This Is How We Fight Our Battles

Facing a battle lately? Like a health problem, maybe an issue at work, maybe a rift with your husband or wife, or even a sibling, perhaps.


We all face battles everyday. Some are easy to fight, some are just trivial, so we can just shrug our shoulders, some are a bit tough, but there are those that are beyond our human comprehension and ability to solve. And we have no other option but to turn to the only One who can fight for us: God.

I don't usually blog on weekends- I just want to relax and rest. But this morning in church we sang this song that had only three lines.And I was inspired to write. And those three lines were these:

'This is how we fight our battles
It may look like I'm surrounded
But I'm surrounded by You.'

The first line was just sang several times, and then, while we were singing, I was reminded of a passage in the bible, when the nation of Israel was surrounded by their enemies. The passage can be found in 2 Chronicles 20. And the people told their king, Jehoshaphat, that they were surrounded by a great multitude. And when the king heard this, he was afraid, and he prayed. After praying, he proclaimed a fast throughout the land, and the people gathered together to seek the Lord.

While they were all gathered, king Jehoshaphat prayed in the hearing of the people, telling God that they were surrounded by their enemies, and he acknowledged before God and the people that they have no power against the great multitude that was coming against them, nor did they knew what to do, and he said, 'but our eyes are on You.' 

While they were seeking God as a nation, the Lord spoke through one of the priests and told them that they would not need to fight the battle, they will just go and watch how the Lord will fight for them. What was to be their strategy? The worshippers were to be in the front lines!

So the next morning they set out, with the singers in front, declaring the words, 'Praise the Lord, for His mercy endures forever.' What kind of strategy is this? Who goes out to battle singing? Shouldn't they have brought arrows, and bows, and swords and other weapons to defeat their enemies? But that's what the Lord told them to do. To stand still and see the deliverance of the Lord.

And indeed, while they were singing, the Lord set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and all the other group of people that were coming against them go against each other and destroyed one another. The people of Israel just stood and watched, until their enemies destroyed each other. They just went to gather the spoils afterward.

How do we fight our battles? By worshiping God- by acknowledging that we are not capable of facing our battles alone. By raising our hands in worship and surrender, asking Him to take over.

And then, when the second and third lines were sung, another passage of the bible came to mind, this time the prophet Elisha. The passage can be found in the book of 2 Kings chapter 6 from verse 8 onwards. Again Israel was at war, this time with the people of Syria. So every time the king of Syria planned to be in a certain place, God will tell Elisha what the plan would be and Elisha will tell the king of Israel, warning him and guiding him, thus the plans of the Syrian king were always foiled that he began to think that there was a spy in his camp. But then he was told that there was a man of God who tells the king of Israel every plan and strategy the Syrian king had. So, instead of going against the king of Israel, the Syrian king decided to eliminate the man of God first.

The Syrian king then sent a great army to where Elisha was, and the city was surrounded. So when the servant of Elisha saw the surrounding army, he was greatly afraid, thinking that there was no way they could escape the enemies. When he told Elisha that they were surrounded and asked what they should do, Elisha answered, 'Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.' And then Elisha prayed and asked God that He would open the eyes of his servant that he may see the army of God.

And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. He saw that the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.And Elisha also prayed that God would strike the army with blindness so that they could get out unharmed, which the Lord did.

Now, what am I trying to get across? There are times indeed when we are overwhelmed with problems and situations that we do not know where to turn and go. But these passages from the bible reminds us that when we seek God and ask for His help, He never leaves us and forsakes us. Instead, he fights the battles for us. He delivers us from our enemies. We just have to open our eyes and see His deliverance.

So, I would like to encourage all of us, even myself, that when we are facing situations that we think are beyond our ability to solve, there is always someone we can run to who can: our Father in heaven. 

He has never failed me yet, and I believe He never will. As long as my life is yielded to Him, as long as I humble myself before Him, as long as I acknowledge that my human ability is limited but that I can always count on His faithfulness, love and mercy, He will always deliver. 

So, whenever we fight a battle, fight it with our hands lifted high- in worship and in surrender. Fight it with faith, that God will deliver. Fight it with thanksgiving and praise, already declaring the victory that He will bring. And remember, we always thank Him, we always give glory to Him, because He alone deserves it.

Blessed Sunday every one! And have a blessed week ahead!


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