Joshua 23:6 Be ye therefore very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, that ye turn not aside therefrom to the right or to the left.
Joshua’s farewell address to Israel includes a thankful recounting of what the Lord has done and a warning. God fought for us and gave us victory, but pockets of resistance still remain in the land where the gods of this world rule. You will be tempted to go after them. Do not! When you do the Lord will remove you from the land, and send you into exile.
We have been given the Kingdom, but we respond by keeping it, by remaining faithful to the one true God, and by holding on to it with courageous faith. Jesus gave us the kingdom, eternal life, and He gave us the Spirit to believe it, hold on to it, and enjoy it. The Spirit keeps us in the one true faith through the continual hearing of the Gospel.
It takes courage to remain faithful to God’s Word. The pull of the world is very strong. The temptations of the gods of this world (like money, pleasure, and reputation) cannot be resisted in our strength alone. Jesus saved us but He has allowed us to remain in our selfish and sinful flesh, to stay in a godless world, and to live under the relentless attacks and lies of the Evil One. These thorns cause us to continually turn to the Lord for help, strength, confidence, boldness, conviction, and courage. It takes courage to stand firmly on the promises of God and stand stoutly against the deceptions of the devil, the world, and the flesh. Such courage is a gift of God through the gospel. Jesus has such courage for you. Trust Him! And turn not aside.