Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. 1 Corinthians 16:13

No culture will ever rise above the character of its men. Biblical masculinity is crucial because a society’s survival and well-being depend on the response of its men to the evil that is everywhere. Weak, feminized men do nothing to oppose the building force of immorality. Weak, feckless men neglect their duty to uphold righteousness. Weak, fainthearted men compromise their faithfulness to God’s Word at the threat of opposition.

The only hope for stability and peace in a society is strong men. Not macho weightlifters, but men who recognize that God has created them to defend righteousness and combat evil. Men who have the courage to fulfill their God-ordained function—masculine, virtuous men. This is exactly what Christian men are called to be.

First Corinthians 16:13 commands believers to “act like men.” But that immediately raises the question: How do men act? That directive is a single Greek verb, andrizomai, which could be translated, “Conduct yourself in a courageous way.” Therefore, to act like a man is to be courageous.

An old word conveys this characteristic perfectly: fortitude. Fortitude is the fundamental virtue of manliness. When you say a man has fortitude, you’re saying that he doesn’t compromise, even when facing danger and even when that danger escalates to fear and pain. It is the combination of conviction, courage, and endurance. It is the willingness, and even the desire, to attack challenges head-on, and to bear suffering with courage. It is the firmness and strength of soul that does all of this without complaint. This is what makes a man a man.

The Hall of Fortitude

The Bible prescribes this virtue on several occasions. In Deuteronomy 31:6, Moses commands the people of Israel, “Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at [your enemies].” In anticipation of their approaching conquest, the people were to set aside the trepidation of war for the manly virtues of strength and courage. In fact, the Greek Old Testament translates the Hebrew verb, “be courageous,” with the same Greek verb that appears in 1 Corinthians 16:13—“act like men.” When adversity is at the door, a man must have the courage to face it and the strength to endure it.

The same command appears in 2 Samuel 10, when the men of Israel faced the Ammonites and Arameans in battle. In verses 11–12 Joab, the commander of Israel’s army, tells his brother Abishai, “If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you shall help me, but if the sons of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will come to help you. Be strong, and let us show ourselves courageous for the sake of our people and for the cities of our God.” Even on the cusp of war, it was expected of a man that he be strong and courageous enough to confront the enemy. Although most of us are not engaged in a physical war, each of us must confront many enemies. Doctrinal infidelity, moral compromise, indwelling sin, and all kinds of temptations are ever-present foes that will not stand down unless they are attacked. For the sake of God’s people and His name, we ought to show ourselves courageous by enlisting in these spiritual battles daily.

First Kings 2 records David’s final charge to his son Solomon. As a king on his deathbed, to the one who would now assume his throne, David expressed the wish of every father—that his son act like a man. Drawing Solomon to his side, he said, “I am going the way of all the earth. Be strong, therefore, and show yourself a man” (v. 2). David elaborates: “Keep the charge of the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His ordinances, and His testimonies” (v. 3). He moved his focus from the military dimension to the spiritual, saying that a man is to be strong in terms of his faithfulness to God. David knew firsthand the consequences of disobedience, and he urged his son to show unflinching fortitude in doing what was right.

A similar charge is recorded in 1 Chronicles 22, regarding the construction of the Temple. David says to Solomon, “Now, my son, the Lord be with you that you may be successful, and build the house of the Lord your God just as He has spoken concerning you. Only the Lord give you discretion and understanding, and give you charge over Israel, so that you may keep the law of the Lord your God. . . . Be strong and courageous, do not fear nor be dismayed” (vv. 11­–13). Beyond obedience to the law, David charges Solomon to fulfill his God-given duties without hesitation. Solomon was to tackle the task before him with courage and strength. Godly men today must likewise tackle the duties and responsibilities the Lord has given us—particularly the ones that seem difficult and intimidating.

David charges Solomon again in 1 Chronicles 28, this time before all the leading men of Israel. “As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind . . . . Consider now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary; be courageous and act” (vv. 9–10). He repeats this directive in verse 20, “Be strong and courageous, and act; do not fear nor be dismayed.”

A real man acts. He is not passive or indifferent. He is not lazy or sluggish. He does not procrastinate. He is quick to attend to the things that he must do. He acts to obey God’s law and to fulfill his God-given duties.

Those scriptures explain what it means to act like a man. A man is courageous. A man does not give in to fear, pressure, or intimidation. A man does not seek the secure place or the easy path. A man lives on principle. He lives on the courage of his conviction and stands strong against everything that threatens those convictions. A man is brave. A man is decisive and acts to obey God. A man will invite the risk, confront the challenge, and bear the pain. A man will not bow to the pressure to compromise the commandments of God. He contends with every difficulty, faces every enemy, maintains self-discipline, upholds the truth, and presses on to God’s purposes. He will risk anything for what he believes in—for truth and for principle. That’s manly fortitude. That is the virtue that makes a man a man.

The Pillars of Fortitude

A man will not develop this virtue without several key convictions. These convictions are evident in Joshua 1:5­–9, where the Lord gives Joshua orders for the conquest of Canaan. Not only does He command Joshua three times to be strong and courageous, He also reveals the qualities that must undergird such fortitude.

First, fortitude comes from faith in the presence of God. The Lord says in verse 5, “Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you.” He repeats it again when He closes His address in verse 9, “Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” When you know that God is present with you, you can face any challenge because you know that “greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).

In 2 Chronicles 32, Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, had invaded and besieged the fortified cities of Judah. When King Hezekiah realized Jerusalem was going to be attacked, 

He took courage and rebuilt all the wall that had been broken down and erected towers on it, and built another outside wall and strengthened the Millo in the city of David, and made weapons and shields in great number. He appointed military officers over the people and gathered them to him in the square at the city gate, and spoke encouragingly to them, saying, “Be strong and courageous, do not fear or be dismayed because of the king of Assyria nor because of all the horde that is with him; for the one with us is greater than the one with him. With him is only an arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles.” (vv. 5­–8, emphasis added)

A firm belief in the presence of God allows a man to face every adversity because he knows that the One who is with him will overcome any opposition.

Moses appealed to the same foundation of fortitude in Deuteronomy 31:6. There he told the Israelites, “Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.” Why could they be strong and courageous? Because the Lord was with them. Fortitude comes from trusting in the presence of God.

Second, fortitude is built on faith in the purpose of God. Back in Joshua 1:6, the Lord instructed Joshua, “Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.” It’s as if the Lord were saying to Joshua, “You know that I promised your fathers that I would give them this land, and you know that I will keep that promise, so you can move out with courage, being certain that you can’t be defeated.” When a man knows the purpose of God and when a man believes that the Lord will accomplish that purpose, he can participate in it with absolute confidence.

God’s purposes for Christian men have been plainly revealed in Scripture: the leadership of families (1 Corinthians 11:3; Ephesians 5:22–33), the leadership of the church (1 Timothy 3:1–7; Titus 1:5–9), the defense of sound doctrine (Titus 1:9), the preaching of the Word (2 Timothy 4:2), the spread of the gospel (2 Timothy 4:5), the formation of godly character (Titus 2:2, 6–8), the training of younger men (2 Timothy 2:2), and more. So why are men capitulating on the very things God has promised to accomplish through them? If godly men have faith that God will bring about His purposes, then they will have the fortitude needed for these tasks.

Third, fortitude comes from faith in the providence of God. The Lord says to Joshua in verses 7–8, “Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you . . . so that you may have success wherever you go. This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night . . . for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success” (emphases added). A man must trust that when he takes courage and does what the Lord has commanded, the Lord will orchestrate every single detail of his life to make his way fruitful.

Sometimes it may seem like the chances of success are very low or that there are too many obstacles for something good to come of your situation. But a sound belief that God is sovereign over all things, and that He will continue to govern them according to His purpose, will fortify you to follow Him (Romans 8:28; Ephesians 1:11). He is able to grant you success in what He has given you to do.

Fourth, and finally, fortitude requires faithfulness to perform our duty. Concluding His address to Joshua, the Lord said: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous!” (v. 9). The question in this verse is a call to recognize that fortitude is a duty. The charge to be strong and courageous is a command, and Joshua had an obligation to obey that command. The same is true for men today—we are bound to the duty of acting like men (1 Corinthians 16:13). When we face opposition or affliction and find ourselves fearful of what the outcome will be, we need to remind ourselves that we have a charge from our Master, and we have every reason to keep it: “Be strong and courageous!”

The Bible’s repeated call for men to be strong and courageous requires us to put on the virtue of fortitude. We must trust the presence of God, the purpose of God, and the providence of God, and we must be faithful to the duty given us by God. That’s what it means to act like men. Only then will we demonstrate true masculinity.

While fortitude is the core value of biblical masculinity, the Bible also uses many other characteristics to describe godly men. In the weeks ahead, we’re going to search the Scriptures to answer the question, What are the essentials of biblical masculinity?