Be Strong and Courageous

July 2, 2026 — Krystal Craven
A boy in a blue shirt with arms up and flexed yelling out. Overlaying the image are the words "Be Strong and Courageous".

No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. 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)

In Joshua 1 alone, the phrase “Be strong and courageous” appears four times. This repetition tells us something important: God knew Joshua would need continual reinforcement of this truth.

And Joshua was not the first, or the last, to hear it. Moses was told to be strong and courageous (Deuteronomy 31:6). David spoke it to Solomon (1 Chronicles 28:20). God strengthened His people facing war (2 Chronicles 32:7), it was spoken to leaders rebuilding after exile (Haggai 2:4), and it was even spoken to those weighed down by anxiety (Isaiah 35:4). The command echoes across Scripture because fear is not unique to any generation.

So where does this strength and courage come from? Not from personality, confidence, or feeling brave…but from God Himself. Scripture tells us we are strengthened with power through His Spirit (Ephesians 3:16), strengthened by grace (2 Timothy 2:1), and called to be strong in the LORD and in the strength of His might (Ephesians 6:10). We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13), because He is with us and will uphold us (Isaiah 41:10).

Nehemiah reminds us that “the joy of the LORD is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10), and Romans declares that “we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Romans 8:37).

Courage does not come from the absence of fear. So where does courage come from?

Courage comes from casting fear out. “Perfect love casts out fear” (1 John 4:18). When we affirm God’s love and promises in our minds, fear loses its grip.

Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our LORD (Romans 8:38–39). And because we are held by that love, we can walk forward in obedience, strength, AND courage.

Strength and courage go hand in hand, and both are firmly rooted in Christ.

A boy in a blue shirt with arms up and flexed yelling out. Overlaying the image are the words "No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. 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)"