Cowardice (δειλία)
For the God has not given us a spirit of cowardice, but inherent ability, and love, and a saved frame of mind (2 Timothy 1:7).
Cowardice is the lack of mental or moral strength. Jesus addressed this concept with His disciples when they feared for their lives during a storm at sea, while He was asleep in the stern of the boat. When the waves began covering the vessel, the disciples woke Him and pleaded for deliverance. In response to their fear, Jesus asked why they were acting like cowards and then rebuked the wind and the sea (Matthew 8:26). At this point, the disciples already knew that Jesus was the Messiah and had witnessed remarkable signs demonstrating that He was truly God in the flesh. Their cowardice, therefore, was without cause, for by simply observing Jesus, they should have recognized that they had no reason to fear.
In the upper room, just prior to His death and resurrection, Jesus instructed the disciples concerning the new relationship that was about to come into existence between God and man as a result of what He was about to face—His imminent victory over death and Satan. During this discourse, He told them, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be cowardly” (John 14:27). The peace Jesus spoke of is an aspect of the fruit of the Holy Spirit by which the mind can remain in an unruffled state (Galatians 5:22–23). Through the filling of the Holy Spirit, the Christian has the ability to possess a mind so secure that, metaphorically speaking, one could sleep even while a storm is swamping the boat.
In contrast to a cowardly spirit, God has given us an inherent ability. This ability enables us to live out the life we possess in Christ, even when facing false imprisonment or persecution for speaking the truth, because He has granted to us all things pertaining to life and godliness through His promises (2 Peter 1:3). The tasting of this inherent ability of the coming age demonstrates that it is impossible for us to lose our salvation (Hebrews 6:5), for we cannot be brought again to a change of mind, since the Gospel itself possesses the inherent ability to save, and no one can take that away (Romans 1:16). Even when we sin, we still belong to God, for He disciplines us as His children and not as sinners (1 Corinthians 11:32). This inherent ability is ours because we are in Christ, and when we live in a manner that manifests our position in Him, cowardice has no place in our conduct.
Along with the inherent ability to live out the righteousness we have in Christ, God has given us love and a sound, saved frame of mind. This love always seeks the best for the one loved and never fails (1 Corinthians 13:4–8). A saved frame of mind focuses on the truth—a mind set on the things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God (Colossians 3:1–3). Such a mindset results in putting off the old man and putting on the new, who is being renewed in full experiential knowledge according to the image of the One who created it (Colossians 3:10). For we are the sons of God, the children of the light, and light fears no darkness (Ephesians 5:8).
The term δειλία denotes cowardice or timidity, particularly in contrast to the spiritual qualities God imparts to the believer. Its usage in 2 Timothy 1:7 underscores that fearful hesitation or retreat in the face of opposition is not from God; rather, He grants boldness, love, and discipline. When used as a verb, it expresses cowardly actions arising from emotional fear.