The Battle is the Lord's

And everyone assembled here will know that Adonai does not save by sword or spear. For this is Adonai’s battle, and he will hand you over to us.” 1 Samuel 17:47 CJB

While growing up, have you ever been bullied? Or have you found yourself in a situation where you were threatened by your peers and you strategically thought of how you would defend yourself? Maybe you’ve had a few fights, had to deal with the school bully and knew that fight was different.

When we read the story of David and Goliath, we see that Goliath was considered a giant and a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, whose height was nine feet, nine inches tall. It can be concluded that Goliath was very strong and never lost a battle. Not only that, but he was confident, arrogant and prideful. He would say, and I paraphrase, ‘Who from Israel’s army would dear challenge me?’ All the armies of Israel were sore afraid of Goliath.

The bible holds the track record of God’s ability to save His people. It amazes me of some of the strategies God used to destroy the enemies of His people. I will mention a few. Walk around the walls of Jericho silent for six days and on the seventh day, walk around seven times and on the seventh round, blow the trumpets and shout, Joshua 6. Another time, God told Jehoshaphat, be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude, for the battle is not your’s, but God’s. You need not fight in this battle, set yourselves, stand ye still and see the salvation of the Lord, for the Lord will be with you. And when they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushments against their enemies, 2 Chronicles 20. When the Egyptians pursed the Israelites and they came to the red sea, they began to complain. God said to Moses, why are you standing there? Lift up the rod, stretch forth thy hand over the sea and divide it. The Israelites went over on dry ground. Then God told Moses once again, stretch out thy hand over the sea that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, Exodus 14.  Last but not the least, David used a sling and a stone to defeat Goliath.

There are so many examples of God’s strategic plans against the enemies of His children. When we face difficult situations or threats, we too at times are afraid. Fear is an emotion that everyone has. The only difference for us as believers is that we must know who is on our side and who fights for us. We may sit and ponder how to deal with a particular battle, but we should seek the face of God for every situation we face. God always has a plan and not just any plan of action, but the best plan.

Like David said to Goliath, you come to me with a sword and spear, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts! Fear thou not! Hold your peace! Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. The enemies you see today, you will see no more!

Your Faith, Not You Is On Trial

“These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold.” - 1 Peter 1:7 NLT

The Bible repeatedly says that God has promised to meet your needs: “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). But the Bible also tells us that with every promise there is a condition. One of the conditions for God’s promise to meet your needs is that you have to trust Him. The more you trust God, the more God is able to meet your needs.

So how can you learn to trust God more? You don’t get faith by sitting in a Bible study group or just talking about it. Faith is like a muscle; it develops by being used. The more you use your faith, the more it gets stretched. And the more it gets stretched, the more God is able to bless your life. Sometimes God creates circumstances…trials to stretch our faith: “These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold”.

There are four trials or tests that God often uses to test our faith. Chances are, you’re in one of these tests right now. When you go through one of these trials, you can know that it is an opportunity for you to develop your faith so you can trust God more. I’ll talk about the first two kinds of tests today and the other two next week.

1. The Pressure Test

The pressure test asks, “How will you handle stress?” Will you depend on yourself, or will you depend on God? Psalm 50:15 says, “Call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me”. When you’re in trouble, do you turn to God or to other things? Always remember, God is a very present help in times of trouble (Psalm 46:1).

2. The People Test

God often uses people to test and stretch and develop your faith. This test asks, “How will you handle disappointment?” Life is often disappointing. Careers and marriages don’t turn out the way we planned them. But the most disappointing thing in life is people. People disappoint us when we expect them to meet a need that only God Himself can meet. In other words, the people in your life aren’t actually your problem. The problem is your response to those people. People also aren’t the answer to your problem. The answer is God. When you expect other people to be your savior, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment.

Jeremiah 17:7 (NLT) says, “Blessed are those who trust in the LORD and have made the LORD their hope and confidence”. What happens if you trust in the Lord? Look at God’s promise in Isaiah 49:23 (NIV): “Those who hope in Me will not be disappointed”.

When God Appoints, He Anoints

“The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it” (1 Thessalonians 5:24 NIV).

God never asks you to do something without providing what you need to do it. Anointing is a sign of God’s equipping you to fulfill an assignment He’s given you. When He gives you an assignment, a plan, or a strategy, He is going to empower you.

Just as a lamp won’t shine unless it’s plugged in, your light won’t shine unless you’re plugged into your power source. You cannot fulfill the purpose you were created for apart from the resurrection power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, “Apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5 NIV).

If you want God’s power to work through your life, you need to understand what it means to have His anointing and keep a few things in mind.

When God says to do it, you can count on His anointing. Jesus’ last assignment to His disciples was impossible. There was no way they could possibly take the Gospel to the ends of the earth. It could only happen through His power. God will often give you an assignment that looks physically impossible, but He will make it possible.

“The One who calls you is faithful, and He will do it” (1 Thess. 5:24 NIV).

God’s anointing makes difficult tasks easier. Your resources are limited. Your energy is limited. Your knowledge is limited. Your wisdom is limited. Your talent is limited. God’s is not. With God’s anointing, you can handle things better, last longer, and go farther.

“I pray that from His glorious, unlimited resources [God] will empower you with inner strength through His Spirit” (Ephesians 3:16 NLT).

God’s anointing makes the impossible possible. In your business, marriage, health, and relationships, you’re going to come up against insurmountable problems. God is a competent Father. He can handle any problem you give Him. Nothing is beyond His ability or His resources.

“What is impossible for people is possible with God” (Luke 18:27 NIV).

God anoints your life to bless others. Jesus came to comfort the afflicted, the broken-hearted, those who are enslaved to habits, those who don’t know how to get out of debt, and those who are blind. And He anoints you to comfort others as well.

“Jesus arrived from Nazareth, anointed by God with the Holy Spirit, ready for action. He went through the country helping people and healing everyone who was beaten down by the Devil. He was able to do all this because God was with Him” (Acts 10:38 MSG).

For every new challenge, you need fresh power from God. Anointing by the Holy Spirit cannot be stored up. You cannot handle today’s problems with yesterday’s anointing. You certainly can’t handle the problems you’re going to have tomorrow, next week, and next year with yesterday’s anointing. Stay in touch with God so that He can constantly fill you with His grace, love, and power. Ask for God’s anointing again. James 4:2 (NIV) says, “You do not have, because you do not ask God”.