The Christian life is a fight. Courage is crucial because everything worth having must be fought for.
“Be strong and of good courage.” This we read not once but four times in Joshua 1 (vv 6, 7, 9, 18). Although the words strong and courageous are related, there is a difference. I’ve seen strong men quail in the face of battle, and those not strong show great courage in standing up to bullies. Strength is mobilizing one’s resources; courage is marshalling one’s resolve. And here we must ask why Joshua needed strength or courage anyway. Wasn’t the battle the Lord’s? Wasn’t victory assured? Can’t we just “let go, and let God”? Herein lies a crucial lesson. My father used to say, “God will not do for us by miracle what we can do by obedience.” He puts no premium on laziness, no value on halfheartedness. He “always leads us in triumph in Christ” (2 Cor 2:14), but we must don the armor and show up for the battle. The first time God calls Joshua to strength and courage (Jos 1:6), it is based on His promise: “for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.” The second time (v 7), it is based on His precepts: “Be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.” The third time (v 9), it is based on His presence: “Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” In the fourth instance (v 18), it is not God saying it to Joshua this time, but the people. And this is the point. Courage is contagious—as is cowardice! That’s why, when the fighting is fierce, we need to look to Jesus, our Joshua, who single-handedly won against every foe. I know; I was one of them.