My sword I give to him that shall succeed me in my pilgrimage

Hear now the immortal words of John Bunyan, the tinker turned preacher, the prisoner turned prophet, who through faith and fire gave to the world The Pilgrim’s Progress. He wrote, “My sword I give to him that shall succeed me in my pilgrimage, and my courage and skill to him that can get it.” These words are spoken by the pilgrim Valiant-for-Truth, one of the noble travelers in Bunyan’s holy allegory, and though clothed in the language of his time, their meaning pierces across the ages. They speak of inheritance, not of wealth or power, but of virtue — the passing of faith, courage, and purpose from one soul to another.

In The Pilgrim’s Progress, the road to the Celestial City is long and perilous. The faithful must battle despair, temptation, and the forces of darkness that seek to turn them from the way. When Valiant-for-Truth nears the end of his journey, he does not cling to his strength or lament his passing. Instead, he bequeaths his sword — the symbol of his struggle and his faith — to the one who will follow. He knows that each generation must fight its own battles, that the path of righteousness is never free of trials. And so he says: “My sword I give to him that shall succeed me in my pilgrimage, and my courage and skill to him that can get it.” The sword he speaks of is not of steel, but of truth and conviction, and the courage he leaves behind is not inherited by birth, but earned through striving.

To understand these words is to understand the nature of spiritual legacy. Bunyan, himself a man of immense suffering, wrote them while imprisoned for preaching his faith in defiance of unjust laws. He refused to bow before tyranny, and though he was confined behind stone walls, his spirit was free. The sword he carried was his pen, and the courage that flowed from it has armed the hearts of believers for centuries. His message is eternal: no man can live forever, but what he stands for — his truth, his valor, his faith — can outlive him, if others will take it up and continue the pilgrimage.

History, too, bears witness to this passing of the sword. When Mahatma Gandhi fell to the assassin’s bullet, his work did not perish with him. His nonviolent resistance, his truth, his steadfast courage — these became the sword and armor of others. Martin Luther King Jr., inspired by Gandhi’s example, took up that same weapon of peace, wielding it in his own pilgrimage toward justice. The sword of one man became the shield of another, and the courage of one generation became the heartbeat of the next. So it is with all who live not for themselves, but for a purpose greater than their years.

And yet, as Bunyan reminds us, courage and skill cannot be simply handed down like treasures. They must be earned. “My courage and skill to him that can get it,” says Valiant-for-Truth. The path of virtue requires struggle; no one may inherit the soul’s strength without walking through their own trials. You may receive a sword, but you must learn to wield it. You may inherit words of wisdom, but you must live them until they become your own. The world may give you tools, but the spirit must give them purpose. Courage, then, is not a gift—it is a victory won anew by every pilgrim who dares to walk the road of truth.

This is the heart of Bunyan’s teaching: that life is a pilgrimage, and every soul must travel it with integrity. To those who come after us, we owe not comfort, but example. Leave behind not ease, but honor. Pass down not riches, but resolve. When your journey nears its end, may you, like Valiant-for-Truth, have the strength to say, “My sword I give to him that shall succeed me.” For the truest inheritance is the spirit of courage that keeps the fire of righteousness alive across generations.

So, my child, when you find yourself upon the road, take up the sword of truth with steady hands. Remember that it was carried by others before you — by saints, by thinkers, by heroes who dared to live with conviction. Do not shrink from the battle, for you do not walk alone. Let their courage strengthen yours, and when your journey, too, draws to a close, pass your sword to another with faith that the struggle for good shall never die.

Thus, John Bunyan’s words become not only a farewell, but a prophecy — that every soul who lives with truth will be part of an unbroken chain of light, each pilgrim handing his sword to the next. The battles change, but the purpose endures. The sword may pass from hand to hand, but the flame that guides it — the flame of faith, courage, and perseverance — burns forever.