Hi how are you all today? I am okay- just had a bit of sinus today which is not good. I am getting better. Yesterday I participated in a local authors expo which was great. As most know I have published my first book. My second book will be out in a couple of months. So exciting!
This week I want to touch on the verse in 2 Chronicles 20:15. In the NKJ Bible, the verse states:
15 And he said, “Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the Lord to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.
The battle is not mine but Gods. Does that mean I can just relax and let God take care of it or is something required of me?
Too often that is what we do. We just sit there hoping for a miracle from God or that it will all just go away. That doesn’t generally happen and didn’t in the story associated with the above verse.
The story is an army was coming against King Jehoshaphat and all the Judeans. It was a mighty army and the king and the people were scared. So they did what all of us should do, and mostly forget. They went to God for the battle strategy and answers.
The above verse was part of that strategy but not all of it. They had to march out to the battle with the singers leading them and not the soldiers. What a weird battle strategy. But who knows when God is with us in the battle as we have asked for His help, He sometimes gives us unusual things to do.
The end of this story is that they didn’t even have to physically fight. They started to praise God, which is a great battle strategy, the enemy turned and killed each other and the Judeans just picked up the spoil for three days. This is how God can fight our battles.
But what about the battles that God expects us to fight? These are generally the battles within us eg fear, insecurity, rejection, disappointment etc.
This is where the armour of God can come in. It is in Ephesians 6: 14 to 17. It states in the NKJ Bible:
14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit,which is the word of God.
So let’s look at it more closely:
1. Belt of truth- if we attach the Word of God to us firmly, we will always have truth with us. Most of the battles we face come from the enemy lying to us. Truth keeps us in the right place.
2. Breastplate of righteousness – if we keep the fact that we are in right standing with God close to our heart, we won’t be tempted with condemnation as we know who we are in God.
3. Gospel of peace on our feet- if we keep walking in peace then we will remind ourselves that our battles are not with other people but with the enemy. As we walk in peace, this means we leave peace wherever we go and it surrounds us like dust does when we walk on a dirt road.
4. Shied of faith- if we continually hold up what we believe, that is the promises of God, then those held up promises will put out and deflect the enemy’s arrows.
5. Helmet of salvation – a helmet protects our head or our authority in Jesus. We can only wear this armour because of Whose we are and can only win the battle because of Whose we are.
6. Sword of the Spirit- we not only hold up the Word of God, we have the Holy Spirit as our weapon. One of the powerful gifts the Holy Spirit gives is speaking in tongues which is praying to God in a secret language. The Holy Spirit also gives us other gifts to use eg word of knowledge, healing etc.
As we can see, some battles are won by us stepping out, praising and allowing God to do a miracle. Others are won as we put on the armour of God, stand and display our supernatural weapons.
This week if you are in a battle, seek God about which battle strategy to use and then obey.
You will win if you keep standing in God.
Bless you and keep living the life God intended for you.
Karen
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