Fortitude

“Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.” —James 1:12

Virtues do not seem to be a popular topic at the moment. I don’t see virtue used by advertisers to sell a lot of products. I have doubts that virtue is the subject of TikToks that get a lot of “likes.” Is there a VirtueTok? I can’t be bothered to go check.

I don’t hear virtues spoken about—what they are, why they are desirable, how to cultivate them—in the public sphere very often. Nonetheless, it does seem that people, even outside of Christianity, have an awareness of virtue and its virtues. This is because humans bear the image of God, and the Holy Spirit is at work in the world preventing it from being as bad as it could be, as He works towards the consummation of God’s kingdom that is to come.

Speaking of which, today I want to talk with you about the virtue of fortitude, also known as perseverance.

In my recent study of the history of the early church, I was struck by how evident the virtue of fortitude has been in our history. Jesus Christ’s ministry met with severe opposition in His time. He taught and ministered anyway. In the garden of Gethsemane, He knew that He would be killed as a sacrifice for our sins. Even with the knowledge that he would endure death and God’s wrath for all sin, He continued on. After His resurrection and ascension—in spite of great opposition from the Jews, the Romans, and sometimes the church itself— His church, throughout its history, continued to spread the good news that faith in Christ brings forgiveness of sins and eternal life with Him. Through it all, the Holy Spirit has preserved the truth of the Gospel.

So we see by the testimony of the gospel and of Christ’s church that as we seek to be more like Christ, one thing we must do is seek to persevere in our faith and ministry. So how do we cultivate fortitude as Christians?

We draw near to Him. As a tree planted by the water will have abundant life, so will we when we are planted near Him. We do this by being in His word, by always seeking to know Him better. Being in God’s word daily will draw you closer to Him. Also, we are in a privileged position of having access to the throne room of God in being able to speak to Him directly in prayer. We gain strength to persevere in speaking to God continually. I don’t often forget someone is in the room with me if I’ve just been talking with them.

But we also find strength in fellowship, in the communion we Christians have in our salvation in Christ. Ephesians gives us this beautiful view of how Christ loves His church:

“For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.

Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.”

If you love Christ, you will love His church. The true church has a unified goal of glorifying God and spreading the Gospel, knowing that He is coming back to make all things good. You need the fellowship of your co-laborers in the faith who are in the church.

I started with a verse from James. Let me refer to that working backwards. Do you love God? If so, you are promised that you will be tested, and if it is so, you will receive the crown of life. We are promised that there will be trials, troubles, tribulations in our Christian walk, both from the fallen world around us and the fallen world that remains within us. But Christ has equipped us for fortitude with the Gospel—His revealed Word—with our relationship with Him, and with the encouragement of the great cloud of other witnesses (Heb 12:1). He encourages us in John 15:4, “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.”

In times of trial, remember Christ’s promise, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Mt 11:28-30).

We can expect our life in this fallen world to be difficult. If Jesus Himself was so opposed in His ministry in this world, so will we. Friend, find your rest in Him. Hold fast to your faith in Christ, and keep on to the end of the road. Avail yourself of the equipment He has provided for you. Look to what your Lord and Savior endured for you, and endure.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 
looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith,  who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame,
and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.”
Heb 12:1-3