4752. strateia
Lexical Summary
strateia: warfare, military service, campaign

Original Word: στρατεία
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: strateia
Pronunciation: strat-i'-ah
Phonetic Spelling: (strat-i'-ah)
KJV: warfare
NASB: fight, warfare
Word Origin: [from G4754 (στρατεύομαι - wage war)]

1. military service
2. (figuratively) the apostolic career (as one of hardship and danger)

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
warfare.

From strateuomai; military service, i.e. (figuratively) the apostolic career (as one of hardship and danger) -- warfare.

see GREEK strateuomai

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from strateuó
Definition
a campaign, expedition, hence warfare
NASB Translation
fight (1), warfare (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 4752: στρατεία

στρατεία, στρατείας, (στρατεύω), an expedition, campaign; military service, warfare: Paul likens his contest with the difficulties that oppose him in the discharge of his apostolic duties to a warfare, 2 Corinthians 10:4 (where Tdf. στρατιᾶς, see his note); 1 Timothy 1:18. ((Herodotus, Xenophon, others.))

Topical Lexicon
Literary context

Paul chooses the term when addressing two distinct audiences. In 1 Timothy 1:18 he urges a young pastor to “fight the good fight” so that the congregation remains grounded in truth. In 2 Corinthians 10:4 he reassures a skeptical church that apostolic authority does not depend on worldly power: “The weapons of our warfare are not the weapons of the world. Instead, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.” Both settings portray Christian ministry as an organized campaign conducted under Christ’s command.

Historical background

First-century readers lived under Rome’s constant military presence. στρατεία evoked compulsory service, strategic planning, and total allegiance to a commanding officer. Soldiers endured hardship, received specialized training, and sought victory for the glory of emperor and empire. Paul appropriates the imagery, transferring every element—from discipline to objective—to life in Christ’s kingdom.

Theological themes

1. Spiritual conflict behind visible reality. Fleshly means are inadequate because the true battle is “against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil” (compare Ephesians 6:12).
2. Divine empowerment. Victory rests on God’s power and provision; human ingenuity cannot topple spiritual strongholds.
3. Doctrinal fidelity. Timothy’s “good warfare” centers on preserving the gospel from error; truth is both weapon and objective.
4. Christ as Commander. Believers do not act independently; they serve under orders, accountable to the One who enlisted them (2 Timothy 2:4).
5. Eschatological certainty. The present campaign anticipates a guaranteed triumph when Christ openly subdues every enemy (1 Corinthians 15:25).

Ministry application

• Personal discipline: Scripture intake, prayer, holiness, and fellowship parallel a soldier’s training regimen (1 Corinthians 9:26-27).
• Strategic focus: Resources must be marshaled toward gospel advance, not civilian entanglements (2 Timothy 2:3-4).
• Corporate unity: Just as units fight together, local churches stand shoulder to shoulder, each member supplying what another lacks (Philippians 1:27).
• Redemptive confrontation: Demolishing intellectual fortresses involves gentle yet firm reasoning “to take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5).
• Perseverance under fire: Suffering, opposition, and fatigue mark authentic service; reward comes at the appearing of the Lord (2 Timothy 4:7-8).

Intercanonical resonances

Old Testament battles foreshadow New Covenant engagement. Israel’s victories occurred “not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit” (Zechariah 4:6), prefiguring the spiritual nature of the Church’s warfare. The decisive theme, “The battle belongs to the LORD” (1 Samuel 17:47), now unfolds on the plane of minds, hearts, and eternal destinies.

Church tradition and later usage

Early fathers spoke of the “militia Christi,” urging believers to adopt soldierly virtues. Medieval liturgy contrasted the “church militant” with the “church triumphant,” capturing the already-not-yet dimension implicit in στρατεία. Reformers reapplied the metaphor to doctrinal reformation; modern missions continue the line, viewing unreached peoples as territory to be peacefully but decisively liberated by the gospel.

Reflection and exhortation

The two brief appearances of στρατεία encapsulate a perennial summons: enlist under Christ, embrace disciplined devotion, employ heaven-supplied weapons, guard the purity of the gospel, and press forward until every thought, culture, and kingdom bows to the Victor who has already “disarmed the powers and authorities” (Colossians 2:15).

Forms and Transliterations
στρατειαν στρατείαν στρατειας στρατείας strateian strateían strateias strateías
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
2 Corinthians 10:4 N-GFS
GRK: ὅπλα τῆς στρατείας ἡμῶν οὐ
NAS: for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh,
KJV: of our warfare [are] not
INT: weapons of the warfare of us [are] not

1 Timothy 1:18 N-AFS
GRK: τὴν καλὴν στρατείαν
NAS: the good fight,
KJV: mightest war a good warfare;
INT: the good warfare

Strong's Greek 4752
2 Occurrences


στρατείαν — 1 Occ.
στρατείας — 1 Occ.

4751
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