The Devil loves to hinder the spiritual blessings that believers possess in Christ. His most effective means is by destroying the believer’s faith in God’s word and keeping the saint from laying up rewards in heaven. By destroying a believer’s courage, the Devil wins the battle. James 4:7-8 sketches a simple yet effective plan for victory in such times of attack. The believer must first submit to God and His word by submitting his will to the will of God. Next, the saint of God must resist the Devil. When the believer submits to God and resists the Devil, the Devil flees rather than sticking around to watch defeat. When the Devil returns later with renewed attempts to discourage, the believer need only repeat the same scriptural strategy.
As Moses recounted Israel’s time in the wilderness, he reminded God’s people of the reasons for their failure to enter into the land of promise. He rehearsed how it was the people who approached him requesting that spies first be sent into the land to explore it. If the people had trusted God, surveying the land would have been unnecessary. Yet, the people doubted God’s provisions so Moses sent in the spies. When they returned, they expressed stories of giants and walled cities that made the people fear to carry out God’s will. The spies’ report '"discouraged” (Deuteronomy 1:28) the hearts of the people. This loss of courage yielded an unbelief in the people (Deuteronomy 1:32), greatly displeasing the Lord (Hebrews 3:17-19).
Fear and discouragement are effective weapons in Satan’s arsenal which he uses to discourage the people of God from fulfilling the will of God for their lives. Fear is not all bad. The fear of God is good and holy, but the fear of the world withstands faith and brings the believer into bondage (Proverbs 29:25). Fear and faith are foes as are fear and courage. In 2 Timothy 1:6-8, the Bible points out that the Lord is not the instigator of fear in the life of the believer. In the place of fear, God gives men power, love, and a sound mind. God wants men to be courageous and full of faith. Yet, the fear of man exhibits a lack of courage. It frequently hinders believers from doing the Lord’s work and gives the impression that believers are ashamed of the Lord and His people.
In Deuteronomy, Moses rehearsed the events that led up to God’s denying him entry into the promised land though he was Israel’s leader at the time. The Lord instructed Moses, as he stood upon Mt. Pisgah, to encourage and strengthen Joshua. Moses could have offered numerous excuses for not wanting to encourage Joshua. Instead, Moses determined to obey God by strengthening and encouraging his successor. He knew that Joshua as Moses’ replacement was about to face some of the greatest trials of his life. There would be times of fear along with battles and obstacles, small and great. The Lord knew Joshua desperately needed courage to make it through these trials. He, therefore, enlisted Moses and instructed His children to encourage the new leader during this difficult transition (Deuteronomy 1:38).
God’s people have a solemn responsibility to encourage one another. Helping to build another’s godly courage remains one of the most effective ways to influence others. Unfortunately, far too many times, close acquaintances fail to encourage (and all too often discourage) one another. In these times, it is especially important that the individual learns to encourage himself in the Lord. In our passage, David returned to Ziklag only to find it burned with fire. The welfare of the women and children seemed hopeless as the Amalekites had taken them all captive. No doubt it was one of David’s most challenging times. David and his men were greatly distressed and in need of courage. Unfortunately, the men closest to David turned against him rather than supporting their leader during the most trying time. David’s only hope was to encourage “himself in the LORD his God.” Believers today need to follow David’s example. We cannot always depend upon others to receive courage, but we can always depend upon the Lord.
As we have seen, courage comes from a strength of heart. On the contrary, the Bible likens discouragement (the opposite of courage) to a melted heart (Joshua 2:11). In other words, discouragement takes place when a man’s heart loses strength. The Bible reveals that discouragement comes through various avenues of life. Men become discouraged because of “the way” (i.e., the circumstances of life) (Numbers 21:4). Discouragement also results from fear and unbelief (Deuteronomy 1:28) and the magnitude of a task (1 Chronicles 28:20). Ultimately, discouragement rears its ugly head as a result of a lack of faith in God and His word. Since discouragement and a lack of faith go hand in hand, a discouraged man cannot please God (Hebrews 11:6).
The Bible reveals that Moses was one of Israel’s greatest leaders. To be the leader of the nation of Israel after Moses would have been a daunting task. Yet, this is exactly what God called Joshua to do. Immediately following the death of Moses, the Lord spoke to Joshua and twice instructed him to “be strong and of a good courage” (Joshua 1:6, 9). He also admonished him to “be thou strong and very courageous” (Joshua 1:7). Without godly courage, Joshua would have shied away from the great responsibilities thrust upon him. If he lacked courage, how could he admonish others to trust God and have great courage? Only courageous people can truly lead others during times when courage is necessary.
Our previous study explored godly courage. Yet, the Bible also teaches that courage can be used for ungodly purposes. David described the fear he endured because of his enemies. His testimony provides insight as to the dangerous nature of his enemies. David goes on to confess that his enemies “encouraged themselves in an evil matter.” Christians are to encourage themselves in the work of God. Unfortunately, those determined to work iniquity frequently are encouraged by their friends and associates to behave even more wickedly. Even David failed in this manner when he told a messenger to “encourage” Joab following the murder of Uriah (2 Samuel 11:25). Godly courage is a righteous act blessed of the Lord. Ungodly courage, on the other hand, can many times be used to hinder the work of God.
Yesterday’s study focused on the fact that courage involves strength of the heart. Our passage today reveals the first of sixteen times that the Bible uses the phrase “good courage.” Each instance reveals someone trying to encourage a fellow believer and demonstrates the need for a godly courage within the life of every believer. Moses’ words to the twelve spies being sent to search out the land of Canaan (the land promised to Israel by God) encouraged these men to be “of good courage” while stressing the importance of completing the task set before them. Moses knew that it would take “good courage” to fully follow the will of God since most of these men did not seem accustomed to showing courage in the face of overwhelming adversity. Courage must rely upon the power of God and not upon man’s wisdom or one’s own abilities.
Courage originates within the heart of the individual. Two chief witnesses testify to this truth: (1) The English word courage comes from a word plainly connected to the heart, and (2) MultipleBible passages associate courage with the heart (Numbers 32:7, 9; Deuteronomy 1:28; Psalm 27:4; Psalm 31:24). The scripture declares in our passage that the hearts of the people melted as they lost courage (i.e., they lost strength). Other Bible passages associate courage with the strengthening of the heart (Psalm 27:14; Psalm 31:24). These truths illustrate that courage reflects strength of heart and that courage is based upon faith, hope, and trust in God.
