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.