Are You Filled With Courage?
God is looking for believers who will stand up, be strong, and do battle with faith and courage, trusting in His promise to be with them.
David Wilkerson emphasizes the necessity of courage and faith in spiritual warfare, illustrating how many Christians fail to resist the enemy and become vulnerable to spiritual defeat. He recounts the story of Gideon from the book of Judges, highlighting how God called Gideon a 'mighty man of valor' despite his doubts and fears. Wilkerson points out that God required Gideon to send home the fearful soldiers, demonstrating that true strength comes from faith and courage. He encourages believers to stand firm in their faith, reminding them that God is always with them and capable of bringing victory in their lives. Ultimately, the sermon calls for Christians to rise up and fight their battles with confidence in God's presence and power.
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With all the talk in the church about spiritual warfare, too many Christians have not learned how to resist the enemy. In fact, few believers know how to stand up and fight, and they become real pushovers for the devil.
The book of Judges tells us, "The children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord. So the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian for seven years" (Judges 6:1-2). Every year at harvest time, the Midianites moved over Israel's land with thousands of camels, sheep and cattle that ate everything in sight, leaving Israel completely impoverished. They were driven to living in dark caves and damp dens, starving, scared and helpless. Then something happened! After seven years of this, the Israelites cried out to the Lord (6:6-7).
A man named Gideon had grown weary and exasperated at the situation. The Angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, "The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor!" (Judges 6:12). Gideon questioned this Angel: "Well, if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? How long should we just put up with it? We've been told we have a God who moved for our fathers, but look at us -- helpless, living in constant fear." The Angel said, "Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat the [enemy]" (6:16).
Gideon gathered his army but then God made a strange request: "Send home every soldier who is afraid" (7:3). In other words, God said to Gideon, "I must have men of faith and courage! All others must pray until they develop a backbone." That thinned out the army considerably. Still, before it was all over, Gideon had an army of strong, focused, determined fighters.
Scripture commands us to stand up, be strong, and do battle: "Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong" (1 Corinthians 16:13, NAS). Jesus has promised us, "I am with you always" (Matthew 28:20). God is looking for believers today who will fight their own battles with faith and courage. He says to you, "Why do you fear? You can trust me to bring victory to your life. You are stronger than you think and, remember, I'm always with you."
Sermon Outline
- The Problem of Fear and Lack of Courage
- The Example of Gideon
- The Call to Stand Up and Fight
- Scripture commands us to stand firm in the faith and be strong
- Jesus has promised us that He is always with us
- God is looking for believers who will fight their own battles with faith and courage
Key Quotes
“The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor!” — David Wilkerson
“I am with you always” — David Wilkerson
“Why do you fear? You can trust me to bring victory to your life” — David Wilkerson
Application Points
- You have the power to overcome fear by trusting in God's promise to be with you.
- You must stand firm in your faith and be strong in order to resist the enemy.
- God expects believers to take action and do battle with faith and courage.