By Nancy Williams
2 Chronicles is an old testament book in the bible, written by Ezra to all of Israel to remind the people of God to humble themselves, pray, seek the Lord’s face and turn from their wicked ways, but their fearful responses keep the peace of God from them. Only God could bring true peace for He is greater than any enemy, army, or nation. All Israel had to do was to be faithful in their responses, trust the Lord and allow His peace to dwell in them. Just as their faithful responses was key to their peace and survival as a nation, so is our obedience to God as individuals if we are going to experience God’s peace.
2 Chronicles 20: 13-17 “Meanwhile all Judah stood before the Lord, with their little ones, their wives, and their children. And the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly. And he said, “Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: Thus says the Lord to you, ‘Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God's. Tomorrow go down against them. Behold, they will come up by the ascent of Ziz. You will find them at the end of the valley, east of the wilderness of Jeruel. You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the Lord will be with you.”
“But God’s”
As the enemy army bore down on them God spoke through Jahaziel to not be afraid or discouraged for the battle is not yours, but God’s. Did you see that, do not be afraid and do not be dismayed the battle is not ours but God’s.
We may not fight battles with armies but every day we battle with temptation, sin, pressures, and rulers of the dark who want us to rebel against God (Ephesians 6:12). It is easy to forget in these situations that we need to be obedient to God if we are going to experience His peace. We as believers have been blessed with God’s Spirit in us. We have access to God to help us when we face struggles of any kind and God will fight for us and with us for the battle is His.
How do we allow God to fight our battles?
By realizing the battle is not ours but God’s – most struggles we face are spiritual - will we obey God or not. Will we stand firm in the Lord, and see the salvation of the Lord on our behalf?
Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God."
We have all sinned, not one of us is innocent.
Romans 5:8 “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Jesus Christ died for us! Jesus’ death paid for the price of our sins. Jesus’ resurrection proves that God accepted Jesus’ death as the payment for our sins. Battle won!
Romans 10:9 “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Jesus died to pay the penalty for our sins and rescue us from eternal death. Salvation, the forgiveness of sins, is available to anyone who will trust in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
Romans 5:1 "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."
What a great message that through Jesus Christ we can have a relationship of peace with God.
Romans 8:1 "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."
Because of Jesus’ death on our behalf, we will never be condemned for our sins.
Romans 8:38-39 "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
The greatest battle for our soul is won by the death and resurrection of Christ Jesus. Once we have surrendered our life to the Lord our next battle is to continually die to self, my ways, my wants and to remain obedient to the Lord.
James 4:7 “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
Philippians 1: 6 “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”
Psalm 37:5 “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.”
Philippians 1:27 "Conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel."
1 Corinthians 15:58 "Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord."
Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
Luke 9:23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”
John 12:24 “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.”
That continual dying to self allows us to grow in our likeness to Christ
Colossians 3:1-17 “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self[d] with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.
Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
And as we become more and more like Christ, we learn to trust Him with our life.
Isaiah 26: 3-4 “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock
1 Corinthians 10:13 “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”
Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
Jeremiah 7:7-8 “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”
Because the battle is His, I can trust the Lord to fight for and with me as I obey Him with my life.