The Bible enjoins us over and over again to be strong and be of a good courage. This charge was given to Joshua over again. The same goes for us even now.
Sometime in the early days of my ministry, in 1984, I was sitting in my office when I was told that a man wanted to see me outside. When I went out to see him, what did I see? I saw a man with a stick of cigarette in his hand, letting smoke out through his mouth and nostrils, sitting in a government official vehicle. “What’s the matter?” I asked. “I am here to inform you that your church is on a residential area and has got to move,” he said. Christians in Northern Nigeria live with Islamic opposition and antagonism.
The spirit of God in me arose, and I responded with a stern question: “Are your mosques in the bush?” The man was taken back. He never expected such a bold response. Then I quickly added, “Is it because I am a pastor you thought you could harass me? The church is moving nowhere.” I headed for the government office and spoke vehemently to the officer in charge, to warn his men against danger. That ended the threat. If you can’t speak out boldly, you can’t rule here on the earth.
Again, in 1987, a letter was sent to us from the city council ordering us to move the church from its location within seven days or suffer being razed to the ground with bulldozers. After reading the letter, holy anger rose in me, and I told them that as the Lord lives, everyone involved in that plan would be dead within seven days, except they desist from that plan. I spoke out at the top of my voice and our staff gathered around. The men were so afraid, they got into their car and drove off.
However, after a short while, they were back, this time to beg, claiming that they were acting on instruction. This was the last we heard from them.
“Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might” (Eph. 6:10) if you will be strong in the Lord and be confident in His ability to back up what you say, you will fulfill scriptures every day of your life by treading on serpents and scorpions. Note that the Lord did not say that there would be no serpents and scorpions to contend with. They will be there, but you are empowered to step on them.
Be strong in the Lord, not in yourself, for by strength shall no man prevail. When the Lord is your strength, you are not fearful and disturbed in famine and drought. You do not fear or fall in the face of fierce opposition. You do not tremble and become terrified when trouble looms. The troubles will come, the challenges will be many, and the opposition fierce, but be confident. Stand strong, speak out boldly, and act with confidence, and you will see how fearful the devil is. He should be the most fearful being since he is the distributor of fear.
“Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might” (Eph. 6:10) Be strong in the Lord. Stand firm in His power and in His might.
The spirit of boldness and confidence comes from a place of trust and strength in the Lord. When you depend on His strength, you are equipped to face all opposition. Stand strong, speak out, and act with boldness, knowing that you are empowered by the Almighty!