You must have such a life of fleeing and pursuing. However, when you endeavor to flee and pursue, you will find that you are not able to do so by yourself. The way to flee youthful lusts and pursue Christ is in the last part of 2 Timothy 2:22. This verse says, “But flee youthful lusts, and pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” You need “those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” By yourself you are inadequate. The key is to be “with those.” As a young person you may be very strong, but your strength means nothing. The enemy, Satan, is stronger than you are, but under God’s sovereign provision, you have “those.” You must pursue “with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.”
The young people must make the decision to pick up some others as companions. Daniel had his three friends. Under the Lord Jesus in the New Testament none of the disciples were individuals. They were sent two by two; they all had companions. Peter and Andrew and James and John are referred to in the Gospels in pairs (Matt. 4:18, 21).
Young people need at least one companion. You must consider before the Lord whether you have a real companion in pursuing the Lord. Joshua could have said that Caleb was his companion, and Caleb could have said that Joshua was his companion. However, it is better to have three or four companions. Because of these perilous times, we need more companions. If we have four companions to support us from each direction, we will not fall, regardless of what storm may come. If one stands by himself, he will possibly be captured by the enemy. It is best for four or five young ones from junior high school to come together as companions. Let the young brothers be companions to one another, and let the young sisters be companions to one another.
We need companions not only because we are weak to stand by ourselves, but also because we are all so natural. According to our natural disposition, it is very hard for us to have companions. Our individualism is a pleasure to us. We enjoy our individualism so much. We may not care for a brother or a sister because they are not like us. We demand that others be like us. Wanting people to be like us is devilish. If we love the Lord, we should be able to go to any young brother or sister, not caring for what they are like. They may be slow or quick, dull or smart, like you or one hundred percent different from you. We should forget all the differences. We must have companions. If the young people would be grouped in this way, Satan will be put to shame. This is a great matter.
If five junior high school students would be grouped together as one, their school will be “overthrown.” If they start with five, after not long a time, perhaps two months, there will be fifteen. The preaching of the gospel in their school will be like wildfire. Even the college age and working age saints need companions. They need to work together, live together, and have their daily walk together. Ecclesiastes 4:12 says, “A threefold cord is not quickly broken.” If one person has four companions, the five of them will even be a fivefold cord. Nothing can break this cord. The gospel preaching of these five will be prevailing. They will subdue people. Their grouping together will convince people, and Satan will be put to shame.
Do not have companions in a loose way. Do not take a brother as a companion because you like him and tomorrow reject him because you do not like him. If he is a brother, you must take him. This will subdue and break you. You need to be broken. Who will break you? Wives are good “breakers,” but I do not trust the wives to completely break the husbands. The good “breakers” are the brothers and sisters with whom you group yourself.
The young people must look to the Lord to get four or five companions. Even the people in the world say that union is power. By myself I would not dare to do many things, but when I have four companions, I would dare to do anything. The five companions should always call on the name of the Lord together (2 Tim. 2:22). They should always come together to fellowship, pray-read, pray, and take care of new ones. One brother’s new ones should be another brother’s new ones also. In this way one group of five saints will have fifteen new ones under their care. All these new ones will be saved. The principle for the saints in both the Old and New Testaments is that they should be grouped together. The young people need to flee youthful lusts and pursue the Lord with some companions.
(Fellowship with the Young People, Chapter 1, by Witness Lee)