Fear is the cancer that eats away at the soul of the coward. Nevertheless, cowardice goes much deeper than fear; all human beings feel fear, but the coward submits to and is governed by it. The coward’s fear results in corruption, untrustworthiness, and an inability to follow the path that leads to eternal life. Cowards are indecisive and easily influenced, aligning themselves with falsehoods, endorsing injustice, and traversing the wide path of a fallen world. They engage in deceitful agreements, hide behind meticulously crafted facades, and align with whoever seems victorious at the moment. Ultimately, those who are cowardly lack faith, are deceitful, and will not inherit eternal life.

The Coward’s Unbelief

Today, we are living in times of terrible turmoil. The world is crumbling before our eyes. The storm is raging, and the fearful are frantically searching for stable ground. Nevertheless, they are unable to find stability because overwhelming fear keeps them in a state of confusion. The cowardly join forces with those commanding sinking ships, trusting only what they see with their physical eyes and putting blind faith in human captains.

The key message is that a coward places his trust in his understanding rather than in Jesus, making him unable to stand up for the weak or pursue justice. Unlike true believers who “walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7), the faithless rely solely on what they can comprehend. They become unstable, making decisions based on fear and desperation. As James 1:6b says, “For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.” Cowards continually change allegiance to save themselves, unaware that doing so leads to disaster.

Deceitful Ways of the Coward

The coward is astute at deceit, masterful at switching sides, and at hiding behind those believed to be human saviors. Cowards deceitfully mimic the faithful few who have their sights set on the kingdom of God, asserting that their trust lies in God. They are, however, inhabited by fear and dishonesty. Fear saturates the coward’s total self.

The deeply fearful transgress the commandments of the Lord. They are comfortable engaging in evil and siding with the wicked to escape suffering and persecution, unaware that “evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived” (2 Timothy 3:13). The coward’s blindness and deceit will lead to their downfall and make them more vulnerable to deception.

The End of the Coward

A coward may appear brave and even be labeled a hero. When supported by the world and its systems, the cowardly individual might seem worthy of admiration and respect. However, inwardly, they are aware that the strength they show outwardly only comes with the aid of enormous human resources and support. Their victories are worldly and brief, and their days of pretending are limited, after which they must stand before the King of kings. Scripture describes the end that awaits cowards. It states that God will deem them, along with all unrepentant sinners, unfruitful and their actions unprofitable. The Lord’s judgment is recorded: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death” (Revelation 21:8).