Courage Rekindled
No man amounts to much until all his faculties have been challenged...
"We have been forewarned that an enemy relentlessly threatens us, an enemy who is the very embodiment of rash boldness, of military prowess, of crafty wiles, of untiring zeal and haste, of every conceivable weapon and of skill in the science of warfare. We must, then, bend our every effort to this goal: that we should not let ourselves be overwhelmed by carelessness or faintheartedness, but, on the contrary, with courage rekindled stand our ground in combat."
- John Calvin -
Courage is defined a few different ways in the Old and New Testaments. In Hebrew it is defined as; "to show oneself strong." In the Greek, courage is described as; "good cheer, daring, boldness, confidence."
On the flip-side, discouragement is a tool of the devil and cowardice is condemned as a sin (Revelation 21:8). If Satan can cause a Christian to abandon the battle field on his own accord by discouraging him, Satan wins. If the fear of man causes a Christian to flee, the fear of the Lord is not in him - he will be ensnared by sin. Therefore, be on your guard against discouragement and the fear of man. Help others guard themselves as well.
Who is the the source of our courage?
Courage comes from God and His love. Courage is the result in believing God. His Word teaches us a truth in the form of a promise. And Promises from God are always true!
For instance, God's Words says, "I will never leave you or forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5, Deuteronomy 31:6)
We proclaim that truth to ourselves - The indwelling Holy Spirit affirms by saying, "This is true!" We believe it by faith. Then, we obey and stand in the power of God's truth and promises. This enables the lone Christian to stand against the onslaught of the evils of Hell and Satan himself. But, the Christian is never alone - God is always with him. This gives him courage.
With every truth revealed in Scripture, there is inevitably a test. God tests our faith to refine it, purify it, and strengthen it.
"No man amounts to much until all his faculties have been challenged. There must come a moment when a trumpet-blast, a pistol-shot, a bugle-call stirs all his pulses. And, this being so, life takes good care that, sooner or later, we shall each find ourselves dared by some tremendous situation. Therein lies the secret of that thirst for adventure, which is the hallmark of humanity." - F.W. Boreham
Courage is always about obedience to God and results in the good of others. Furthermore, when one Christian demonstrates courage, others will be encouraged as well.
Meditate on these verses:
"If God is for us, who can be against us? ... in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us." - Romans 8:31, 37
“Be on the alert. Stand firm in the faith. Be men of courage. Be strong. Do everything in love.” - 1 Corinthians 16:13–14
Prayer for Strength by Ken Boa:
“Strong and loving Father, I need the resolve to be on my guard, to stand firm in the faith, to act with courage, and to be strong. Strengthen me to do these things in love. Amen.”