The Battle is the Lord's

If our Fellowship of churches is committed to go on mission then we must be prepared for battles: Tough, nasty, petty, prolonged, demonic battles. If we choose fear, faith flounders.”

People - Jones, Steve 2012The odds were stacked against him. Three nations were calling him out for a fight. He had a choice: Fear or Faith. You might think that King Jehoshaphat’s story was one of defeat and devastation. But you would be wrong. The king beat the odds because he followed some godly principles that ensured victory. It’s a wonderful story of faith fueled by praise and thanksgiving.

If our Fellowship of churches is committed to go on mission then we must be prepared for battles: Tough, nasty, petty, prolonged, demonic battles. If we choose fear, faith flounders. Fear is a killer, a homicidal maniac snuffing out faith every chance it gets. Everyday the choice is ours.

Jehoshaphat took several steps. At each one his faith was incredibly tested. In 2 Chronicles 20:3 (NLT) we read he “was alarmed by this news and sought the Lord for guidance.” Having three miserable neighbours breathing down your neck, promising to take you down, would “alarm” any of us. The king’s knee-jerk reaction wasn’t to use his own ingenuity and fix his problem. No, his first reaction was to TURN TO GOD. The battle motivated him to expect more, trust more, depend more and pray more.

PRAYER
In verses 5-6 the king prayed “aloud” before the people. Praying aloud generally keeps our prayers honest. Verses 6-12 instruct us to TALK TO GOD HONESTLY and remember who God is (vs. 6) and what God has done (vs. 7). God has proven His faithfulness in the past and we can trust Him. We can TRUST GOD FOR HELP in the midst of any battle.

How do we gain victory and not have our faith left bruised and smashed? The secret is found in verse 15 (NLT), “This is what the Lord says: Do not be afraid! Do not be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.” God says, “Relax!” Find rest in the battle knowing it’s not your battle. We often try to win battles that God never intended us to fight. If we truly understand this God’s message to Jehoshaphat, we will stop fretting and fighting. We will quit fighting the battle. And God will say, “It’s about time. Now we can do something with your life.”

Will we trust our God?

GRATITUDE
The by-product of our trust in a promise-keeping God is thanksgiving. Thank you, Lord, for being my Master and caring for my battles. In verse 21 we learn that “the king appointed singers to walk ahead of the army, singing to the Lord and praising him for his holy splendor. This is what they sang, ‘Give thanks to the Lord; his faithful love endures forever!’” Jehoshaphat sent a choir into battle. I’m not sure if Napoleon would have agreed with that strategy. But there is an important truth here: We need to learn to THANK GOD IN ADVANCE of the battle. Before the battle had even begun and before the victory was won, God’s people set out to praise and thank God. Some call that overconfidence. Others call that faith.

FAITH
God loves to respond to our faith. Look at Spring 2013 - Battle Belongs to the LordGod’s reference to His people’s faith in verse 22 (NLT): “At the moment they began to sing and give praise, the Lord caused the armies…to start fighting among themselves.” There is great power in praise. And praise is really nothing more than our verbalized faith. Faith spoken. Faith unlocks God’s power to fight our battles.

What battle are you facing today? Do you feel like the odds are against you? You can choose fear. Or you can fuel your faith by praising and thanking the Lord. He is the God in Whom we can trust. Glory to God!


—Steven Jones is President of The Fellowship.