When my oldest son was five years old, our family lived in a split-level home. Most of the living areas were on the top floor, with a bedroom and bathroom on the bottom floor. One of my son’s chores was to empty the downstairs bathroom trash can, but it was dark down there, and that bathroom seemed miles away to my little boy. He would tell me that he was too scared to go downstairs by himself, and I’d repeatedly urge him to be courageous—to do the right thing even though he was afraid.

I’d say, “Honey, God is with you wherever you go, and because he’s with you, you don’t need to be frightened. While you get the trash, I’ll stand right here at the top of the stairs and sing a special song for you—loud enough for you to hear me—until you return.” As my son would traipse down the stairs, I’d sing a song I remembered from my own childhood: a song reassuring me that the Lord is with me everywhere I go and that I have nothing to fear.

When commands to not fear are given in Scripture, they’re often accompanied by promises that the Lord is near. The promises that he’ll never leave nor forsake us give us strength to do what is right, even when it’s difficult, uncomfortable, or unpopular. Although we may sometimes lack courage, Christ is always present. He’s faithful even when we’re faithless.

A Call to Courage

We live in fearful times. I don’t say that to minimize the great terrors of history or to be melodramatic about the current state of the world. I simply mean that there are circumstances and trends in our society that are causing many people to live in fear. People fear death, loss of freedom, and even one another. As Christians, when we are tempted to fear, we must never forget that Christ is with us until the end.

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Knowing that he is near, we must be courageous. Whether we wrestle with issues in the public square or in our private lives, we must glorify Christ—honor him in our faith and with our obedience—even if we fear what may happen as a result.

Now is the time to strengthen our Christian courage, for at some point in the future the prevailing societal issues and the personal details of our lives will intersect in ways we have yet to imagine. Our convictions will be tested like never before. We must prepare ourselves to stand for Christ then by developing and practicing courage now.

The Courage of Ezra

As I’ve thought about Christian courage, my thoughts have turned to the life of Ezra. Ezra was the prophet-scribe who led the Jews back to Jerusalem in the second return from their Babylonian exile. He succeeded in this daunting endeavor because of God’s presence and blessing on him. He found strength for the task because, in his own words, “I took courage, for the hand of the Lord my God was on me” (Ezra 7:28). Ezra persevered in courage because he knew—he was confident—that the Lord was with him.

In that confidence, Ezra made three steadfast commitments—to study, obey, and teach God’s Word: “For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel” (Ezra 7:10). He understood that a courageous life isn’t passive, but active; not instantaneous, but developed; not defined by a single act, but established by the choices of everyday living.

Three Commitments of Christian Courage

Christian courage is developed in the doing—in the knowing, living, and giving of God’s Word. How can you stand strong in a culture that opposes Christ? How can you stand strong when you battle personal sin? How can you stand strong when you face suffering? Like Ezra, you’ll stand strong when you hold fast to these three commitments:

Know God’s Word 

Ezra set his heart to study the Law of God. Likewise, the first commitment of Christian courage must be the study of Scripture. Every day you encounter distractions and deceptions that challenge your commitment to knowing and believing God’s word. Busyness and misplaced priorities crowd out your daily intake of Scripture. Worldly wisdom and false teaching attack the biblical truth that you believe and cherish.

Now is the time to guard against all that seeks to kill your faith and to feed yourself the life-giving truth of Scripture. Purposefully schedule time in your week to read, study, memorize, listen to, and meditate on the word of God. Eagerly receive God’s word, and examine all teaching by the standard of Scripture to see if it’s true. Be careful to place yourself only under the influence of pastors and teachers who faithfully hold to the authority, inerrancy, and sufficiency of the Word.

To grow in Christian courage, first commit yourself to know and understand the Scriptures, always heeding Paul’s warning to Timothy: “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a worker who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15).

Live God’s Word 

Next, Ezra set his heart to do whatever God’s Law instructed him to do. For us, the second commitment of Christian courage must be the same—to obey Scripture. Living according to God’s Word will raise the stakes of personal courage in two ways. First, you will have to deny yourself. To obey the Lord requires a life-encompassing humility that submits to his word and lays aside selfish pride and personal idols. It’s a pre-determined commitment to obey God’s word, no matter what it says. You are no longer the authority in your life—but Christ is—and he reveals his good will for you in the Scriptures.

Second, if you commit yourself to faithfully obey God’s word, others will notice and their lives will be impacted. A life devoted to honoring Christ cannot be hidden. As you grow in faith and obedience to God, you will love others more like Christ loves. Some people will delight in the fruit you bear, and others will despise you for it, just like they despised the Lord (John 15:18-25). To grow in Christian courage, commit yourself to conform your life to Scripture even if you lose the approval of others. This is good preparation for the future, greater sacrifices you may have to make for identifying with your Savior.

Give God’s Word 

Lastly, Ezra set his heart to teach the Law of God. The final commitment of Christian courage is the giving of God’s word to others. This is a non-negotiable. It’s tempting to think, I can study Scripture and obey God privately, but I don’t need to say anything about him or his truth to others. If that’s what you think, you’re believing a lie. Speaking the truth of God’s word is not an option, rather it’s a command. God instructs you to speak his truth in love to other believers (Eph. 4:14-16) and to share your hope in Christ with those who don’t believe (1 Pet. 3:15). Throughout Scripture, God tells his people to teach, admonish, encourage, comfort, and evangelize. Your words are required to declare his word.

Giving God’s word to others—speaking from the Scriptures and sharing biblical truth—may be the commitment of Christian courage that causes you to fear the most. Dear believer, don’t forget or doubt the last promise Christ made as he sent out his disciples to speak on his behalf: “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matt. 28:20). To grow in Christian courage, commit yourself to share God’s word within the sphere of influence he has placed you. Speak of Christ and the truth of his word to your children, family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, and whomever else he places in your path. And remember, like Ezra, God’s good hand is always upon you.

My little boy is now a young man, and I no longer sing a song to reassure him of God’s presence. Today, he competently faces challenges that he could never have imagined when he was five years old. He’s grown in courage, and you and I must do the same. In the future, our devotion to Christ will be increasingly challenged in the public square and in our private lives. As we daily commit ourselves to know, live, and give the word of God, Christian courage will be forged in us. We’ll be ready to honor Christ no matter the cost.

 For more about courageous living, click HERE for Trusting God in Troubled Times, a free 5-day mini-study of Psalm 27.

For more about sharing Scripture with others in need, click HERE for the book

When Words Matter Most: Speaking Truth with Grace to Those You Love.