Be strong and Courageous: Preparing for Victory

As we begin our Scripture Plan, Victorious: 30 Days with Joshua, we see that God is preparing his people for victory. The people are now about to do what they have been waiting to do for forty years (and what was promised four hundred years before) – enter the Promised Land. As we read through these verses at the beginning of Joshua we see God preparing his people in a number of ways, encouraging them with the words ‘Be Strong and Courageous’.

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Lessons on preparing for victory

In our Bible readings for this week (Numbers 1-6) we see God preparing his people for victory in a variety of ways. I’ve chosen four to highlight.

God gives the victory

In Numbers 1-6 the word ‘give’ is repeated sixteen times, emphasising that God is giving them the land.

Arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses. Joshua 1:2-3 ESV

These words would have been a real encouragement to Joshua and the Israelites.

We, too, can get encouragement from God’s word about what he has given us:

But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:57

Victory takes Effort

Even though God is giving them the land, they do not receive it passively. The Israelites will need to put the effort into possessing the land. Those who are currently living in the land will not go quietly and the Israelites will need to fight to claim their promise from God.

So, God encourages Joshua to be strong and courageous and to remember that God will be with them. This is a message Joshua hears a number of times, from a number of sources.

From Moses: 

Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land that the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall put them in possession of it. ⁸ It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” Deuteronomy 31:7-8

From God: 

I will not leave you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. Joshua 1:5-6

From the Israelites:

Only be strong and courageous. Joshua 1:18

When we hear the same message from God again and again from a number of sources we should take note!

We, too, hear this message in the New Testament:

Be alert, stand firm in the faith, be courageous, be strong. 1 Corinthians 16:13 CSB

Faith leads to victory

Through the examples of the Israelites crossing the Jordan and Rahab putting her trust in the Israelites, we see that faith leads to victory. In order to gain the victory they had to first put their faith in God.

In order to gain our victory we must first have faith in Jesus Christ.

This is the victory that has conquered the world: our faith. Who is the one who conquers the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? 1 John 5:4-5

Remember you are on God’s side

In Joshua 5:13 Joshua approaches a man with a sword saying ‘Are you for us, or for our adversaries?’ to which he gives the strange reply: “No; but I am the commander of the army of the Lord. Now I have come.” This doesn’t really tell Joshua one way or the other!

When we face difficulties we should not be asking God if he is on our side, but instead, declaring that we are on God’s side.

God has the victory and we need to align ourselves with him rather than asking him to align himself with our plans. We must remember that we are serving Christ, not the other way round.

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. Col 3:23-24

I hope you have found these reflections from Joshua 1-6 as insightful as I have. Come back next week for more reflections on our Scripture Plan – Victorious: 30 Days with Joshua. You can also find the previous post in the series here:

• Bible Verses about Victory (Introduction to the Scripture Plan)