Courage Under Fire (2026)

Notes from Tom

This was the theme song for the 2026 Men of His Word conference, Courage Under Fire, and it's built on Isaiah 43:1–2:

"Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze."

Notice what God does not say. He doesn't say the waters won't rise or the flames won't leap. He says when you pass through them, I will be with you. That's the whole song. The fire is real. The courage doesn't come from pretending it isn't. It comes from the One who walks through it with us, the way He walked in the furnace with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Daniel 3).

Each verse names a different kind of fire a man faces. Verse one is trouble itself, the waters and the flames, and the temptation to run or hide. Verse two is temptation, the lies that wear a smile. Christ has walked each mile of that road and overcame (Hebrews 4:15). Verse three is the fire of leadership, speaking truth and grace when silence feels safer. And the answer in every verse is the same: not by my strength. His.

The chorus is short on purpose. Courage under fire. Faith when hearts grow tired. He walks through heat and flood. I will stand firm. That's something a room full of men can sing and mean.

A note on the music

It's a driving, march-like song, meant to be sung standing up. The verses are lean, four short lines each, so the weight lands on the chorus every time it comes around.