Welcome back, and I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year. The birth of our Savior, Christmas carols, family, the lights, and presents under the tree. I pray that your list put the Savior first. The rest of that list is just window dressing.
For some Christmas is a time of year that takes courage to get through. It may be a season of loss. The loss of a loved one, or maybe the loss of a job, or even the loss of fellowship as we are going through this pandemic. Whatever the loss it takes courage to get through it.
So in today’s episode on Being a Success For The Kingdom we are going to discuss courage.
Courage is nothing more than faith that surpasses fear.
The Bible is just full of scripture on courage. There are so many courageous men and women in the Bible. They all had one thing in common, they placed their faith above their fear and doubt.
Today’s key verse comes from Philippians.
Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.
Through our own power we will struggle and grow weary. But if we continually put our faith in the Savior, He will give us the strength to endure to the end.
Remember the story of David and Goliath? Now there’s a story of raw courage. A young boy, not yet a man taking on a giant of epic proportion.
There is some question about Goliath’s height. Some estimates say 6 ft 9 inches, others have him at 9 and 1/2 ft. For a whole army to be afraid of one man I would tend to believe that Goliath was closer to nine feet, wouldn’t you?
Yes a whole army was afraid of one man, but not David. Why not? Because he didn’t see a giant. He saw a man who was defying the God of Israel. His God. 1 Samuel 17:45
For David it was personal.
Throughout the whole story of David and Goliath David kept his focus on God. In 1st Samuel chapter 17 David speaks of God seven times. He only mentions Goliath twice, and both times it was to give God the glory for what He is about to do through David.
How about you? When someone is defying your God, is it personal?
Do you have the courage to approach that person in love and share the gospel with them? I know the comparison between David and sharing your faith is extreme. But, if David can face his Giants shouldn’t we be able to face ours? If we have all our spiritual armor on like David, then we should be courageous, no matter what the circumstances.
Ephesians 6:13 Therefore put on the full armor of God that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand.
Having done everything you can to stand firm against Satan. So how do we as Christians do battle with the Prince of darkness? Are we fully armed and ready to do battle? Let’s take a closer look at the armor that God has given us.
The first thing that we are called to put on is found in
Ephesians 6:14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth Paul mentions this piece of armor first and with good cause.
For Christians, God’s Word is truth, and it serves as our foundation.
If you stand upon the word of God in everything you say and do, you are one step closer to being courageous.
But if your truth is based upon what makes you comfortable, or what makes you feel good, or what makes you look good in the eyes of the world, then you have no foundation. Your ship has no rudder and your life has no course. You are prime pickings for the devil.
Without God’s truth when you experience loss, you will fill that loss with the things of this world. Whether it be alcohol, drugs, sex, pornography, rage,or bitterness. You need God’s truth to sustain you and see you through.
John 8:32 and ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.
Ephesians 6:14 continues on and tells us to put on the breastplate of righteousness. That piece of armor is strategically placed at the core of our being.
Righteousness goes to the very fiber of who we are.
We are to be clothed with the righteousness of God.
2 Corinthians 5:21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
If we are walking on a path of righteousness then God’s moral law, the ten commandments is at the center of everything we do. The holy Spirit convicts us when we are tempted to go off that path. Will we stumble occasionally, of course we will.
Our righteousness is not tied to man’s law or the moral standards of a nation. It is not a righteous thing to abort a baby. The morality bar has been set at an all-time low in this country. As followers of Christ we need to find ways to lift that bar up again. We can’t be passive when we see or hear things that we know to be morally wrong.
Proverbs 24:16 says, for though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes.
The righteous will always fall short of the glory of God. But it’s what we do once we fall. Do we let our circumstances keep us down or do we draw strength from the Savior?
Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.
If we are self-righteous then we have a sense of moral superiority.
By its very definition a self-righteous man has an inflated sense of self. His pride has become a wedge between him and the Father. In reality the self-righteous man is morally bankrupt.
Romans 10:3 For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.
The next piece of armor that no self-respecting Christian would ever leave home without is found in,
Ephesians 6:15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.
We are called to be ready to share this gospel with the unsaved.
You can have all the other armor firmly in place. You can be righteous, and know the truth, but if you are shoeless, then you are not prepared to share that gospel. You are just stationary soldiers.
Ephesians 6:16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;
It takes courage to have faith when temptations come. It takes courage to have faith when adversity overwhelms us. Have your shield firmly in place and make sure your faith is not misplaced in the things of this world.
John 8:47 But without faith it is impossible to please him. He that comes to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
We are not part time warriors.
We are called to diligently seek Him. We are to be persistent in our effort. Maybe your day starts in prayer, but where does your day end?
Next let’s look at Ephesians 6:17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,
Once we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and savior and we say we are saved, then what?
Do we just go about our day with a smile on our face because we have made a decision for Christ? Who is your Lord and Savior? If you never crack open your Bible you will never get to know him. So pick up your sword and yield it with authority. Be confident in whose you are. You cannot walk in fullness of life without God’s word.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
And finally Ephesians 6:18 says praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,
Prayer is not mentioned as part of the armor yet it is how we live and breathe. Prayer is the spirit in which we put on the armor and face the enemy head on. Our prayers should be continual and deliberate. Not just vain repetitions, but heartfelt and led by the Spirit.
Here is one final passage on the subject.
Philippians 4:6-7 Be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with Thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God. And the peace of God which passes all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Without the full armor of God we cannot have unwavering courage. If you truly want to be a success for the kingdom, put on your armor and don’t let the giants overtake you.
Thank you for listening and may you have the courage to face the coming New Year with a renewed faith.