Category: Be Strong and Courageous

Fight the Good Fight

Posted on by Dorci

I’ve talked a few times about the meaning of the words “be strong and courageous” in the Old Testament. The last time, in Be Strong and Very Courageous, I mentioned that this exhortation could be found one time in the New Testament. Now seems like a good time to take a look at that.  

Paul wrote his first letter to his brothers and sisters in Corinth after hearing they were fighting about everything under the sun, and the fellowship of believers was being torn apart by pride, jealousy, sexual immorality, taking one another to court, and the misuse of the Lord’s supper. 

Reminds me of a group of children left to themselves, and spiritually, that is what they were. They were a new church full of new believers. Baby Christians. That’s why Paul writes to them such a long letter as if coming from a father writing home to tell his children – Stop! In Christ, this is how you should think and behave… 

Paul even addresses them by saying “Brothers and sisters, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil, be infants (or innocent of it), but in your thinking be adults.” 1 Cor. 14:20

Then, one of the last things he tells them in his letter (1 Cor. 16:13), is:

“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.” (2011 NIV)

First, the word strong means “to empower, to increase in vigor, to be strengthened.

And courageous. Courageous is good, but as we look back further to the original translations, we begin to get a better, more powerful picture of what’s being said. 

In the 1984 NIV:
“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.”

The Modern King James Version says it like this:
“Watch! Stand fast in the faith! Be men! Be strong!” 

And (stay with me, I’m going somewhere with this) in the King James Version:
“Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.”

That word that’s been translated in modern language as “courageous,” and as “be men of courage,” and in the MKJV which pulls no punches by saying “be men!” is andrizomai, and means “act manly, or quit like men.”

This is the only time this word is used in the NT. 

Of course a phrase like quit you like men is lost on us in the 21st century, so I did some digging. 

In 1 Samuel 4:9, the Philistines encouraged one another in their fight against the Israelites by saying “Be strong, and quit yourselves like men…”  meaning “exist, or become” men. 

Quit in this instance means to conduct or acquit oneself; to behave in a certain manner. 

Of course, just because the phrase is “quit like men” doesn’t mean that leaves out women. At that time it was the men who went to battle, so it makes sense that the origin of the word is phrased that way. But Paul made our identity in Christ clear:

“So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”  Galatians 3:26-28

Paul charged believers to not stay spiritual infants, but to mature in their faith, in their behavior, in their love for one another, to fight the good fight, and serve Christ well. 

Fight against the outward enemy, and that of our own flesh that wants our way, in our own time, that sinful nature that is puffed up with pride and doesn’t care how we’re hurting others, or grieving the Holy Spirit.

Fight it to the death.

I don’t think it’s a coincidence Paul uses the phrase, “quit like men” straight out of a battle scene told in the scriptures. Four times in his writings he refers to believers as soldiers. 

“Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer.” 2 Timothy 2:3-4

We are (in case you haven’t noticed) in a spiritual battle that seems to intensify every day.  

We don’t know what a day will bring. Inwardly, the enemy will do what he can to tempt us to betray who we are in Christ. I’ve seen many who, in the past, claimed to profess a faith, but who have fallen away. Outwardly, Christians are actively being persecuted, tortured, and killed around the world. 

Let us persevere as good soldiers, remaining in Christ, clothed in our spiritual armor, not giving in to fear, but allowing ourselves to be trained by God’s discipline and His Word, and live our lives as maturing, sanctifying, hopeful, believing servants of our Lord, and remember that

“But my righteous one will live by faith.
And I take no pleasure
in the one who shrinks back.”
(from Habbakuk 2:4)

But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed,
but to those who have faith and are saved.”
Hebrews 10:38-39

 

Heavenly Father, in Jesus’ name and because of Him, we ask you to empower us by your Spirit to grow up in Christ, to walk worthy of our calling, set apart as mature soldiers in the fight against everything that sets itself up against you, to take into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ, and fight the good fight.  

 

Remember Your Position

Posted on by Dorci

Some wise words from Anne Graham Lotz.


“For you are all sons (those who inherit) of God through faith in Christ Jesus. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, ‘Abba, Father!’  Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.”
Galatians 3:26, 4:6-7

Sunday Praise and a Prayer as We Stand Upon the Rock

Posted on by Dorci

Dear Heavenly Father, we praise you. You, Lord, are our Rock, and on you we stand. We declare that as we stand upon You, the Rock of our salvation, we will not be shaken; we will not be moved. You are our Mighty Fortress, our Protector, and we will not fear. 

You are our Strength, our Courage, our sure Hope. No matter what storms rage around us, you are our Peace, and our Light in the darkness. 

You are our Sustenance, our Fountain of living water. 

As we stand upon you and walk in faith, may our lives be a reflection of your great love and grace, and may all we go through magnify and glorify the holy and precious name of Jesus Christ. 

In His name we pray, amen.

* * *

If you would like prayer, please feel free to contact me. 

For His glory, 

The Full Armor of God

Posted on by Dorci

After the LORD reminded me, I wanted to remind you to put on and keep on the full armor of God. Not one or two pieces. All of it. We never know when the enemy will come, and we can’t afford to get lazy or be found unprepared, caught up in the world. 

And once we’re outfitted and ready for battle, we must pray in the Spirit.

Just as we’re called to now walk in the Spirit, by the renewed hearts and minds given to us by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that we might obey Him and do all things in His power, so we are called to pray in the Spirit, asking Him to reveal to us the will of the Father, and then pray. Because without Him we can do nothing, but in Him we can do all things.

“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of Him.” 1 John 5:14-15


“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 

Stand firm then, with the

belt of truth buckled around your waist, 

with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 

and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 

In addition to all this,

take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 

Take the helmet of salvation 

and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” Ephesians 6:10-18 

 

 

Be Strong and Very Courageous

Posted on by Dorci
Photo by Mika Baumeister on Unsplash

Seventeen years ago this month my life turned upside down. Or more accurately, I was already upside down and God was turning me right side up. 

A lot has happened in that time. A lot of mistakes, a lot of learning, a lot of growing, and a lot of healing.

Not the kind of healing I originally wanted, but certainly the kind I needed. The kind a good and loving Father knows His child needs, and ultimately wants. 

In January 2004 I had some symptoms, but nothing too concerning yet. What did concern me is that I kept hearing one phrase from the Lord – “Be strong and courageous.” I heard it at church, on the radio, and in my own studies. Four times that month I heard “Be strong and courageous.” 

The first time: Yes, that’s an encouraging word.
The second time: Yep, I want to be strong and courageous.
The third time: Hmm… “Lord, what are you trying to say?”
The fourth time: A friend at church who I’d talked to about these repeated commands from the Lord turned around during the teaching and we just looked at each other. What could this mean?

Then, long story short, one Sunday afternoon in February, I found myself at the hospital being evaluated. 

“Be strong and courageous.” 

I have meditated on and prayed about these words ever since. And little by little, the Lord’s helped me understand them. The funny thing is, its meaning is so simple, yet the application can be so difficult.  

The phrase can be found eleven times in the Old Testament (and one time in the New, but that’s a slightly different story for a different day), most of them as Joshua was about to lead Israel into the Promised Land. 

Moses had just died, and God had called Joshua to lead His people. God speaks to Joshua, letting him know that without a doubt, through every obstacle they would face, He would lead them there. 

Joshua 1:6 – “Be strong and courageous…”
Joshua 1:7 – “Be strong and very courageous…”
Joshua 1:9 – “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

In each of these verses, the word “strong,” in part, means “to fasten upon; to seize…”

The dictionary says fasten means “to attach firmly or securely in place; fix securely to something else.”

Now, fast forward to Jesus talking to His disciples. 

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing..” John 15:5

During this conversation, Jesus uses the word abide, or remain, seven times.

The word “abide” means “to stay (in a given place, state, relation or expectancy): – abide, continue, dwell, endure, be present, remain…”

He’s driving home the fact that, just as a branch must remain attached to the vine so the branch can receive life, grow, and produce fruit, we must remain in Him. Our growth and ability to produce spiritual fruit hinges on us continually abiding, remaining, making our home in Him. 

God told Joshua over and over to be strong, to fasten himself, to hold onto God who would do everything needed to ensure their victory as they crossed into the Promised Land. 

Jesus reiterated His Father’s words, telling His disciples, and us, to abide in Him, to remain in Him continually.

Don’t break off from Him out of fear, anger, anxiety, or just being plain confused and not knowing what to do. Remain in Him. Obey Him. Trust Him. Join with Him in prayer. Abide in Him as a branch abides in a vine, so we can grow and bear much fruit. 


The word courageous means “to be alert, physically and mentally, to be steadfastly minded, establish, make strong…”

The Israelites would meet enemies along the way, and so will we. As we abide in Christ, we must also remain alert and steadfast, remembering that though we have an enemy who will try to trip us up, the Lord has gone before us, and if we’ll remain in Him, He will make us more than conquerors. 

And one more note. 

I’ve been going through a group study with a book called Abide In Christ by Andrew Murray. I highly recommend it. It was what drove home the truth of what God was saying to me seventeen years ago, and how He enlightened and assured me further.  As I was praying during one of my study times, the Lord spoke to my heart and said, “I will sustain you.” 

You might guess what I did. Yep, went to look up the word sustain. I found it in Psalm 55:22:

“Cast your cares on the Lord
   and He will sustain you;
He will never let
    the righteous be shaken.”

Sustain means “to keep in; to maintain, be able to abide…”

Jesus said “Abide in Me, and I in you.”

The Lord’s promise to all of us who abide in Him is that not only will He abide in us, He will enable us to continue abiding in Him. He will maintain us, support us, bear us up under trial or affliction, just like He’s done for me the last seventeen years.

So be strong and courageous. The world doesn’t seem to be letting up on the crazy, and I suspect it won’t. But as we abide in Him, God Himself will abide in us and take us victoriously into the Promised Land. 

In Him,