What Is Courage?
Courage is the the moral firmness to do what is right. It is the determination and the boldness to do the right thing at all cost and against all odds. That is why the "cowardly" in the Bible is someone who is viewed negatively. Because he is someone who is flexible in doing righteousness. The lack of courage or cowardice has caused many to compromise with the world and to miscarry what should have been done.
Re 21:8 "But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."
For example, when you compromise God's standards because you fear the opinions of men, when you can't say "No!" for righteousness sake, when you would rather disobey God for fear about what others might think about you, you are being a coward.
Courage in the Bible is a moral virtue. It's not primarily about readily getting into a physical combat with someone. A man who jumps into a physical fight no matter what kind of a fight it is is a fool. He is a violent man not a courageous man. Courage concerns itself about what is right and what is wrong. Firmly upholding the former while stubbornly opposing the latter.
In some cases, a man of courage will have to get into a fight for righteousness sake. Other times, he will back down for the same reason.
The courageous man leaps into the battlefield when God says: "Go! Possess the land." He will boldly march forward because he knows it is the right thing to do...even if he is nothing but a grasshopper among giants in Canaan...even if it will cost him his life. He is a man who will face Goliath for the glory of the God of Israel.
But courage is also a Man who will give Himself to be beaten and scourged, black and blue, silent and meek as a lamb, and then crucified on the cross without a fight because it is the right thing to do...it is the will of God.
