The Bible explores many types of courage. We learn through these explorations what God is looking for in the warriors He selects for His army. He is looking for people who have the courage to be humble, who have knowledge of their weaknesses, but are nevertheless very strong in their faith and trust of God.
You are already more courageous than you know.
I will share a couple of verses for each “courage” statement. I urge you to read and study the chapters associated with the verses for fuller context and understanding. And to strengthen yourself in the Word of God. Be blessed, you mighty warrior!
(New Century Version used for this study.)
It takes courage to hear God.
Genesis 12:1 The Lord said to Abram, “Leave your country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land I will show you.
Isaiah 6:8 Then I heard the Lord’s voice, saying, “Whom can I send? Who will go for us? “So I said, “Here I am. Send me!”
Matthew 11:4 Jesus answered them, “Go tell John what you hear and see: 5 The blind can see, the crippled can walk, and people with skin diseases are healed. The deaf can hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is preached to the poor. 6 Those who do not stumble in their faith because of me are blessed.”
It takes courage to see God.
Daniel 10:7 I, Daniel, was the only person who saw the vision. The men with me did not see it, because they were so frightened that they ran away and hid. 8 So I was left alone, watching this great vision. I lost my strength, my face turned white like a dead person, and I was helpless.
Daniel 10:16 I said to the one standing in front of me, “Master, I am upset and afraid because of what I saw in the vision. I feel helpless.17 Master, how can I, your servant, talk with you? My strength is gone, and it is hard for me to breathe.”
18 The one who looked like a man touched me again and gave me strength.19 He said, “Daniel, don’t be afraid. God loves you very much. Peace be with you. Be strong now; be courageous.”
When he spoke to me, I became stronger and said, “Master, speak, since you have given me strength.”
It’s takes courage to believe God.
Jeremiah 29:10 This is what the Lord says: “Babylon will be powerful for seventy years. After that time I will come to you, and I will keep my promise to bring you back to Jerusalem. 11 I say this because I know what I am planning for you,” says the Lord. “I have good plans for you, not plans to hurt you. I will give you hope and a good future.12 Then you will call my name. You will come to me and pray to me, and I will listen to you.13 You will search for me. And when you search for me with all your heart, you will find me!14 I will let you find me,” says the Lord. “And I will bring you back from your captivity. I forced you to leave this place, but I will gather you from all the nations, from the places I have sent you as captives,” says the Lord. “And I will bring you back to this place.”
Romans 10:9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and if you believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, you will be saved. 10 We believe with our hearts, and so we are made right with God. And we declare with our mouths that we believe, and so we are saved.
It takes courage to communicate with God.
Judges 6:11 The angel of the Lord came and sat down under the oak tree at Ophrah that belonged to Joash, one of the Abiezrite people. Gideon, Joash’s son, was separating some wheat from the chaff in a winepress to keep the wheat from the Midianites.12 The angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon and said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior!”
13 Then Gideon said, “Sir, if the Lord is with us, why are we having so much trouble? Where are the miracles our ancestors told us he did when the Lord brought them out of Egypt? But now he has left us and has handed us over to the Midianites.”
14 The Lord turned to Gideon and said, “Go with your strength and save Israel from the Midianites. I am the one who is sending you.”
15 But Gideon answered, “Lord, how can I save Israel? My family group is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least important member of my family.”
16 The Lord answered him, “I will be with you. It will seem as if the Midianites you are fighting are only one man.”
17 Then Gideon said to the Lord, “If you are pleased with me, give me proof that it is really you talking with me.18 Please wait here until I come back to you. Let me bring my offering and set it in front of you.”
And the Lord said, “I will wait until you return.”
It takes courage to obey God.
Genesis 12:4 So Abram left Haran as the Lord had told him… At this time Abram was 75 years old.
Judges 6:25 That same night the Lord said to Gideon, “Take the bull that belongs to your father and a second bull seven years old. Pull down your father’s altar to Baal, and cut down the Asherah idol beside it.26 Then build an altar to the Lord your God with its stones in the right order on this high ground. Kill and burn a second bull on this altar, using the wood from the Asherah idol.”
27 So Gideon got ten of his servants and did what the Lord had told him to do. But Gideon was afraid that his family and the men of the city might see him, so he did it at night, not in the daytime.
It takes courage to walk in faith.
Luke 22:31 “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to test all of you as a farmer sifts his wheat. 32 I have prayed that you will not lose your faith! Help your brothers be stronger when you come back to me.”
Luke 22:41 Then Jesus went about a stone’s throw away from them. He kneeled down and prayed, 42 “Father, if you are willing, take away this cup of suffering. But do what you want, not what I want.” 43 Then an angel from heaven appeared to him to strengthen him.44 Being full of pain, Jesus prayed even harder. His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.45 When he finished praying, he went to his followers and found them asleep because of their sadness. 46 Jesus said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray for strength against temptation.”
Galatians 3:5 Does God give you the Spirit and work miracles among you because you follow the law? No, he does these things because you heard the Good News and believed it.
6 The Scriptures say the same thing about Abraham: “Abraham believed God, and God accepted Abraham’s faith, and that faith made him right with God.” 7 So you should know that the true children of Abraham are those who have faith.
God is calling warriors who have the ears to hear Him, eyes to see Him, heart to believe Him and the faith to obey Him. He gave us his Word to enCOURAGE us – to strengthen us on this journey of life – to Him – through Christ – that we have been called to undertake. There may not be one warrior in the God’s Kingdom that looks, sounds, or acts the way you think they should. That’s not your concern. Your concern is: Am I the warrior God has called me to be? Am I hearing Him? Do I see Him? Do I believe? Am I obedient? Do I go to the Father for clarification and support?
When you do your part, God is able to manifest His plan for your life. Through your life, God will be glorified. That’s what this is all about. It’s all about God! Everything He calls us to do in the Kingdom of Heaven is for His glory – we do what we are told in order that others may come to know the greatness of our God. We, the warriors, are only symbolic; God is the true fighter. He has already won victory and has already made a way for His victory to be fulfilled in our lives.
Next time we begin with the “courage to follow Jesus.”
