Daily PresenceSample

In the first 12 verses of Joshua 1, the Lord admonishes Joshua three times to “be strong and courageous.” God recognized the bloody military challenges that Joshua and his armies would face from fierce opponents in the Promised Land.

In the New Testament age, though, what does “strong and courageous” look like? Thank God, our bodily lives aren’t threatened by anti-Christian militia or cruel men of might who would have our bloodied heads hoisted on petards as trophies of war.

But in a spiritual sense, we’re called to be strong and courageous in our time because the enemy we face is darker and more sinister than the armies aligned against Joshua. St. Paul expressed the matter in Ephesians 6:12: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

As the ancient enemies of Israel encamped against Joshua’s forces, these rulers and authorities of the dark world are encamped against the faithful—against us— at every moment. They conspire against truth in obscure corners of the Internet; they encrypt unholy designs in social media; they inhabit the glittering commercialism that bombards our senses; they tease us with the tinsel of popularity and acceptance; they hang oppressive weights on our spirits to hinder us from rising beyond the basement of our possibilities.

Woe! Despair! How discouraging!

But not so fast to doom and gloom, pilgrims! We thank God that St. Paul was not just a foghorn signaling the presence of a fog but doing nothing to dispel it when he penned Ephesians 6:12. In the succeeding verses, he rallies our spirits in one of the most inspiring passages of scripture, explaining just what we must do to be strong and courageous against the dark forces of opposition: “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand” (Ephesians 6:13).

Like Joshua in his day, the Almighty empowers us to stand, strong and courageous, against our enemies. May we not shrink from the fray, but rather be found standing our ground when the conquering Lord dissipates the smoke and fog of earth’s rebellion. Amen!