual not fleshly (2Cor 10:3, 4, 5).
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