"What does the Bible say
about courage?"
Answer: In the Bible, courage is also called
“good cheer” as in Mark 6:50 when Jesus
gave the command to the disciples who
saw Him walking on the water of the Sea of
Galilee and coming toward them. The Greek
word translated “courage” and “good
cheer” means literally “boldness and
confidence.” In the Bible, courage is the
opposite of fear. When God commands us
to fear not, to be of good cheer, and to
have courage, He is always commanding
against fear, which is the opposite of
courage.
But God doesn’t simply command courage
with no reason behind it. In nearly every
incident where God says “fear not,” there
follows a reason to have courage, and that
reason is God Himself, His nature and His
perfect plans. When God calms Abram’s
fears after his battle with the kings of
Sodom, the captivity of Lot and his rescue,
God says, “Fear not, [for] I am your
shield” ( Genesis 15:1 ). When Hagar was
despairing for her life and that of her child
in the wilderness, the angel of the Lord
tells her, “Fear not, for God has heard the
voice of the boy where he is” ( Genesis
21:17 ). God’s promise to the Israelites in
Isaiah 41:14 is similar: “Fear not [for]…I am
the One who helps you.” In each incident,
we see God commanding courage, not
because it is natural for man to be brave
and courageous, but because, when God is
protecting and guiding us, we can have
courage because we are confident in Him.
In the New Testament, we see the angel of
the Lord telling Mary to have courage to
face the trial of being pregnant with Jesus
by the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit,
despite having no husband. Again, the
reason for her courage is that the almighty
God controls all things: “Do not fear…for
you have found favor with God” (Luke 1:30 ).
The shepherds are similarly commanded to
be of good cheer and have courage by the
angel who brought good tidings of great joy
( Luke 2:10 ), and Zacharias was told not to
fear, for his prayer had been heard (Luke
1:13 ). In each incident, the courage
commanded is the result of understanding
the foreknowledge and sovereignty of God,
whose plans and purposes cannot be
thwarted and whose omnipotence makes
every circumstance of life subservient to His
will.
God’s promises to us have the same
rationale. We can be confident,
courageous, and of good cheer because of
Him. “Have no fear of sudden disaster or of
the ruin that overtakes the wicked, for the
LORD will be your confidence and will keep
your foot from being snared” ( Proverbs
3:25-26 ). Here is the promise of God’s
superintending care for us, a care that is
absent from the lives of those who reject
Him. But for those who have placed their
faith in Christ for salvation, we are to have
no fear because “it is your Father’s good
pleasure to give you the kingdom” ( Luke
12:32 ). In this great promise lies the basis
of our confidence, our courage, and our
good cheer.