Peter is encouraging believers to remain committed to Christ even if everyone around them should let go of Christ. Facing opposition, loss, or whatever it might be, we need to remember that God has not promised prosperity or happiness in this life; we are waiting for a perfect new world when Christ returns in glory.
When it comes to our love for the Word, perseverance is difficult. Often when we start the Christian life, we are eager to make big sacrifices for the sake of following Jesus. However, as we grow older, we start desiring a more comfortable life, a higher standard of living, more time for myself rather than service to others. We cut down on our support for the ministry of the Word. We try to fit in more with the world around us, not wanting to be seen as being too different. Like a frog cooked in water, we do not realize the grip that our possessions have on us until our faith is dead. In all this, the big issue was perseverance. We did not continue seeking to serve Christ in everything and so eventually we fell away.
6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness,