Courage Under Command

VIRTUES OF THE KINGDOM

Week 5 — Courage Under Command 

Joshua 1:1–9  |  Sunday, October 11, 2026 

Kingdom courage is not the absence of fear. It is obedience under the presence and promise of God. 

INTRODUCTION — COURAGE AFTER FAITH 

Five weeks in. Let's trace where we've been. 

Week 1 — Kingdom identity. 

Week 2 — Kingdom mission. 

Week 3 — Kingdom wisdom. 

Week 4 — Kingdom faith. 

Week 5 — Courage. 

That order is not accidental. 

Faith receives the promise. Courage moves forward under the promise. 

Faith believes God. Courage obeys God. 

Faith says: "God has spoken." Courage says: "Then I must rise and obey." 

Joshua 1 gives us one of the clearest pictures of biblical courage in all of Scripture. 

Joshua is not stepping into an easy assignment. Moses is dead. Israel is on the edge of the land. The wilderness generation has died off. The Jordan must be crossed. Enemies must be faced. Cities must be taken. The promise must be possessed. 

God does not say: "Look inside yourself." 

He does not say: "Trust your personality." 

He does not say: "Joshua, you are enough." 

He says: "Be strong and courageous." 

But that command is grounded in something outside Joshua: "I will be with you." 

Kingdom courage is not the absence of fear. It is obedience under the presence and promise of God. 

I. COURAGE IS NEEDED BECAUSE THE SERVANT DIES, BUT THE MISSION CONTINUES 

Joshua 1:1–2 

"Now it happened after the death of Moses the servant of Yahweh, that Yahweh spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' attendant, saying, 'Moses My servant is dead; so now arise, cross this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them, to the sons of Israel.'" — Joshua 1:1–2, LSB 

That is blunt. There is no easing into it. 

Moses My servant is dead. 

The great prophet is dead. 

The deliverer from Egypt is dead. 

The man who stood before Pharaoh is dead. 

The man who stretched his staff over the Red Sea is dead. 

The man who led Israel through forty years of wilderness is dead. 

But the mission is not dead. 

God's servants die. God's promises do not. 

Moses dies, but Yahweh still speaks. 

Moses dies, but the land promise remains. 

Moses dies, but the covenant continues. 

Moses dies — but Joshua must rise. 

We often tie the work of God too closely to the people God uses. We can honor faithful servants rightly. We can thank God for them and grieve when they are gone. But we must never speak as though the work of God is buried with His servants. 

God says: "Moses is dead. So now — arise." 

I understand this personally in a way I did not when I was younger. When I came to Fairfield, I followed Brother Bobby. He had loved this people, preached from this pulpit, carried the burdens of this church. He had shepherded these people — and then I stepped into a place where another man had already labored. 

I was scared to death. 

Not because God had failed. Not because the church had no future. Not because the Word had lost its power. But because the weight of the task felt bigger than me. There is a particular kind of fear that comes when you realize you are not playing around with ministry. People's souls are real. The pulpit is real. The burden is real. The call is real. 

And you are not enough. 

Joshua 1 gave language to that moment. The wording was different, but the principle was the same: Brother Bobby is gone. But the mission remains. The pulpit remains. The people remain. The Word remains. The Lord remains. 

God's servants die. God's work does not. 

That does not make transition easy. It does not erase grief or remove fear. But it does mean obedience cannot be buried with the previous servant. 

There comes a moment when the Lord says: Arise. Not because you are sufficient. Not because the task is small. Not because you have no fear. But because the mission belongs to God. 

II. COURAGE RESTS ON THE PROMISE OF GOD 

Joshua 1:3–5 

"Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you, just as I spoke to Moses… No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you." — Joshua 1:3–5, LSB 

Notice what God does. Before Joshua fights, God promises. Before Joshua crosses, God speaks. Before Joshua faces the enemies in the land, God tells him what is true. 

Joshua does not create the inheritance by his courage. He steps into what God has already promised. The land was not Joshua's achievement first — it was God's gift. But the gift still had to be possessed through obedience. 

Grace does not produce passivity. 

Promise does not remove obedience. 

God says: "I have given it to you." 

Then He says: "Arise, cross this Jordan." 

Those two things belong together. God's promise does not make obedience unnecessary. God's promise makes obedience possible. 

God promises — therefore His people move. 

God gives — therefore His people step forward. 

God reigns — therefore the Church goes and disciples the nations. 

Biblical courage does not begin with self-confidence. It begins with divine promise. 

Joshua's courage was not rooted in his military brilliance. Not in Israel's strength. Not in favorable circumstances. Not in Joshua feeling ready. The ground of his courage was this one thing: 

"Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you." 

Last week Abraham stood between promise and sight — he had God's Word before he held Isaac. This week Joshua stands between promise and possession — he has God's Word before he has the land under his feet. 

Faith receives the promise. 

Courage walks into obedience under that promise. 

The Lord does not show you the whole map. He gives you His Word. 

He does not remove every enemy before you take the first step. He gives you His promise. 

He does not wait until you feel fearless. He commands you to obey. 

"I will not fail you or forsake you." 

III. COURAGE IS COMMANDED, NOT SUGGESTED 

Joshua 1:6–7, 9 

Listen to how often the command comes: 

"Be strong and courageous…" — Joshua 1:6, LSB 

"Only be strong and very courageous…" — Joshua 1:7, LSB 

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not be in dread or be dismayed…" — Joshua 1:9, LSB 

Three times in four verses. That tells you something. 

Courage is not optional. 

Courage is commanded. 

That does not mean Joshua had no reason to fear. It means fear did not have the right to rule him. He could have named every reason to be afraid. Moses is dead. The people are difficult. The Jordan is ahead. The enemies are real. The land is full of fortified cities. He has watched an entire generation die in the wilderness because of unbelief. He knows the weight of leadership. He knows the cost of failure. 

Those facts are real. But the command still comes: Be strong and courageous. 

My wife often says it this way to me: “Suck it up Buttercup”

Biblical courage is not waiting until fear disappears. It is obeying God while fear is being brought under His Word. 

Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is fear submitted to God's command. 

That is different from bravado. 

Bravado pretends it isn't afraid. Courage tells the truth and obeys God anyway. 

Bravado wants people to think you're strong. Courage knows God is strong. 

Bravado is concerned with image. Courage is concerned with obedience. 

Some men mistake volume for courage. Harshness for courage. Stubbornness for courage. Recklessness for courage. But biblical courage is not merely being willing to fight. Biblical courage is being willing to obey. 

And obedience takes many shapes. 

Sometimes courage looks like speaking. Sometimes it looks like staying silent. 

Sometimes courage looks like confronting sin. Sometimes it looks like receiving correction. 

Sometimes courage looks like leading. Sometimes it looks like submitting. 

Sometimes courage looks like crossing the Jordan. 

Sometimes it looks like apologizing to your wife. 

Sometimes it looks like disciplining your children when it would be easier to look away. 

Sometimes it looks like forgiving when resentment feels more righteous. 

Sometimes it looks like telling the truth when a lie would cost you less. 

Sometimes it looks like staying faithful when nobody is applauding. 

And sometimes courage is more ordinary than any of that. 

Courage is turning your eyes away from what you should not look at. 

Courage is closing the screen. 

Courage is refusing the conversation that feeds your bitterness. 

Courage is confessing the sin by name. 

Courage is putting the bottle down. 

Courage is praying when you feel cold. 

Courage is opening your Bible when you feel dry. 

Most cowardice does not begin with a giant. It begins with a small compromise. A look. A word. A silence. A hidden habit. A private resentment. A refusal to obey in the thing right in front of you. 

Courage is not merely facing giants. Sometimes courage is refusing the small compromise that would make you useless before the giants ever appear. 

Courage is not self-expression. Courage is obedience under command. 

IV. COURAGE MUST BE GOVERNED BY THE WORD 

Joshua 1:7–8 

"Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may be successful wherever you go. This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it." — Joshua 1:7–8, LSB 

God does not simply tell Joshua to be brave. He tells him what kind of courage he must have. 

God does not say: "Be strong by trusting your instincts." 

He does not say: "Follow your heart." 

He does not say: "Do whatever seems practical." 

He says: "Be careful to do according to all the law." 

Do not turn to the right or the left. Do not innovate around obedience. Do not let fear push you into compromise. Do not let pressure push you away from the Word. 

And then the key phrase: "This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth." 

This is not casual Bible exposure. This is not merely carrying your Bible to church or quoting a verse when convenient. The Word is to be in his mouth, in his mind, worked into his bones. Spoken. Meditated upon. Obeyed. 

A man who wants courage without Scripture does not really want biblical courage. He wants adrenaline. He wants personality. He wants self-confidence. 

Kingdom courage is Word-governed courage. 

Courage without submission to the Word becomes presumption. A man can be bold and still be wrong. Fearless and still be wicked. Confident and still be foolish. Aggressive and still be disobedient. 

The Church does not need reckless men. It does not need loud men or self-made men. The Church needs Word-formed men and women who obey when obedience is costly. 

I'll plant a seed here for a series I'm planning next year called Ingested — because Joshua 1:8 is describing more than Bible reading. It's describing what happens when the Word gets so deep into you that it shapes your mouth, your thoughts, your steps. Taken in. Chewed on. Turned over day and night until it forms the heart. 

That is how courage is formed. Not by stirring up emotion. Not by pumping up the flesh. Not by pretending the danger is small. But by having the Word of God so deeply worked into you that when fear rises — the Word speaks louder. 

V. COURAGE IS STRENGTHENED BY THE PRESENCE OF GOD 

Joshua 1:9 

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not be in dread or be dismayed, for Yahweh your God is with you wherever you go." — Joshua 1:9, LSB 

Now we come to the center of everything. 

The command: "Be strong and courageous." 

The prohibition: "Do not be in dread or be dismayed." 

The ground: "For Yahweh your God is with you wherever you go." 

God does not say: "Do not be afraid because the task is small." The task is not small. 

God does not say: "Do not be afraid because the enemies are weak." They are not weak. 

God does not say: "Do not be afraid because you are naturally brave." 

"Do not be dismayed — because Yahweh your God is with you wherever you go." 

The presence of God is the answer to fear. 

That does not mean God's presence removes the hard assignment. It means the hard assignment is never faced alone. That is the difference. 

Some people want God's presence to mean no Jordan. No enemies. No battle. No cost. But God's presence does not remove the Jordan — it sends Joshua across it. God's presence does not remove the battles — it assures Joshua he will not face them alone. 

"I will obey when I feel less afraid." 

"I will lead when I feel more capable." 

"I will speak when it costs less." 

"I will repent when it feels easier." 

But God does not ground courage in our readiness. He grounds it in His presence. 

The question is not: "Do I feel equal to this task?" 

The question is: "Has God commanded — and is He with His people?" 

If He has commanded, obey. If He is with you, do not be dismayed. 

There is no obedient step in your life that requires God to abandon you. There is no place Christ sends you where He says: "You go on without Me." Obedience may be painful — but it will never be Godless. 

The Lord is with His people. That is enough for courage.  See the new book for more on God “In the Midst”

VI. CHRIST IS THE GREATER JOSHUA 

We cannot end by simply saying: "Be like Joshua." Joshua is not the final hero. He leads Israel into the land, but Hebrews tells us plainly — Joshua did not give the final rest. There remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. Joshua was real. His mission was real. His courage was real. But Joshua was not ultimate. He points forward to Christ. 

Even the name matters. Joshua in Hebrew is the name behind Jesus. 

Joshua leads God's people into Canaan. Jesus leads His people into the inheritance of the Kingdom. 

Joshua crosses the Jordan with Israel. Jesus passes through death for His people. 

Joshua faces earthly enemies. Jesus crushes sin, Satan, and death itself. 

Joshua receives the command to be strong and courageous. Jesus sets His face toward Jerusalem and obeys — unto death. 

Christ is the faithful servant who never turned to the right or to the left. He is the true Word-formed Man. He obeyed where Adam failed. Where Israel failed. Where we have failed. 

In Gethsemane He did not pretend the cup was light. He sweat, as it were, drops of blood. He prayed honestly: 

"My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will." — Matthew 26:39, LSB 

That is courage under command. Not bravado. Not denial. Not pretending. Perfect obedience. Perfect submission. And by His death and resurrection, Christ secured the inheritance of His people. 

Now the risen Christ sends His Church into the nations — and listen to the promise He gives: 

"And behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." — Matthew 28:20, LSB 

Do you hear the echo? 

Joshua 1: "Yahweh your God is with you wherever you go." 

Matthew 28: "I am with you always." 

The courage of the Church rests on the presence of the reigning Christ. 

We are not sent because we are strong. We are sent because He has all authority. 

We are not courageous because the nations are easy. We are courageous because Christ is with us. 

We are not faithful because the road is painless. We are faithful because the King has promised His presence. 

That is why fathers can lead. 

That is why mothers can disciple. 

That is why pastors can preach. 

That is why members can serve. 

That is why witnesses can speak. 

That is why sinners can repent. 

That is why weak saints can rise. 

Because Christ is with His people. 

CLOSING — THE JORDAN IN FRONT OF YOU 

Joshua 1 is not teaching courage as personality. Not bravado. Not loudness. Not recklessness. 

Biblical courage is obedience under the command of God. 

Moses is dead — but the mission remains. 

Brother Bobby is gone — but the mission remains. 

Old seasons end — but the Word of God remains. 

Joshua had real reasons to fear. The Jordan was real. The enemies were real. The weight of leadership was real. Yet the Lord said: 

"Be strong and courageous — for Yahweh your God is with you wherever you go." — Joshua 1:9, LSB 

Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is fear submitted to the command of God. 

And we need Word-formed courage — not fleshly courage. Not the courage that says "I am enough," but the courage that says: "God has commanded. God has spoken. God is with His people. Therefore I must obey." 

The greater Joshua has come. 

Christ obeyed perfectly. 

He set His face toward Jerusalem. 

He went to the cross. 

He rose from the dead. 

He reigns now. 

"I am with you always, even to the end of the age." — Matthew 28:20, LSB 

So be strong and courageous. 

Not because the task is small. 

Not because fear is imaginary. 

Not because you are sufficient. 

But because Christ is with His people. 

The risen King reigns. 

He will not fail. 

He will not forsake. 

He will build His Church. 

He will complete His work. 

There is a Jordan in front of you. 

You know what it is. 

The obedience you have been delaying. The hard conversation you have been avoiding. The sin you need to confess. The faithfulness that feels too costly. The step you have been waiting to feel ready for. 

You will not feel ready. 

But the Lord is with you. His Word governs you. His promise holds you. His presence goes before you. 

Arise. Cross the Jordan in front of you. And obey the Lord. 

CLOSING PRAYER 

Father, 

We confess that fear often rules us more than Your Word. 

We have called caution what was really disobedience. 

We have called silence what was really fear. 

We have called passivity what was really unbelief. 

Forgive us. 

Teach us true courage — not bravado, not recklessness, not self-confidence — but obedience under Your command. 

Make us people governed by Your Word. Let the Scriptures not depart from our mouths. Work Your Word into our minds, our homes, this church, and our steps. 

Give courage to fathers. 

Give courage to mothers. 

Give courage to this church — to repent, to forgive, to speak truth, to serve, to witness, and to obey. 

Give us courage for the ordinary days, not only the dramatic ones. Give us courage to turn from small compromises. Give us courage to obey in the quiet places no one sees. 

Thank You that Your work does not die when Your servants die. Thank You for every faithful servant who carried the work before us. Now teach us to arise in our own day. 

Above all, fix our eyes on Jesus Christ — the greater Joshua. He obeyed perfectly. He went to the cross. He rose from the dead. He reigns now. And He has promised to be with His people always, to the end of the age. 

Strengthen us by His presence. Make us strong and courageous. Teach us to walk forward under the reign of Christ. 

We ask in Jesus' name. Amen.