Strength and Skill Quotes in Four

How we cite our quotes: (Part.Paragraph)

Quote #4

Tomorrow my opponent is Eric. Beating him will take more than a clever move, or persistence. It will take skill I don't have, strength I haven't earned. (2.6)

What does Four mean by strength he hasn't "earned"? What strengths must he "earn" and what does it mean to "earn" them?

Quote #5

I am now first in my initiate class. I may have chosen Dauntless as a haven, but I'm not just surviving here, I'm excelling. (2.173)

Four made the right choice, choosing a faction that values physical strength. As he trains obsessively, his strength grows exponentially.

Quote #6

"The training program will last at least a year," Max says. "It will be rigorous and it will test your skills in a lot of areas." (3.17)

That sounds tough enough, but it takes even more strength and skill (and confidence in one's own strength and skill) to do this after just getting out of an equally rigorous initiation training.