Courage - Yellow Balloon SeriesSample

Fighting Age

Did you know the book of Numbers begins with a census? The Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, demanding that Moses take a census of all Israel’s sons. God wanted Moses to have the name of every male 20 years old and up in all Israel who were able to go to war. Moses had to count the men of “fighting age,” effectively putting a number to the generation.

However, further into the book of Numbers, we learn that God renders a judgment against Israel because of their unwillingness to fight for the Promised Land. The people wandered in the desert until the whole generation of those who had done evil in God’s sight were gone. 

It sounds harsh. Everyone who was of fighting age and refused to fight was destined to die in the wilderness. They were a generation of warriors who were equipped, but afraid, unwilling to trust God, exercise courage, and enter the Promised Land. 

God was holding that generation accountable, yet they refused to fight. The truth is that God expected courage not only from past generations, but He also wants it from your generation as well. 

We are called to courage. Our battle may not be one of violence, but we are fighting one of justice and truth. God wants us to be courageous and stand up for what is true and holy. 

As children of God, we are called to wear spiritual armor to defend ourselves against the forces of darkness and powers in the spiritual world. 

In the Kingdom of God, we are all men and women of fighting age. There are high stakes in this fight, but you are equipped for it. The foundation for your fight is courage. Unlike the people of Israel, we need to be willing to fight, even if it costs us something. Let’s be bold in the face of fear. 

The call to courage is a central truth of God’s Word. Through this plan, we will explore the Scripture’s call to courage. Let us be encouraged that through Christ in us, we are capable of becoming courageous in the face of fear. Through the Holy Spirit, we can engage in a spiritual battle fearlessly and courageously.