What Does The Bible Say About the Battle Being The Lord’s
Whether you’re facing a huge battle in your life or a smaller one, it’s reassuring to know God is fighting for you. How do we know this? Time after time, in scripture, we read how God came through for his people. Sometimes, things got worse before they got better. But there was never a time when God deserted those who loved him. It’s the same today. As followers of Christ, we can rest assured that our Father in Heaven loves us and cares for us. He sent his son to rescue us from our biggest problem: separation from God due to our sins. As God’s children, we know that he is fighting for us in the battles we face. Not convinced yet? Here are some things to consider.
Christian quotes about the battle being the Lord’s
“David didn’t need to know Goliath’s strength because he already knew God’s.”
“Hand it over to God. The battle is not yours.”
“A Christian is a military person, he fights the Lord’s battles, he is Christ’s ensignbearer. Now, what though he endures hard fate, and the bullets fly about? He fights for a crown!” — Thomas J. Watson
The battle is not yours
In 2 Chronicles 20:15 we read how King Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, is facing one of the biggest battles of his life. He gets word that his arch-enemies are marching toward his kingdom. With a small and ill-prepared army, he knows they are no match for these formidable foes. But King Jehoshaphat has one thing going for him: he trusts God and knows he can save them. So, the king assembles all the citizens of his kingdom, proclaims a fast, and prays, pleading for God’s mercy. In response, a well-known prophet stands up and speaks comforting words from the Lord. He says:
Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. (2 Chronicles 20:15 NIV)
God heard the king and the people’s prayers. He caused the enemy armies to become so confused that they killed one another instead of the people of Judah.
2 Chronicles 20:15 “He said: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.”
Psalm 46:10 “He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
1 Samuel 17:47 “And all those assembled here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s, and He will give all of you into our hands.”
Exodus 14:13 “But Moses told the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the LORD’s salvation, which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians you see today, you will never see again.”
2 Chronicles 32:8 “With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles.” So the people were strengthened by the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.”
Isaiah 54:17 “no weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their vindication[a] from me, declares the Lord.”
Psalm 20:1 “May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.”
Zechariah 4:6 “So he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.”
The Lord is fighting for you.
So, how does knowing the story of King Jehoshaphat help us get through our daily battles? Reading this story reminds us that God wants to turn to him and ask for help in every battle we face. He wants us to be free from the paralyzing fear that closes our eyes to the truth of God’s love and care for us. Fear is a bully. It tells us the worst-case scenario before anything even happens. It tells us that God doesn’t love us.
Trusting the Lord won’t prevent battles from occurring in our lives, but Jesus will help us face our battles and walk with us as we go through them. God knows how hard life can be and will be with us, taking care of us. Believing this gives us freedom and faith that…the battle is not ours but God’s.
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior”…(Isaiah 43:2-3 NIV)
The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.” (Exodus 14:14 NIV)
Deuteronomy 3:22 “Do not be afraid of them, for the LORD your God Himself will fight for you.”‘
Exodus 15:3 “The LORD is a warrior; The LORD is His name.
Revelation 19:11 “Then I saw heaven standing open, and there before me was a white horse. And its rider is called Faithful and True. With righteousness He judges and wages war.”
Psalm 24:8 “Who is this King of Glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.”
“But the Lord stands beside me like a great warrior. Before him my persecutors will stumble. They cannot defeat me. They will fail and be thoroughly humiliated. Their dishonor will never be forgotten.” Jeremiah 20:11
“The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights.” Habakkuk 3:19
2 Chronicles 32:7 “Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged before the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater One with us than with him.”
Seek the Lord
Seeking the Lord isn’t some mysterious experience. The best way to seek the Lord is through prayer and reading scripture. How can we do this? Here are some suggestions.
- Get up a little early every morning to read a chapter from the Bible.
- Listen to a chapter of the Bible on your phone on your way to work.
- Spend time praying as you walk the dog each evening.
- Write down your prayers in a journal and see how God answers them over the coming weeks and months.
- Memorize a few verses from the Bible. Write them on notecards or your phone and review them during your lunch break.
- Meet together with a friend for coffee and pray together.
Of course, when you’re in the midst of a trial, King Jehoshaphat is a great example of someone who quickly sought God’s help. Let that be our practice as we seek God daily and in difficult situations.
“Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.” (1 Chronicles 16:11)
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (Matthew 6:33 ESV)
Proverbs 8:17 “I love those who love me, And those who seek me diligently will find me.” (NKJV)
Psalm 40:16 “May all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; May those who love Your salvation continually say, “The Lord be exalted!” (NASB)
“But from there you will seek the LORD your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul.” (Deuteronomy 4:29 ESV)
Hebrews 11:6 “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”
Luke 11:9-10 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”
Psalm 34:8 “O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.”
God is omnipotent
God is all-powerful. His power is without limitations. He’s in control of the physical and spiritual realms on the earth.
Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him. (Psalm 115:3 NIV)
From the rising of the sun to the place of its setting, people may know there is none besides me. I am the Lord, and there is no other. I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the Lord, do all these things. (Isaiah 45:6-7 NIV)
Matthew 19:26 “But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.” (KJV)
For kingship belongs to the Lord, and he rules over the nations (Psalm 22:28 ESV)
I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me? (Jeremiah 32:27 NIV)
In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind. (Job 12:10 NIV)
Hebrews 1:3 “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.”
“This is what the Lord says, He who is your Redeemer, and the one who formed you from the womb: “I, the Lord, am the maker of all things, Stretching out the heavens by Myself And spreading out the earth alone.” (Isaiah 44:24 NASB)
Ephesians 3:20 “Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us.”
God has already won
According to Scripture, God has already taken care of our biggest problem: our separation from God due to our sins. God, in his mercy, sent his Son, Jesus, to provide us with a way to come to God.
For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. (Ephesians 2:18 NIV)
Jesus won the battle against Satan when he laid down his life on the cross in our place. Not only were our sins forgiven due to his sacrifice, but he also defeated death’s power over us, which is eternal life.
Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. (Romans 6:8-11 NIV)
When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”
“Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?”
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:54-58 NIV)
Knowing that God has already won gives us hope and strength each day. God is still working in us through the Holy Spirit, sanctifying us and teaching us to obey God.
If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus[ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. (Romans 8:11 ESV)
John 16:33 “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
1 Corinthians 15:57 “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!“
Colossians 2:15 “And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.”
But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world. (1 John 4:4 NLT)
Romans 8:37 “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”
“For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.” Ephesians 2:18
Reminders to help you to stand firm
Standing firm means remembering the truth of what scripture tells us about God and ourselves. It means remembering that justification with God isn’t because of our works but faith.
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:8-10 ESV)
It’s easy to be tempted to rest in our own strengths or good works, instead of to God. But standing firm means we won’t waver in our faith and trust in God. We believe what Scripture tells us. We are resolute.
Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, dear friends! (Philippians 4:1 NIV)
Part of standing firm also involves getting help from other believers. Our church community helps us persevere in faith, and trust God, especially when we’re going through trials.
Most of all, standing firm means we cry out to the Lord for help. He promises to hear us and give us strength in our weakness.
Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved. (Psalm 55:22 NIV)
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. (1 Peter 5:6-7 NIV)
1 Corinthians 15:58 “So then, dear brothers and sisters, be firm. Do not be moved! Always be outstanding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 15:58)
1 Corinthians 16:13 ” Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.” (1 Corinthians 16:13 )
Biblical examples of the battle being the Lord’s
Of course, there are many examples of the battle being the Lords.
God saves his people from Pharoah (Exodus 6)
In Exodus 6:6, we read an example of the battle being the Lord’s when God saved the people from Pharoah. He reassures Moses, who’s in charge, saying,
Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment.
God helps David kill Goliath (1 Samuel 17)
David’s father, Jesse, sends his son with a bushel of grain, loaves of bread, and cheese to his brothers, their fellow soldiers, and commander, King Saul, who are fighting the Philistines in the Elah Valley. When David reaches the camp, he sees the army in a state of confusion and fear, primarily because of one man, a giant named Goliath. Because of his size and strength, Goliath is the champion of the Philistines. His repeated threats have caused dread in the Israeli camp.
David overhears soldiers expressing their fear and worry over the giant and about the king’s reward, the marriage of his daughter. David expresses his desire to kill the man. Even though his brothers mock him, David is confident God will help him fight.
Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine. (1 Samuel 17:36-37 NIV)
David faces Goliath with courage and trust in God to deliver him, saying
David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.
As promised, David killed Goliath, and the Israeli army was saved.
Conclusion
Many Bible stories encourage us that God is with us in the battle, fighting for us. Some outcomes are immediate, while other battles last a long time. No matter how long your battle lasts, you can trust that God knows what you’re going through and wants to fight the battle with you and for you. Knowing that Jesus died for your sins, bringing you into God’s family, and being loved and cherished by him can give you the strength and to face the daily battles of life.
