“…The weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.” I Corinthians 1:25b
Last week’s post covered the first four steps to fighting our inner and outer battles. 1) Call out to God. 2) Let God know there’s no one like Him. 3) Ask God for help. 4) Declare your dependence upon God. These strategies as well as the final three are extracted from II Chronicles 14:11. “Then Asa called to the Lord his God and said, ‘LORD, there is no one like you to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, O LORD our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this vast army. O LORD, you are our God; do not let man prevail against you.'”
King Asa prayed, “…and in your name we have come against this vast army.” The fifth step is to realize there’s power in the name of God and it’s in Jesus’ name that battles are fought and won. No other idol or person can save us. Philippians 2:9-10 says, “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth.”
The sixth step to conquering our battles is to declare our allegiance to God: “O LORD, you are our God.” When we express our loyalty to God, we are saying that no other person or idol can fight and win our battles. God is the only one we fall back on to combat our conflicts. He loves to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him (II Chronicles 16:9).
The last step in fighting our struggles is found in, “do not let man prevail against you.” The seventh principle is to admit this is the Lord’s battle. Battles are not ours, but God’s domain. We need to take our hands off and depend on God to do the fighting for us.
II Chronicles 18:12-15 speak of God’s victory. The Lord struck down the Cushites and they fled. King Asa and his army pursued them and such a great number of them fell. They could not recover because they were crushed before the Lord and His forces. The men of Judah carried off a large amount of plunder.
Whatever battle you’re facing, turn it over to the Lord. We can’t wage war and win without God. It’s foolish to think otherwise. Our Commander-in-Chief loves to flex His muscles and show Himself strong on our behalf. Submit to God’s agenda and you’ll taste the sweetness of victory, just like King Asa did.
“Because the Holy Spirit is so mighty, attempt nothing without Him. Do not begin a project, or carry on an enterprise, or conclude a transaction without imploring His blessing. Honor Him by acknowledging your entire weakness apart from Him.” Charles Spurgeon
Relevant Reflections: 1. Describe a time when God fought and won a battle on your behalf. 2. How can you show your loyalty to God? What idols do you need to get rid of to prove your allegiance to the Lord? 3. In what practical way can you turn the battle over to the Lord to conquer?
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