The Pattern of the Battles of Life

UV 2820/10000 The Pattern of the Battles of Life
Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the LORD will be with you.

2 Chronicles 20 v 17

The believer in Jesus and His finished work on the cross fights his battle on his knees or lying down prostrate with face on the ground. Jesus, the Commander –in –Chief of the armies of angels of heaven Himself fought and won the greatest battle in human and spiritual history nailed between two thieves on a cross. He surrendered His soul to the Father in heaven. Surrender to the Lord in stillness births victory in our battles. In this uni-verse, Jehoshaphat, the embattled king first sought the Lord’s help to face the heavy odds of the combined forces of many hostile kingdoms. He recalled the past testimonies of victory the Lord gave Israel over mighty Egypt. He genuinely thanked, praised and worshiped the Lord and led the nation in worship. Thereafter, He led the people in supplication and intercession before prostrating in silence and on their faces. Our battle positions are anticipatory thanksgiving, praise and worship knowing that the odds against us, the forces that oppose us can never be greater than God, stillness or quiet assurance knowing that He is in control whatever happens, surrender, supplication and intercession are our battle postions when we are confronted by the threats of violence, persecution, problems, challenges, difficulties, ill health, crisis, loss or disaster. We have eternal and internal peace not at the end of the battles we face but right through these battles as the Lord of Shalom or wholesome and comprehensive peace is with us. He leads us not to a Pyrrhic victory but to a wholesome and lasting victory.

We should not cower in fear but face or confront our fears with the shield of our personal faith. Our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against the principalities and powers of darkness. When Jesus, the King of Kings and the Light of the world comes, darkness in all its forms has to flee. He will fight our battles. We are bound to see the 360 degree salvation of the Lord in all aspects of our lives- our struggles against our own flesh, against our own blood, against strangers and foes, against the powers that be, against overwhelming odds. We are not to be disappointed by temporary reverses and setbacks but hold onto our faith. The Lord has called every believer to be an overcomer.
The words “tomorrow, go out against them” means that though we stay still in the presence of the Lord and in earnest prayer, it does not mean we are to be passive. We are not to run away from the battles. We are not to fight it on our own strength but face it boldly, declaring our faith in the Lord, that He is with us, that He will give us immediate strength to face it and eventual victory. We are to take practical steps in time and space to confront that which we battle with. The reason we have victory is not these steps in itself but the Lord is with us. He turns the tide of the battle in our favour. He is the source of our victory. He is Jehovah Nissi, the God of Victory. No one and nothing can defeat His plan and purpose. He makes available His infinite power and grace to us in all of our struggles in life. We do not rely on our horses or chariots or our physical strength or prowess or resources or abilities to fight and wrest victory. Our reliance is on the Lord who we acknowledge as the Alpha and the Omega of Victory. He is with us from the beginning, through the thick of the struggle and till the very end and beyond. The word tells us that our lives in itself are a series of battles or great struggles but the Lord is with us in the midst of these struggles. The battles or struggles we face are intended to give us testimonies or evidences of the love, faithfulness and mercy of the Lord. The bigger the struggle, the greater our faith should be. The bigger the enemy, the greater the victory and the glory to the Lord. At the end of each battle we face boldly and faithfully, we draw closer to the Lord and realize that He is with us all the time. At the end of the war, we receive the eternal and unfading crown of victory from the Lord. Our stand now determines whether we will be on that victory stand of the Lord.

Prateep V Philip