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What do you do when you are facing a battle? When it feels like the odds are against you? When it seems like the enemy is winning?
When you are in a battle it can be easy to feel alone, surrounded on all sides, not knowing what to do. This week I have been talking about steps to creating a battle plan when you are experiencing hardships in life. I want to encourage you to remember that God is with you in the battle.
In 2 Chronicles 20 when in the thick of the ensuing battle against Judah King Jehoshaphat calls out to God, “We are powerless before this vast number that comes to fight against us. We do not know what to do, but we look to you.” (2 Chronicles 20:12)
Have you ever been in a situation where you had no clue what to do? Where did you turn? Who or what did you turn to? God wants you to know that when you ask him for help, when you look to him for guidance, he is with you, the Spirit of God will counsel you.
When Jehosaphat looked to God, the Lord said, “Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast number, for the battle is not yours but God’s….. You do not have to fight this battle. Position yourselves, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord….. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out tomorrow and face them, for Yaweh is with you” (2 Chronicles 20:15b-17).
When you feel defenseless. When your back is against a wall, and you don’t know what to do. When fear, worry, and anxiety grip you, look to the Lord and position yourself towards God. Being aware of God’s presence is always the way to dispel fear in your life. How often do we take the battle into our own hands and try to fight back in our own strength when God says, “You do not have to fight this battle. Position yourself. Stand firm.”
Ephesians 6:11-18a is another reminder of how we can take our stand against the enemy’s schemes and stand firm in the battle. The apostle Paul says, “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.”
When you are in a battle, look to God, listen, position yourself before him, and stand firm.