When you think of World War II, you probably don’t imagine men fighting with swords and bows, but for one British soldier named “Mad Jack” Churchill, fighting this way in the war was ordinary. Mad Jack was known for both his bravery and eccentric tendencies. During the war, he fought in France and then led British commando units into battle in Norway, Sicily, and other Adriatic Islands. While attacking a German fortification in France, Mad Jack is said to have killed an enemy soldier with an arrow fired from his bow. In Norway, as his landing craft reached its destination on a beach, Mad Jack decided to play a song on his bagpipes before drawing his sword, leaping from his boat and charging a German garrison. After finally being captured by the Germans in 1944, Churchill twice escaped his prison camps, the second time walking almost 100 miles to freedom. Churchill was twice awarded the Military Cross and Bar by the British military and ended the war a highly decorated officer.
Some people might describe Churchill as crazy, but whatever else you can say about him, there is no denying that Mad Jack was about as bold as they come.
What does boldness look like in the evangelistic life of a Christian? We aren’t ordered to charge machine gun nests in a physical sense, but perhaps in a spiritual way we sometimes are. After hearing the preaching of the disciples, the Jewish leadership “observed the boldness of Peter and John and … they were amazed and recognized that they had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13). But this kind of boldness isn’t always natural to us, so we must ask for it. After being repeatedly threatened, the disciples prayed, “And now, Lord, consider their threats, and grant that your servants may speak your word with all boldness” (Acts 4:29).
Boldness is a vastly underrated characteristic, but we see it frequently present in the most obedient of Christians. I am convinced that for most of us, a lack of boldness and fear of the enemy is a huge obstacle toward evangelism. This is often true in my own life. We know that Jesus has commanded us to share his Gospel truth with someone, yet we do not have the boldness to act. We are pinned down in our foxholes, too scared to get up and charge. But boldness to share Jesus doesn’t come from within ourselves, it’s a gift of the Holy Spirit. If you are struggling with fear, timidity, and lacking in boldness, then pray as the disciples did and ask that God would grant you boldness to speak his word.
Boldness was necessary for Mad Jack Churchill to be a successful soldier in the British army. How much more is it required for you as a member of God’s army? Even though the 40 Days of Prayer campaign has come to an end, will you join me this new year, praying that God would grant us boldness?