Click to Play
0 plays
Sign in to like or dislike songs
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”
— Joshua 1:9
“for we walk by faith, not by sight”
— 2 Corinthians 5:7
“The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?”
— Psalm 27:1
These are not sentimental phrases. They are military commands and covenant declarations. The lyrics of *Celtic Faith* bring together some of the most decisive statements in Scripture about faith, courage, and the presence of God. They form a pattern:
The entire song can be summarized in one biblical sentence:
> “Fight the good fight of faith” (1 Timothy 6:12).
Faith is not passive. It is not a religious feeling. It is an active, ongoing response to the Word of God, sustained by the presence of God, expressed in battle, and carried through to completion by the faithfulness of God.
Let us look at what the Word of God says.
---
To understand these lyrics, we must first stand where Joshua stood, where Paul stood, and where David stood.
### Joshua 1:9 – Standing on the Edge of War
Joshua 1:9 is spoken in a very specific moment. Moses is dead. Israel is on the threshold of the Promised Land. The wilderness is behind them; warfare is before them. Joshua, the new leader, faces fortified cities, trained armies, and a people who have a history of complaining and unbelief.
God speaks to Joshua:
> “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
This is not mere encouragement. It is a command. The phrase “have I not commanded you?” indicates that courage is not optional; it is obedience. The basis for courage is not Joshua’s personality, nor Israel’s numbers, but God’s unbroken presence: “the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
### 2 Corinthians 5:7 – Between Two Worlds
Paul writes 2 Corinthians to a flawed but gifted church, explaining his ministry and the nature of the Christian life. In chapter 5 he speaks about our earthly body (a temporary tent) and the eternal body to come. In that context he says:
> “for we walk by faith, not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7)
The “walk” (Greek: *peripateo*) means lifestyle, conduct, the way we order our steps. The contrast is between two ways of living:
This is not about blind irrationality. It is about choosing God’s revealed truth over visible circumstances.
### Psalm 27:1 – Surrounded, But Not Afraid
David, the author of Psalm 27, was often in danger—hunted by Saul, betrayed by friends, opposed by enemies. Yet he writes:
> “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?
> The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1)
David does not deny danger. He denies its right to dominate his heart. His reasoning is simple and absolute: If the LORD is my light and my salvation, then fear has no legitimate place.
### Romans 10:17 – How Faith Is Produced
Paul, in Romans 9–11, explains God’s dealings with Israel and the necessity of preaching the gospel. He defines the process of faith:
> “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17, literal)
Faith is not self-generated. It is produced when the Word of Christ is heard, received, and believed. Where the Word is absent or rejected, faith cannot grow.
### Matthew 19:26 – The End of Human Possibility
When Jesus says, “With God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26), He is not speaking to the crowds, but to His disciples. He has just confronted the rich young ruler and exposed the impossibility of salvation by human ability or wealth. The disciples ask, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus answers:
> “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
This is the dividing line: man’s impossibility, God’s possibility.
### 1 Timothy 6:12 & Philippians 1:6 – The Battle and the Guarantee
Paul writes to Timothy, a young leader facing false doctrines and pressures:
> “Fight the good fight of faith…” (1 Timothy 6:12)
The Christian life is called a “fight.” Not a casual walk, not a social club, but a conflict. Yet in Philippians 1:6 Paul presents the other side:
> “…He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”
God Himself is committed to finish what He started. We fight. He finishes. Our fight is to stay in faith; His commitment is to bring us to completion.
---
Now we will look at two key words that open the depth of these texts: “courageous” and “faith.”
### 1. “Be Strong and Courageous” – חָזַק (*chazaq*) and אָמַץ (*amats*) – Joshua 1:9
In Joshua 1:9, the command is:
> “Be strong (*chazaq*) and courageous (*amats*).”
So when God says “Be strong and courageous,” He is saying:
This is not emotional bravery. It is a decision of the will, rooted in the presence and promise of God.
### 2. “Faith” – πίστις (*pistis*) – 2 Corinthians 5:7; Romans 10:17; 1 Timothy 6:12
The Greek word for “faith” is πίστις (*pistis*).
*Pistis* means:
Faith is not a vague hope. It is a settled conviction produced by hearing the Word of God and agreeing with it. In Romans 10:17, Paul says:
> “Faith (*pistis*) comes from hearing, and hearing through the word (*rhema*) of Christ.”
The term *rhema* refers to the spoken, applied word—truth made living and personal by the Holy Spirit. So biblical faith arises when the living Word of Christ is received into the heart, and the will chooses to trust and act on it.
This deepens the meaning of the lyrics:
---
We will now examine each section of the lyrics in the light of Scripture.
### Verse 1
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
This is Joshua 1:9 almost verbatim. It reveals four essential truths:
1. Courage is commanded.
God says, “Have I not commanded you?” (Joshua 1:9). Fear is not just a feeling; it can be disobedience if we allow it to rule us. God never commands us to do what He will not enable us to do.
2. Fear and discouragement are enemies to be resisted.
Fear paralyzes. Discouragement weakens the will. Both are weapons of Satan to stop God’s people from entering their inheritance.
3. The presence of God is the basis of courage.
“…for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Compare with Hebrews 13:5–6:
> “I will never leave you nor forsake you… The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”
The cure for fear is not positive thinking. It is the conscious recognition of God’s presence.
4. “Wherever you go” – faith in every sphere.
This is comprehensive. Your workplace, your home, your ministry, your unknown future. God’s presence is not confined to religious settings.
Spiritual warfare application:
Fear and discouragement are not merely psychological states; they are spiritual assaults. In Ephesians 6:16 Paul speaks of “the flaming darts of the evil one.” Many of these darts are thoughts of fear, hopelessness, and self-doubt. The shield of faith quenches them.
### Chorus
“For we live by faith, not by sight; the Lord is my light and my salvation.”
Two powerful statements are combined here: 2 Corinthians 5:7 and Psalm 27:1.
1. “We live (walk) by faith, not by sight.”
This describes a lifestyle. Every decision, evaluation, and response is to be measured primarily by:
rather than
Abraham is the classic example:
> “He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead… or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God…” (Romans 4:19–20)
Abraham “considered” the visible facts, but he did not submit to them as final. He submitted to the promise.
2. “The Lord is my light and my salvation.”
Psalm 119:105: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
This includes spiritual, emotional, and physical deliverance.
When the Lord is both light and salvation, fear loses its legal ground. That is why David can say, “Whom shall I fear?”
Connection:
We live by faith because the Lord is our light and salvation. Faith is not a leap into darkness. It is a walk in the light of who God is and what He has spoken.
### Verse 2
“Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. With God, all things are possible.”
This verse combines Romans 10:17 and Matthew 19:26.
1. “Faith comes from hearing…”
Faith does not come from:
It comes from hearing the *rhema* of Christ—His Word made alive by the Holy Spirit. This has practical implications:
Notice also the double use of “hearing” in Romans 10:17:
> “…faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”
The first “hearing” is the human response. The second implies that the capacity to hear itself is produced by the Word of Christ. The Word both speaks and creates in us the ability to perceive it.
2. “With God, all things are possible.”
This statement marks the boundary between human effort and divine intervention. Jesus contrasts:
This does not mean God will do everything we imagine. It means nothing that is in line with His character and will is hindered by human limitation.
Combine this with Mark 9:23:
> “All things are possible for one who believes.”
When you unite “with God all things are possible” and “all things are possible for one who believes,” you see the partnership: God’s limitless power and man’s active faith.
Spiritual reality:
Unbelief limits the manifestation of God’s power in our personal experience (see Mark 6:5–6). Faith, based on hearing the Word, releases His power in our situation.
### Bridge
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion.”
Here we move from the beginning of the Christian life to its end.
1. “I have fought the good fight…” (2 Timothy 4:7)
Paul at the end of his life looks back and summarizes:
He defines this fight in 1 Timothy 6:12:
> “Fight the good fight of faith…”
The main battlefield is faith itself. Satan’s primary goal is not to take your money, your health, or your relationships. His real objective is to separate you from faith in God’s Word. If he wins that, every other defeat follows.
2. “I have finished the race…”
The Christian life is not only a fight but a race (see Hebrews 12:1–2). It has:
Starting is not enough. The will of God is that we finish.
3. “I have kept the faith.”
Paul’s greatest achievement is not the churches he planted, but that he “kept the faith.” He held fast to:
4. “He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion…” (Philippians 1:6)
Here the focus shifts from our fight to God’s faithfulness.
This guards us from two errors:
The truth is: We fight to keep in faith; God completes the work in those who remain in faith.
### Outro
“Be strong and courageous.”
The song ends where it began. This is significant. God often brackets His commands like this:
The repetition shows priority. For the end-time church, surrounded by uncertainty and pressure, the call is the same: Be strong, be courageous, and walk by faith.
---
Now we move from doctrine to practice. How do we live this “Celtic Faith”—this strong, courageous, Scripture-based faith—in daily life?
### 1. First, We Must Align Our Minds With the Word
Romans 12:2 says:
> “Be transformed by the renewal of your mind.”
If faith comes by hearing the Word of Christ, then unbelief is often sustained by hearing other words—negative self-talk, worldly reasoning, demonic lies.
Practical steps:
For example: When you feel, “I cannot handle this,” speak Joshua 1:9 aloud:
“God has commanded me to be strong and courageous. He is with me wherever I go.”
### 2. Second, We Must Reject Fear and Discouragement as Disobedience
God does not merely comfort Joshua; He commands him not to fear. Fear and discouragement must be treated as spiritual intruders, not as permanent residents.
Practical steps:
Remember: “God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control” (2 Timothy 1:7). Fear is not your permanent identity; it is a spirit to be resisted.
### 3. Third, We Must Fight the Good Fight of Faith
The fight of faith is primarily:
Practical steps:
“This is part of the fight of faith. I will not give up.”
### 4. Fourth, We Must Trust God to Finish What He Started
Many sincere believers are tormented by the fear that they will not make it to the end. Philippians 1:6 answers this:
> “He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion…”
Practical steps:
---
### Proclamation
Speak this out loud, deliberately, as an act of faith:
> I choose to be strong and courageous.
> I refuse fear and discouragement.
> The LORD my God is with me wherever I go.
> I live by faith and not by sight.
> The Lord is my light and my salvation; I will not fear.
> Faith comes to me as I hear the Word of Christ.
> With God, all things that agree with His will are possible in my life.
> I fight the good fight of faith.
> I will finish my race.
> I will keep the faith.
> He who began a good work in me will bring it to completion.
> Jesus is Lord over my life, my future, and my destiny.
> Amen.
### Prayer
Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,
I thank You for Your unchanging Word.
You have commanded me to be strong and courageous.
By Your grace, I say yes to that command.
I confess that Jesus Christ is my light and my salvation.
I renounce every spirit of fear, anxiety, and discouragement.
I receive the spirit of power, love, and a sound mind.
Holy Spirit, breathe upon the Word of Christ in my heart.
Increase my faith as I hear and obey Your voice.
Teach me to walk by faith and not by sight.
Father, I commit myself to fight the good fight of faith.
Strengthen me to keep the faith and finish the race You have set before me.
I trust that He who began a good work in me
will surely bring it to completion at the day of Christ Jesus.
I receive Your courage, Your strength, and Your peace now,
in the mighty name of Jesus.
Amen.
Deepen your worship with these related songs:
No more songs available