We can only be courageous when we are weak. It takes immense courage for a younger, weaker child to confront an older, stronger bully on the school bus.

Few people in the Bible were more courageous than Gideon. Because few people in the Bible were ever as weak as Gideon. Yet, despite the overwhelming odds against him, Gideon fought God’s battles. Gideon overcame the Darkness. That is courage!

Gideon lived at a time of Darkness when it was hard to follow the LORD. Why?

Each year, the Midianites and other eastern peoples who were their allies invaded Israel “like swarms of locusts” (Judges 6:5). Their army was so large that “[i]t was impossible to count the men and their camels” (Judges 6:5).

The Midianites ravaged the land (Judges 6:5). “They ruined the crops . . . and did not spare a living thing for Israel, neither sheep, nor camels nor donkeys” (Judges 6:4). To save themselves, “the Israelites prepared shelters for themselves in mountain clefts, caves and strongholds” (Judges 6:2).

During one such invasion, Gideon “was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites.” (Judges 6:11). Probably he was wishing he was threshing the Midianites rather than threshing the wheat.

In the midst of Gideon’s fear, the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon. The angel encouraged him with the assurance that “[t]he LORD is with you, mighty warrior” (Judges 6:12).

Gideon may have looked around in confusion. Who was the angel calling a mighty warrior? Surely not him! He was hiding in fear while he threshed his wheat. Surely he didn’t have the courage and strength to lead Israel and thresh the Midianites!

It took more than soothing, angelic words to banish Gideon’s fears.

Gideon had not seen God working any miracles. To the contrary, the Midianites—the forces of Darkness—were overwhelming God’s people, Israel, like a swarm of locusts!

The Light of God’s people wasn’t spreading. The Light of God’s people wasn’t overcoming the Darkness. The Light of God’s people was being snuffed out.

Therefore, despite the angel’s assertion that the LORD was with him, Gideon questioned: “But sir, . . . if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us?” (Judges 6:13).

Faced with such grim tidings, Gideon doubted. He wondered, “Where are all his wonders that our fathers told us about when they said, ‘Did not the LORD bring us out of Egypt?’” (Judges 6:13).

Seeing the forces of Darkness ravaging the Promised Land, Gideon complained: “[T]he LORD has abandoned us and put us into the hand of Midian” (Judges 6:13).

The LORD did not directly answer Gideon’s questions, doubts and complaints.

Instead, the LORD gave Gideon a mission: “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand” (Judges 6:14).

To banish all questions, doubts and complaints, the LORD reminded Gideon: “Am I not sending you?” (Judges 6:14).

Nevertheless, Gideon remained full of questions. He asked, “How can I save Israel?” (Judges 6:15).

Gideon remained full of doubts. He told the LORD: “My clan is the weakest in [my tribe], and I am the least in my family” (Judges 6:15).

Gideon remained full of complaints. He asked the LORD to perform a miraculous sign to prove that it was really the LORD who was telling him to overcome the Darkness. To bolster his courage, the LORD gave him a miraculous sign (Judges 6:17-22).

None of Gideon’s questions, doubts or complaints changed the LORD’s mind. The LORD assured Gideon: “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites together” (Judges 6:16).

Therefore, when the Midianites and their allies invaded Israel, “the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet, summoning [warriors from his clan] to follow him.” He also dispatched messengers to the tribes in the region, calling them to arms (Judges 6:33-35).

Once again, Gideon asked the LORD for signs to confirm the message that God had given him. And once again, the LORD bolstered Gideon’s courage by giving him miraculous signs.

It was good that Gideon’s courage was bolstered by these signs. Because the next day the LORD told him to send home almost all of his men! The LORD told Gideon to keep only those men who proved they were courageous, enthusiastic and vigilant.

Gideon started with 22,000 men to fight the innumerable hosts of the invaders. By the end of Gideon’s “boot camp,” his twenty-two thousand men had shrunk to 300 warriors.

Why did the LORD insist on such high standards for those who fight the forces of Darkness? Why would the LORD use the 300 courageous, enthusiastic, vigilant volunteers, when he could have had 22,000 half-hearted conscripts?

The LORD wanted everyone to realize that the coming victory over the innumerable hosts of the Darkness was due to the LORD’s strength. The LORD did not want Israel to boast “that her own strength has saved her” (Judges 7:1-3; see Ephesians 2:8-10 (“it is by grace you have been saved, through faith . . . not by works, so that no one can boast.”).

With so few warriors, a conventional attack in daylight was impossible. Instead, Gideon attacked at night.

Gideon did not have his warriors attack physically—with swords, spears and slingshots. Instead, his warriors attacked psychologically—with noise, bright lights, and shouts.

Gideon and his tiny band of 300 warriors deceived the Midianites and their allies into believing that a massive, surprise attack was taking place. They ringed the enemy camp. At the right time, they blew trumpets, lifted their torches of Light, and shouted into the Darkness, “A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!” (Judges 7:15-21). They overcame the Darkness in God’s good time and in God’s good way.

Awakening in confusion, the forces of Darkness panicked. The Midianites and their allies had heard superstition-fueled rumors that the “sword of Gideon” would destroy them because “God had given the Midianites and the whole camp into his hands” (Judges 7:14).

In their confusion, the Midianites believed all was lost. “[A]ll the Midianites ran, crying out as they fled.” (Judges 7:21).

The enemy’s defeat was made more certain by their internal divisions. They were a loose alliance of “Midianites, Amalekites and other eastern peoples” (Judges 6:33). In the Darkness, it was hard to tell friend from foe—loyal ally from treacherous traitor. So “[w]hen the three hundred trumpets sounded, the LORD caused the men throughout the camp to turn on each other with their swords” (Judges 7:22).

Now that the enemy were routed and in disarray, Gideon again sent messengers to the surrounding tribes, asking them to harass and destroy the retreating marauders. Trapped at the Jordan River, the two Midianite leaders, Oreb and Zeeb, were killed. Their heads were brought to Gideon (Judges 7:23-25).

The courage of Gideon and his warriors won the battle, despite all their questions, doubts and complaints. Now they proved their strength.

They were exhausted by the battle. Nevertheless, they did not quit until their victory was complete. “Exhausted yet keeping up the pursuit,” Gideon and his 300 warriors crossed the Jordan. They completed the destruction of all that was left of the armies of the eastern peoples (Judges 8:4,10-12).

Such is the courage that enables us to start whatever battles God asks us to fight—no matter how weak we may be.

Such is the strength that enables us to finish whatever battles God asks us to fight—no matter how exhausted we may become.

Such is the courage and the strength we need for our Light to overcome the Darkness, in God’s good time and in God’s good way.

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This blog is based on pages 139-144 of my book, The Promised Land. A note related to this blog is found in my book, The Promised Land.

Few questions are more troublesome to me than how we cheer the killing of God’s enemies in some parts of the Bible, yet we claim to be following the Way of Jesus who commands us: “[D]o not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.” and “[L]ove your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” (Matthew 5:39,44). Some of my thoughts on this quandary can be found on pages 17-18, 21-24 and 132-135 of my book, The Promised Land and in my blog “Judas Betrays Jesus: The Love of Money”.