What does Revelation 3:11 mean?

In this verse Jesus promises to "come soon," which in this Greek context means something that will happen "quickly or suddenly," not necessarily "a short time from now." In the meantime, He urges the believers at Philadelphia to keep a firm grip on the truth and on their loyalty to Him. By doing so they would prohibit an enemy from grabbing their crown.

The Philadelphian believers would have been familiar with marathon races. To complete a marathon successfully, a runner had to adhere to strict discipline and abide by the rules governing the race. If he won the race, he would receive a crown as his reward. The apostle Paul understood that the Christian life is not a 100-yard dash but a marathon. Paul ran the race patiently, adhered to a strict disciplined and kept the rules. He ran to win and expected to receive an imperishable crown (see 1 Corinthians 9:24–26).

At the end of His life, Paul testified that he had finished the race and anticipated the crown of righteousness as a reward from the Lord, the righteous judge (2 Timothy 4:7–8). We, too, are running a marathon that requires discipline, diligence, and patient endurance. We must keep our eyes on Jesus and not be distracted. Upon completing the race successfully, we will receive the crown of righteousness.