Read 1 Timothy 6:11–21
But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.1 Timothy 6:11

There are times when running away is a mark of cowardice. “Should such a man as I flee?” asked Nehemiah (Neh. 6:11 KJV). But there are other times when fleeing is a mark of wisdom and a means of victory. Joseph fled when his master’s wife tempted him (Gen. 39:12), and David fled when King Saul tried to kill him (1 Sam. 19:10).

The word flee that Paul used in 1 Timothy 6:11 does not refer to literal running but to Timothy’s separating himself from the sins of the false teachers. This echoes the admonition in 1 Timothy 6:5 (KJV): “From such withdraw thyself.” Not all unity is good, and not all division is bad.

Sometimes a servant of God should take a stand against false doctrine and godless practices and separate himself from them. He must be sure, however, that he acts on the basis of biblical conviction and not because of a personal prejudice or a carnal party spirit. Separation without positive growth becomes isolation. We must cultivate these graces of the Spirit in our lives, or else we will be known only for what we oppose rather than for what we propose.

Something to Ponder
When have you had to flee from false doctrines? How did you do this?