Biblical Manhood

1 Corinthians 16:13–14 CSB

Be alert, stand firm in the faith, be courageous, be strong. Do everything in love.

Introduction

“Be alert, stand firm in the faith, be courageous, be strong. Do everything in love.” This passage is like a compact manifesto for Christian manhood: strength rooted in faith, courage tempered with love.

Today’s world, however, is confused about what it means to be a man. Some glorify toughness without tenderness; others reject strength altogether. Sitcoms and commercials make fun of manhood, presenting men as clueless stooges.

We learned at Men’s Fraternity Thursday night eight current realities about manhood. (And by the way, I am praising the Lord that 19 men were present for our first Men’s Fraternity meeting.) Here are the current realities of manhood that we learned:

Men are in a state of confusion. Our culture has discarded the biblical model and has offered no replacement. Of course, there is no replacement of a biblical model for anything. So our culture, not just men, are confused about manhood.

Men are experiencing general disappointment with life. Our culture’s focus on material success and wealth is an unreachable goal for most men. And those who reach that goal are still swamped by feelings of discontentment.

Men are experiencing pain. Because our culture expects men to suck it up, or cowboy us, men are reluctant to talk about their pain. Instead, we pack down in locked closets of our minds.

Men are lonely. Intimacy has been destroyed by a variety of issues, so many men today have no intimate friends, not even their wives.

Men are drifting. Like hummingbirds darting from one flower to another, men are searching for significance and meaning in every place except the one who satisfies completely.

Men are turning to escapes to numb the pain. Alcohol, drugs, pornography, adultery, excessive work: these are but a few ways that men attempt to numb the nagging pain in their souls.

Confused men create major problems. Many studies in the U.S. (and other places) show a strong correlation between father absence and higher crime rates — especially violent crime and incarceration. Here are a few well-documented findings:

U.S. Department of Justice / Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS): In past reports, over 70% of juveniles in state-operated institutions came from fatherless homes.

National Fatherhood Initiative: Summarizing research, it’s noted that children from fatherless homes are 20 times more likely to end up in prison compared to those from intact families.

Texas Department of Corrections study (1990s): Around 85% of youth in prison grew up in a fatherless household.

Other studies: About 60% of rapists and a large percentage of repeat violent offenders reported father absence.

👉 Important note: These stats show correlation, not absolute determinism. Not every child without a father commits crimes, but the risk of delinquency, incarceration, and destructive behavior is much higher compared to peers with present fathers.

8. Without a compelling vision for manhood, men will settle for less in life.

We also learned the historical roots of our present manhood crisis:

Racism destroyed the dignity of men, primarily men of color.

The industrial revolution turned men into machines, focusing on providing rather than nurturing.

The War years tore men apart and caused them to be distant and sometimes bitter.

Feminism demonized manhood and destroyed the distinctives between men and women.

Currently, we are finding that many men suffer what is called “extended adolescence,” which inspires boyish and immature behavior.

The world needs better men; why not start with us?

Today, since most of our women are on a retreat on the coast, I thought it would be good for us to focus on manhood, answering the question: What is God’s blueprint for true manhood?

Paul’s closing exhortation to the Corinthian church provides a Spirit-inspired blueprint for true manhood. In five short commands, he lays out what Christian manhood looks like—especially for men who desire to lead well, love deeply, and live faithfully.

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Main Points

1. Be Watchful – Guard Your Heart and Responsibilities

The first four imperatives in verse 13 evoke the image of the soldier who is alert, steadfast, courageous, and strong in preparation for conflict. Blomberg calls these “military metaphors to encourage resoluteness in the faith.” The imperative in verse 14 recalls the tender love and grace that compliments all those that call us to strength. The first call to biblical manhood is a call to vigilance: be watchful.

Men are called to be alert to spiritual dangers. 1 Peter 5:8 “Be sober-minded, be alert. Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour.” Our enemy, the devil, does not want us to live a holy life, and he definitely doesn’t want us to live a persuasive life. Ephesians 6:11 “Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil.” Hopefully, the events of the past few weeks have awakened a sleeping giant in America: godly men who are alert to spiritual dangers in the world, which leads me to say this:

Men are to be alert to corrosive influences in the world. Men, let’s not be naive. We live in a day in which sin abounds and is more readily accessible than ever before. We are one click away from going down a rabbit hole of corrosive influence. There is more profanity in five minutes of a movie or television show than Christian men in the past might have experienced in a lifetime. The very mindset of the world, with its emphasis on gaining wealth and power, and entertaining the most base human desires is corrosive. Jude 24 “Now to him who is able to protect you from stumbling and to make you stand in the presence of his glory, without blemish and with great joy.” God’s Holy Spirit stands with us, not only to wake us up to corrosive influencs upon our discipleship, but to equip us against those influences. Yet, we have a responsibility.

Men are to guard their hearts. Proverbs 4:23 “Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life.” Curating a heart for Christ Jesus and His commands is necessary. Jesus promised: John 14:15 ““If you love me, you will keep my commands.” We guard our hearts by abiding in God’s Word. Psalm 119:9 “How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping your word.”

Men also live to protect those entrusted to them. Ephesians 5:28 “In the same way, husbands are to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.” In the same way refers back to Christ’s example of love: He died for the church. Ephesians 6:4 “Fathers, don’t stir up anger in your children, but bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.”

The watchmen on a city wall in the ancient world was a city’s one line of defense at night. If they fell asleep, the whole city was at risk. There are historical accounts suggesting that bribery and internal betrayal played a role in breaches of the Great Wall of China. Though some of the stories are romanticized and might not be accurate, historians know that such breaches could occur through corruption, bribery, or betrayal, especially where Chinese defenders were compromised by internal dissent or financial incentives.

Men, we lock our doors at night to protect our families. But do we neglect to guard what our children and grandchildren watch or hear? And while we’re at it, are we placing the guard of God’s Word in our own hearts?

Application: A godly man is not passive or distracted but attentive to his walk with God.

“I would not appoint a man … to the mission field until he had first learned to wrestle with the evil one because if he … has not learned to wrestle with the evil one.” (Dixon Edward Hoste)

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2. Stand Firm in the Faith – Root Yourself in Truth

John Eldridge, in his book, Wild at Heart, explains that, “A man needs a battle to fight, an adventure to live, and a beauty to rescue.” In order for a man to fight the good fight and live the adventure of discipleship, he must be rooted in God’s truth.

Jude understood this principle and exhorts his readers, Jude 3 “Dear friends, although I was eager to write you about the salvation we share, I found it necessary to write, appealing to you to contend for the faith that was delivered to the saints once for all.” To contend means to “struggle against” or “fight.”

Why must we fight? Because living for Jesus in this world, especially our day and time, is a fight. In a world of relevant truth, disbelief in God, a culture that despises God’s Word and the gospel, where there is a growing disdain for people of Christian faith, we’re in a fight. Holding firmly to God’s Word and the faith requires deep personal commitment that is expressed in godly behavior.

Standing firm in the faith means refusing to compromise the gospel. Galatians 1:8–9 “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, a curse be on him! As we have said before, I now say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, a curse be on him!”

Here are three typical ways we men compromise the gospel:

Watering Down Biblical Truths: Diluting or altering core doctrines to make the message more palatable to culture or personal preferences, or rationalize our own sin, leads to a loss of the gospel’s power and purity.

Compromising Moral and Ethical Standards: Conforming to societal pressures, practices, or views that conflict with biblical teachings compromises the gospel’s call for holiness and righteousness.

Neglecting Evangelism and Discipleship: Failing to actively share the gospel or disciple others, leads to a weakened church and missed opportunities to expand God’s kingdom.

Standing firm requires knowing God’s Word. God’s Word is meant to reveal the truth about God to us; to reveal the truth about us to us; to reveal the standards of living that God has designed for us; and to equip us to flesh it out daily in practical obedience, even when culture pushes the other way.

That’s what “knowing God’s Word” means. Paul was not talking about an intellectual knowledge of facts, nor having an acquaintance with God and His Word. He’s talking about an intimate experience with God and His Word so that we are thoroughly equipped as men.

2 Timothy 2:15 “Be diligent to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who doesn’t need to be ashamed, correctly teaching the word of truth.” Some translations use the phrase “correctly handling,” but I like the CSB translation’s “teaching.” That word means “to guide on a straight path.” Men, this is one of the tasks God has given us. And in order to guide others on a straight path, we must know that path and walk it ourselves.

A great biblical example is Daniel. He refused to eat the king’s food or bow to Babylon’s idols. Even under threat of death, he stood firm in the Lord. He was willing to go into the lion’s den rather than compromise God’s Word.

A great historical example is Martin Luther, who at the Diet of Worms refused to back down on his commitment to God’s Word, declaring to those who held him in contempt: “Here I stand, I can do no other…” He was a man immovable from God’s Word.

Sometimes today we might face ridicule for holding to biblical convictions about integrity, about sexuality, or truth—but godly men choose obedience to God over approval of men. Ephesians 6:6 “Don’t work only while being watched, as people-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, do God’s will from your heart.”

“The greatest issue facing the world today, with all its heartbreaking needs, is whether those who are identified as Christians will become disciples—students, apprentices, practitioners—of Jesus Christ.” (Dallas Willard)

Application: Men, we must develop convictions from Scripture and stand by them with humility and courage.

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3. Act Like Men – Show Courage and Maturity

C.S. Lewis, writes in Mere Christianity: “Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point.” Both C.S. Lewis and Paul issue a call to courage as central to Christian manhood.

The phrase , “be courageous,” is translated from one Greek word, which more literally means, “be manly.” The word points to courage, maturity, and responsibility.

True manhood is not about swagger, being a “John Wayne,” but about stepping up when others shrink back. Joshua 1:9 “Haven’t I commanded you: be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Moses spoke these words to Joshua as he was passing the torch of leading God’s people to the promised land. I also like what Hebrews 10:39 “But we are not those who draw back and are destroyed, but those who have faith and are saved.”

True manhood is not about dominance, it’s about stewardship, leadership, and protecting and providing for those we love. One of the saddest stories in the Old Testament is of Eli and his sons. Eli was instrumental in grooming young Samuel to become God’s prophet to Israel during very difficult and turbulent times. But Eli was not a good father. The biblical account in 1 Samuel presents Eli as a father who was weak or passive in addressing the misconduct of his sons, Hophni and Phinehas. While Eli was a high priest and spiritual leader, he did not effectively discipline or correct his sons for their sinful behaviors, despite knowing about their actions. The story ends in death: Hophni and Phinehas dying in God’s judgement for handing unauthorized fire, and Eli falling backward and breaking his neck on hearing of his sons’ demise.

This world, our community, and your families need men who will be manly in their defense of God’s truth.

Application: Men are called to take initiative, lead sacrificially, and embrace responsibility rather than avoid it.

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4. Be Strong – Draw Strength from the Lord

Strength here is not self-reliance but Spirit-empowered endurance. Ephesians 6:10 “Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by his vast strength.”

Strength here is being honest with our weakness in ourselves, and being driven to depend on Christ’s power. 2 Corinthians 12:9–10 “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me. So I take pleasure in weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and in difficulties, for the sake of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

Strength here means living a healthy and vital spiritual life that inspires others. How is this kind of healthy, vital, and powerful life developed? Primarily three ways:

Prayer

Scripture

Fellowship

Application: Godly men rely on prayer, Scripture, and fellowship to be strong for the challenges of life and leadership.

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5. Do Everything in Love – The Crown of Manhood

Strength without love becomes harsh; vigilance without love becomes suspicion. 1 Corinthians 13:1–3 reminds us that love is the crowning character, the defining mark of biblical manhood. “If I speak human or angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so that I can move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give away all my possessions, and if I give over my body in order to boast but do not have love, I gain nothing.”

And once again, Jesus is our example. Romans 5:8 “But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” John 15:13 “No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends.” John 13:34–35 “I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” Earlier in John 13, Jesus modeled the kind of love He calls us to practice. The disciples were reclined around a table, about to partake of the Passover feast; but no one had taken the initiative to provide bowl of water and a towel for them to wash their feet as they entered the room. Love takes initiative. Jesus Himself filled a basin with water, wrapped a towel around Himself, and took a towel for washing. Then the strongest, most holy man in the world, the very Son of God, moved around the table, stooping even to the feet of the one who would betray Him and washed His disciples’ feet. Jesus lived to serve.

“A man’s job is to use his strength to serve, not to take. To sacrifice for the good of those he loves.” (Tim Keller)

Application: A godly man uses his strength not to dominate but to serve, protect, and build others up.

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Conclusion

These five commands sketch the portrait of a biblical man:

Watchful protector

Faithful believer

Courageous leader

Spirit-empowered servant

Loving brother, husband, father, friend

Jesus is the perfect model of this manhood—strong enough to face the cross, tender enough to weep, faithful to the Father, and loving to the end.

Call to action: Men, will you step into this calling? Women, will you pray for and encourage the men around you to embrace this vision?

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Closing Illustration

Jesus on the cross is the ultimate example of biblical manhood: vigilant against Satan, firm in obedience, courageous in suffering, strong in the Spirit, and overflowing with love. All manhood points to Him as the true model.