The ground of strength and courage is the fact that God has commanded, and He is with the one who obeys. “Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest” (Josh. 1:99Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. (Joshua 1:9)). The difficulties might be like mountains, but Jehovah was greater than all, and He was with His obedient servant, so that he had nothing to fear. He had delivered Israel out of Egypt and brought them through the Red Sea, the wilderness, and the Jordan; He who had done this could give strength and courage against which no foe could stand.
We need this same strength and courage. Where it is a question of Satan’s power and wiles, we read, “Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might” (Eph. 6:1010Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. (Ephesians 6:10)). And when Christianity began to decline and Timothy was losing heart, then Paul encouraged him in these words: “God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God” (2 Tim. 1:7-87For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 8Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; (2 Timothy 1:7‑8)). And again: “Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim. 2:11Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. (2 Timothy 2:1)). Timothy needed this encouragement, and we need it, and what is more, God is able to give it, and He will give it to those who go on in dependent obedience to His will.
Faith in God
But we must have faith in God. There is a maxim of this world which says, “Knowledge is power,” but with the believer power is rather connected with “faith.” Faith brings God in, and there is no limit to His power. The real question is, Are we walking with Him? Have we the knowledge of His will so that we can act with confidence? Can we bring Him into what we are doing? If this is so, we can go forward in the name of the Lord with strength and courage of heart, undismayed by all the power of Satan. And here let us observe that diligence of heart is needed, and, of equal importance, prayerful dependence. “Meditating day and night” and “praying always” are what the warriors of Christ are called to. Joshua was to meditate on the words of the law day and night, and the Ephesian saints were to pray always with all prayer and supplication for all saints. Paul says to Timothy, “Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all” (1 Tim. 4:1515Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. (1 Timothy 4:15)). If we were more diligent as to the Word of God and prayer, how different our state would be! What fervency of heart in all our service and what devotedness to Christ and His people there would be, and how much greater blessing would be enjoyed!
How much we lack this diligence of heart! How much time that might be given up to prayer and meditation on God’s blessed Word is spent in foolish talk and idle gossip, grieving the Spirit, blighting spiritual growth, and drying up the springs of divine love in the soul! “They that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon His name” (Mal. 3:1616Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name. (Malachi 3:16)). “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another” (Col. 3:1616Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. (Colossians 3:16)). We need all this so that the Lord may be honored, and our blessing and the blessing of others secured.
Dependence on God
I may add also that strength and courage are needed more in a day of decline than when all is going well. There is not only the enemy with which to contend, but also, instead of having the support of our brethren, we may meet with that which chills the heart and fills it with sorrow. Here the heart is really tested, and God only can sustain. There is not only conflict with a common enemy, but there is the state of the saints to be borne as a burden on the heart. Will we bear this burden? Will we cleave to the saints in the power of divine love when they turn away from us, as all in Asia did from Paul? Will we seek to serve them when we are misunderstood, misrepresented, or even maligned? Paul could say to the Corinthian saints, “I will very gladly spend and be spent for you: though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved” (2 Cor. 12:1515And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved. (2 Corinthians 12:15)). It is easy to love my brethren when they love me and heap their favors upon me. But do I love them just the same when they turn against me or forsake me? Do I intercede for them when perhaps they are only speaking evil of me? The real question is, Have I got the heart of Christ about the saints? Then I shall act toward them according to His heart and seek His glory in connection with their state, regardless of personal rights or present advantage.
Diligent seeking of God’s face and patient waiting on Him for His will, His help and His guidance are indispensable. Why have we no strength? Why is there decline among us? Why breaking of ranks and scattering of the saints? Is it not because we have not lived close to Christ and gone on in humble dependence on God? And God’s Christ, God’s truth and God’s people have not had their rightful place in our affections. We have seen one growing careless and another going wrong, and we have perhaps talked about them and criticized them when we ought to have been on our faces interceding for them.
The Recognition of Our State
But will we lay to heart our own state and that of our brethren? Will we own our slackness of soul, our carelessness, and with diligence of heart seek God’s face? Then we might expect His blessing and the enjoyment of His favor which is better than life (Psa. 63:33Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. (Psalm 63:3)). There is no time for loitering, no time for idle gossip, no time for pampering the flesh and feeding it with the vanities of this world. “Wherefore He saith, Awake, thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil” (Eph. 5:14-1614Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. 15See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, 16Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. (Ephesians 5:14‑16)).
The blessed Lord give the writer and the reader strength and courage in this evil world to live for Himself and for His own, serving Him and them in lowly grace until we are taken out of the scene of conflict and service to rest in the eternal brightness of His own presence and in the joy of His unchanging love.
A. H. Rule (adapted)