“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”
—Joshua 1:9
SUMMER 2005, early morning,Victory Base Complex, Iraq. The fighting in and around Baghdad is intense. My assistant and I hitch a ride on a Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter. It is my first helicopter ride into a hot combat zone.
We are part of a group of six Black Hawks flying a routine mission from Victory Base to the Green Zone in the heart of Baghdad to check on the morale of our troops scattered around the area. We are flying low and I am looking down over the city, seeing many explosions along the route. (Later I learn that more than six hundred civilian casualties are taking place that morning.)
Then I notice flares shooting out of our Black Hawk and the others. I hear ting, ting, ting—what sounds like a small hammer hitting our bird. It is enemy small arms fire from below. Our door gunner opens up with his M60D machine gun, spraying the ground below.
I think, This looks like something out of a movie. Then I realize this is no movie. We may not make it back to base camp. Fear and adrenaline pump through me.
But we land on schedule, and I am picked up in an armored Land Cruiser and taken to the Green Zone. Once there we come under mortar attack and seek cover as quickly as possible. We have gone from the frying pan into the fire.
I discover in these moments that courage is not the absence of fear. It is the ability to continue the mission no matter what, because that is what God has called me to do. In these moments, training and instincts take over. I must be prepared for what life throws at me. And the most important thing is reliance on God. Whether I live or die, He will see me through.
When Fear Meets Courage
Not all days in the military are like this one, but it is good to know that we serve a powerful God who watches over us night and day, no matter what. God will provide the courage we need when we need it, not before or after. The key is to trust Him, not ourselves.
We are all in need of courage because we will face seemingly insurmountable trials in the days ahead. The greater the problem, the more courage we need to face it. With God’s grace, we will overcome.
Here is the U.S. Army’s definition of personal courage:
With physical courage, it is a matter of enduring physical duress and at times risking personal safety. Facing moral fear or adversity may be a long, slow process of continuing forward on the right path, especially if taking those actions is not popular with others. You can build your personal courage by daily standing up for and acting upon the things that you know are honorable.1
In the Army, there is a running joke that goes like this: “A Medal of Honor winner is someone who was in the wrong place at the wrong time.” We hold the highest respect for our Medal of Honor winners, no doubt. But the joke reveals the truth that most of us do not want to be in harm’s way unless it is necessary and critically vital to our national security.
Courage is mandatory, not optional, for the warrior of God. There is mounting pressure from society to conform to the world’s politically correct standards. The current yardstick says that to impose your beliefs on anyone else is arrogance or worse. We need to be strong and of good courage to stand up for our beliefs now, and to face the Antichrist and his hordes in the last days.
Jesus gives the alternatives:
“To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”
Revelation 21:6–8
If we decide to receive the mark of the Beast (which we discussed in the last chapter), we will not enter the New Jerusalem or the Kingdom of heaven; our fate will be the lake of fire. But it takes courage even today to stand up to those who are antagonistic to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Courage is a vital part of who we are in Christ.
Courage is not the absence of fear; it is the ability to keep going in the face of opposition, even though you are afraid. That is why the military trains constantly—so that, as my son Micah experienced in Iraq, your instincts take over when the going gets tough.
Courage Under Persecution
“We’re told in Scripture very clearly that there’s a coming conflict,” says my friend Colonel Peter Brzezinski, U.S. Army chaplain at Fort Sam Houston in Texas. He continues:
Depending on your theology, I think we’re going through some of those trials now. In fact, today there are more Christians suffering persecution than at any time in history. We’re somewhat immune to it in the West, but I think that is changing quickly. And so, as the day draws near for the Lord to return, we need to be prepared and understand what Scripture says about how to best stand firm in these last days and not be swept away by the evil tide. That time is approaching quickly.2
More and more believers are being accused of spreading hate. In countries around the world, Christian ministers and groups are routinely arrested on charges of “hate speech” for communicating what the Bible calls sin.3
Sometimes we do express hate or speak out without love and discretion. But far more often, Christians experience persecution simply for living and expressing their beliefs. In the not-too-distant future, could believers in the West face jail for hate crimes? This is what the early Christians faced in the Roman Empire. Their persecution, which scattered them to other parts of the region, began in Jerusalem with the stoning of Stephen.
He had preached Jesus, confronted apostasy, stood against the moral and religious climate of the day, and stirred up so much animosity in the hearts of religious leaders that he was stoned to death. As he died, “he fell on his knees and cried out, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them’” (Acts 7:60)—a prime example of courage and love under fire.
Hatred of Christians in Rome continued in the first century under the Roman emperor Nero. The underlying problem was the refusal of Christians to worship pagan gods and the emperor, who was considered a deity. Followers of Jesus claimed to belong to another Kingdom, while Nero saw them as traitors to the Empire. Persecution lasted in Rome until around 313 AD, when Constantine, the first emperor to profess Christianity, approved the Edict of Milan, establishing toleration for Christians in the Roman Empire.4
Today, as we have noted, believers in a record number of nations are experiencing persecution, abuse and even genocide at the hands of dictators and authoritarian regimes. Open Doors estimates that one in nine, or 245 million, of the world’s 2.5 billion Christians experience high levels of persecution.5 Astonishingly it is estimated that more Christians have died for their faith over the last century than in all the other centuries of Church history combined.
Frank J. Gaffney, president and chief executive officer of Save the Persecuted Christians, says:
If you think of the worst atrocities in the history of the world—what Pol Pot did in Cambodia, what Adolf Hitler did in the Third Reich, what Joseph Stalin did in the Soviet Union, what Mao Zedong did in China, and if you put the numbers of people that they killed together, it would pale by comparison with the number of lives being destroyed—not in every case people being killed, but lives being destroyed—around the world today.6
Do not think for one moment that this kind of persecution cannot happen in the West. It has already started. Floodgates of lawlessness, immorality and corruption have been swung wide open. What used to be called immoral, indecent and ungodly has now become the populist movement of our time.
Many in the Bible stood up for righteousness and morality in the face of adversity. Given what’s happening today, one in particular stands out.
Joshua and Courage
Twelve men were sent by Moses to spy out the land of Canaan while the Israelites were in the desert. Was the land good? Was the soil fertile? Were the residents to be overcome powerful? Ten of the spies told Moses—and everyone in Israel’s camp—that the land was good, but that there was no way they could defeat the people and giants who lived there.
Joshua and Caleb were the only two spies with a good report. “Do not be afraid of the people of the land,” they said, “because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the LORD is with us. Do not be afraid of them” (Numbers 14:9).
Tragically, the people believed the ten, not the two; and it would be forty years before the Israelites were allowed to enter the land. What happened to the ten spies? They died in the wilderness along with the rest of the Israelites who refused to believe God’s promises. In Numbers 14:30–34 He states:
“Not one of you will enter the land I swore with uplifted hand to make your home, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun. As for your children that you said would be taken as plunder, I will bring them in to enjoy the land you have rejected. But as for you, your bodies will fall in this wilderness. Your children will be shepherds here for forty years, suffering for your unfaithfulness, until the last of your bodies lies in the wilderness. For forty years—one year for each of the forty days you explored the land—you will suffer for your sins and know what it is like to have me against you.”
It is safer to follow the Lord than anyone else. Even though the grumblers among the Israelites thought they were playing it safe, they died in the wilderness, while Joshua and Caleb lived on to see the Promised Land.
Where did Joshua find the courage to face the giants who lived there? He was a true warrior whom God had selected to lead the nation of Israel into the land after the death of Moses—and into combat against the fierce people of Canaan. As we noted at the beginning of this chapter, God encouraged Joshua to “be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9).
Joshua learned courage from his mentor Moses, who helped him embark on his journey. Joshua had seen what Moses went through for more than forty years in the desert after liberating his people from slavery in Egypt.
In truth, there was no need for God to tell him not to fear if Joshua was not afraid. But even though he was afraid, he chose not to take counsel of his fears. Instead he chose to depend upon God, who could (and did!) perform miracles on his behalf. Likewise we can learn to be brave as we watch others who exhibit godly courage.
In this end-times age, fear is prevalent throughout the world and will only intensify in the years ahead. So, determine ahead of time to be trained and ready with the full armor of God as your defense. We will look at the pieces of armor listed in Ephesians 6 in the next section of this chapter.
What kinds of courage are needed?
Courage to Endure
If you think it will be safer to follow the Antichrist during the Tribulation than to take a stand with the Lord Jesus Christ, think again. Revelation 14:9–11 (NKJV) lays out the consequences of that decision:
Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.”
Yes, you will enjoy food, water, shelter and security for a brief time, but you will suffer the consequences for all eternity if you lose heart and take the mark of the Beast.
The following verse goes on to say, “Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus” (Revelation 14:12 NKJV). The people of God will need patient endurance during this time of tremendous upheaval and suffering.
Before we get to that stage, we need to prepare our hearts and minds. The apostle Paul had suffered immensely to arrive at the place in his faith where he could say, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13 NKJV). He had already endured shipwrecks, beatings, imprisonment, starvation, humiliation and even death or near-death by stoning (after which Acts 14:20 says he “got up”). He knew by experience that Christ was all he needed to endure trials and tribulations.
As Bible prophecies continue to unfold, some will try to stay out of the fight and declare themselves neutral bystanders. But we warriors will need the courage available to us through the power of the Holy Spirit to take a stand for Christ.
Courage to Shelter in God
In chapter 6 we discussed one of the stages in the end-times scenario, “the beast coming out of the sea” described in Revelation 13:1–8. We believe this involves the collapse of the world order, the failure of economic markets, and the rise of world leaders who will offer solutions to the global chaos.
As the Beast, the Antichrist, is “given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation” (Revelation 13:7), notice that there will be few places to hide and no place to remain neutral. It seems incredible but true that
the whole world was filled with wonder and followed the beast. People worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast. . . .
verses 3–4
Nobody knows when Christ will come back to “rapture” believers. The Church has lived through and is living through some horrific events. Being prepared for anything, at any time, is the word of the day. Jesus said it best (of course) in John 15:18–21:
“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me.”
For several centuries, the Church in many nations has enjoyed gracious standing and social status in society. Many towns and cities have a church or churches at their center. This has changed and is changing as you read this book. The rise of instant communication, internet, travel, public education, prosperity, leisure and a host of other factors have contributed to the decline of the Church in recent decades, including the closure of many churches during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Even now, before the time of the end, our friend retired U.S. Army Major General Robert Dees admits that “life is pretty tough for many people.” He suggests what we need:
It comes and goes, but we all get body-slammed at various times, so even now it’s only common sense to get ready for the storms of life and learning how to best respond, hiding under the shelter of God’s wings until the destruction passes. After that it’s bouncing back and not getting stuck in toxic emotions like false guilt, anger and bitterness, but getting better, wiser and stronger through adversity, so we can be ready for the next storm of life. That’s what I call the resilience life cycle.7
Courage to Fight
In developing courage and resiliency, we need to understand the fundamentals of spiritual warfare in order to fight the good fight. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 10:4 (NKJV) that “the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds.” What are those weapons and how do we use them?
The weapons of our warfare are listed in Ephesians 6:14–17: the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, the shoes of the Gospel and the sword of the Spirit. We will look at these weapons again in chapter 14, and others as well. But they will not do you much good if you don’t know how to use them properly or train with them every day. One thing is clear: We develop courage by the constant use of these weapons.
Historical studies found that most of the soldiers who hit the beaches of Normandy, France, on D-Day did not fire a shot because of a lack of preparedness. Military historian S. L. A. Marshall, based on interviews he did with soldiers during World War II, estimated that no more than twenty percent, and generally as few as fifteen percent, had ever fired their weapons at an enemy.8
God has provided us with array of spiritual weapons to achieve victory in the last days, but like soldiers who never fire their guns, our spiritual weapons do little good unless we use them to engage the enemy.
In addition to the six weapons listed in Ephesians 6, people often miss the seventh weapon, the most powerful of them all—praying in the Spirit. This is Paul’s encouragement on how to use this weapon effectively: “Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests” (verse 18). Prayer is the most powerful weapon because it is the fuel that supplies the power to your arsenal.
Here are characteristics of courage taken from an Army evaluation form for a non-commissioned officer (NCO):
THE NCO WITH COURAGE
THE BELIEVER WITH COURAGE
STRATEGIC SPIRITUAL EXERCISES
Here are some practical takeaways for unleashing last days courage in your life: