Full courage is something we can only hope for. We do not know how we react when we are threatened with death for the sake of Christ and the gospel. We may think we are fully dedicated to the Lord and of course we say we will be faithful to Him till the bitter end. Paul seems to be less certain about himself, in spite of him saying that now as always Christ will be magnified in his body. He links this courage with the prayer of the Philippians and with the Holy Spirit. He realizes that this lies beyond his natural capability. The shame he dreads does not depend on the outcome of the trial but stands over against Christ being magnified. That Christ is magnified is and will be his own victory.
We may marvel at the courage of missionaries and marters when we read or hear their stories. Yet survivors always say, ‘It wasn't me.’ It is ‘the other reality’, the reality of the Kingdom of God, that is ushered in by trusting the Lord in a certain situation. It is what the Lord Jesus Himself has promised to his disciples. So this courage rather depends on God’s faithfulness than on ours. And this is what a life of faith is all about, clinging to the faithfulness of God. Otherwise we would be hopelessly lost.