Strength and courage in the fight

Joshua had a big task before him. Moses, the leader of Israel, has just died and now it is up to him to lead the Israelites into the land promised to their ancestors. No nice and slow onboarding tasks that gradually increase in difficulty to help get you ready. No practice session with constructive feedback. Now was the time. The task before him was great. He would have been feeling overwhelmed - am I ready, what if I fail, what if God abandons me. But there was no denying the mission the Lord had set before him: “you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them”. God had promised it would happen. And if God promises it, then it may as well have been already theirs, right? God’s word does not fail. But yet, God chooses for Joshua to have to face fear and difficulty, to have to persevere in trust (think the walls of Jericho) to take hold of that which was already promised.

In Christ, we have been promised eternal life, an inheritance with God in his kingdom. It is ours. Yet we are called to live a life worthy of this calling (Eph 4:1). Likewise, in Hebrews 10, we are told that “we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ” yet we are still called in 1 Peter 1, to “...be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.””. We already have a status of holiness, yet we are called to be holy - to live in line with who we already are.

This is what the fight for sexual integrity is about. Not because Christ’s sacrifice was ineffective and so you have to do the work of recovery to finish the job. No, all those who trust in Jesus are already accepted, loved, holy in the sight of God. Fighting for purity is the fight to live in line with who we already are.

In Joshua 1:5-6, God commands Joshua to be strong and courageous in this fight to trust in his promise and take the land. The fight for many Christians today is not so much a militaristic battle for land, but it is still a fight. A fight to bring their whole selves in line with who they are in Christ - set free from sin and death. A fight to live with integrity. And so yes, this fight should be done with strength and courage, like Joshua. But take note, it is not strength or courage fuelled by Joshua’s own innate resources or capacity. The basis for this strength and courage is that “I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you”.

So as we pursue purity, remember that just trying harder, putting more restrictions in place, reading our Bible more, praying more fervently - these things done out of our own resources and capacity, will never truly bring freedom from pornography or other unwanted sexual behaviours. Our efforts must be fuelled by a submission to the almighty God, recognising that our strength and courage in this battle comes because he is with us. He will sustain us. He will never abandon us. The work of recovery must never stray far from this truth.

Is now the right time to be strong and courageous, and take the next step in the fear riddled, difficult path towards freedom? Absolutely. But you will never truly succeed unless your strength and courage is founded in the God that is with you and will never leave you.

Linden Simmons
April 2025