This is How I Fight My Battles

“You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah, and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you” (2 Chronicles 20:17 NLT).

Having faith doesn't exempt us from difficulties in life. The storms of life come to every person. We get a bad medical report. Our child is not progressing. Our marriage is struggling. In difficult times, it's easy to think, "God, where are You? How could You let this happen to me?" Remember, the God who fights your battles in the good times is the same God who fights your battles in the hard times. God will not allow a difficulty unless He has a divine purpose for it. He never said He would prevent every difficulty, but God did promise to bring you through it and use every difficulty for good.

In my experience, it works best to release control and allow God to fight for us. I’ve found that peace and control do not go together. When we try to control things, there is no peace. We have to let go of control and receive God’s peace. Your lowest points may be launching pads to God’s greatest miracles. Don’t stress over anything you can’t change. Don’t use your energy to worry; use your energy to believe.

That’s what King Jehoshaphat and the nation of Israel had to do. In 2 Chronicles 20, three armies were going to attack Israel. King Jehoshaphat knew that these three armies would wipe them out. They were too strong and powerful. Have you ever felt like a circumstance would wipe you out? This is how the entire nation of Israel felt. In the natural, they didn’t have a chance to win against these armies. But all of a sudden, a man in the middle of the crowd speaks out and says, “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).

The man continued speaking, giving instructions from God to the Israelites. They were told to go to the place of the battle, but instead of fighting, they were to stand firm, give praise to God, and watch God give them victory.

In the natural, that sounds crazy. How can you win a battle without getting in the fight? But that's exactly what they did. It was amazing! One army started fighting another and then another until all three armies were wiped out. Get this: King Jehoshaphat didn't have to lift a finger. He just watched God fight for him. The Bible says not only did they win the battle, but they took back more plunder than they could contain. If you believe, God will fight your battle and give you more than you can contain.

Remember: the victory didn’t happen until they were willing to let go of control and let God fight for them.

How many of you are fighting battles that God was meant to fight? You’ve gotten a scary diagnosis or heard some difficult news. Instead of releasing control, you’ve tried to figure out how to deal with the situation. You’ve let worry, fear, and the unknown affect you, and now you feel defeated. Can I encourage you to do what King Jehoshaphat did? There comes a point when you've done everything you can: you believed and stood in faith. Now you've got to do what they did: quit fighting. Quit trying to make it happen your way. Quit trying to force it to work out and relinquish control. Let God fight your battle.

Pray this: Dear God, I will do what Jehoshaphat did and let You fight my battle. I am releasing control and trusting you to lead me to victory. Amen (So be it).

Declare this: I know God will fight my battles for me. I will stand firm, believe in faith, and watch God do it. I will stop fighting battles God was meant to fight. The battle is over already. We are victorious. I believe it and declare it!

Win for today: Read 2 Chronicles 20:1-29 and get this story deep inside your spirit. At the end of the reading, declare, “If God did it for Jehoshaphat, God will do it for me!”