Courage is defined as greatness of heart; the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to meet difficulty, danger, pain or fear with a boldness.
“Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.”–Winston Churchill
“Courage is grace under pressure.”–Ernest Hemingway
“Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear.”–Mark Twain
God commanded Joshua ‘three times’ to be strong and have ‘good courage’ and assured him of His constant presence if His commandments were obeyed. (Joshua 1:8-9)
He promised that: “The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them.” (Deuteronomy 33:27)
“You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.”–Eleanor Roosevelt
Knowing the Lord and obeying His commandments are the two main ingredients for the God kind of courage:
El Shaddai, the All-Sufficient and Mighty One is on your side!
He is Jehovah-nissi; the Lord, your Victory Banner. (Exodus 17:15)
Isn’t it interesting that the victory banner is hoisted AFTER the battle! That means that the battle is already won! Christ’s defeat of Satan on the cross has made you more than a conqueror. (Romans 8:37)
Let God know about the battles you’re facing and then nestle underneath the everlasting arms while he destroys your enemy.
Understand that you have the privilege and honor of being equipped with the full armor of God. Moses and Joshua were assured of God’s presence and guidance due to their obedience to the Law. Therefore, through Christ’s sacrifice you too have the assurance of having already overcome because “greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.” (I John 4:4)
“You will never do anything in this world without courage. It is the greatest quality of the mind next to honor.”–Aristotle
“It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful. There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power.”–Alan Cohen
David’s only physical armor in his battle against Goliath was a slingshot! To the heavily armored giant he shouted:
“Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear; but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of Hosts, the God of the armies.” (1 Samuel 17:45)
David was the ONLY person who knew without a doubt that God would deliver Goliath into his hands! There had been a number of battles to overthrow the Philistines – to no avail. His brother ridiculed him, the giant jeered at him, and both armies stood by in total disbelief and amusement.
Then he ran up to the man whom everyone feared, with only ‘five smooth stones’ in his hand but fully armed with the anointing of the Lord of Hosts. There was not an iota of doubt in him as he knew his God; His faithfulness, His previous exploits and, most of all, His intimate fellowship with him. (1 Samuel 17)
Are you being influenced by voices of doubt and unbelief? Or do you take courage in the strength and full protection of the Lord of Hosts? Don’t forget to put on His armor. It’s not heavy but it will help you to stand and be courageous.
Possessing Courage also means being fully armed:
-The Helmet of Salvation. (Jesus your Lord and Savior)
-The breastplate of Righteousness. (Which protects your heart and most vulnerable parts.)
-The Shield of Faith to ward off doubt and unbelief.
-The Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God.
-Shoes of The Gospel of Peace.
-The Belt of Truth.
“Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be dismayed: for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)
Possessing Courage is important because:
It takes courage to love. It takes courage to forgive; because you run the risk of rejection, ridicule and scorn. But take heart; because ‘love motivates courage.’
“Courage is the most important of all the virtues, because without courage you can’t practice any other virtue consistently. You can practice any virtue erratically, but nothing consistently without courage.”–Maya Angelou
Angela Valadez
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