“Contend with those who contend with me, fight against those who fight a against me. Take up shield and armor; and come to my aid. (Psalm 35:1-2 NIV)
Sometimes we forget that the Lord is fighting our battles. Amidst the revolutionary war for our soul; we lose sight of the fact that Yorktown has already happened. The tide has turned, the outcome of the war has already shifted. Surrender is eminent. Our enemy is counting on our ignorance, he’s going to pick off just a few more soldiers on his way to retreat.
It reminds me of the historic account of John Laurens. Late in the summer of 1782 (almost a full year after the surprising and epic defeat at Yorktown) John laid on a sickbed in Charleston, SC. He had been battling fever for days (historians assume malaria) when he heard rumors of rallying British holdouts in the area. He disregarded orders and jumped into action.
During the battle, (describe later as a paltry skirmish), Laurens was fatally wounded and fell from his horse. He and two others died that day, the very last casualties of the revolutionary war. Together, they comprised three completely unnecessary losses. The war was over, they just hadn’t got the memo.
Similarly, Calvary was the turning point in our war with sin. The victory is now secure. Our enemy is in his death throes, trying to take any last soul along with him. Pride, ignorance and arrogance can put us up in our high horse and right in his sights. We must be mindful of the enemy’s provocation. Personal, we still have a lot to lose.
God has fought for us. We need only stay near to Him. We follow His orders and lean not on our own understanding. He defends His own all the way to the end. We only lose when we walk out on His care.
When we engage in rogue battles on our own, we run the risk of injury, even death. But when we stay near to God through prayer, fasting and worship, we engage the enemy on God’s terms. We experience the shelter of His presence.
We will not outsmart the enemy, we won’t shoot him in back as he’s retreating. He’s far too old and crafty to fall for our simple tricks. He is always a step ahead of us. We only win when we lay hold of spiritual weapons, when we walk with God and trust His instructions in every skirmish. God never loses.
“Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” (Ephesians 6:13-18 NIV)
“If God is for us, than who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31 NIV)
“”They will fight against you but not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord.” (Jeremiah 1:19 NIV)
Lord, today we understand where we are in the last throes of this battle against evil. We realize Your tremendous outcome-changing victory at Calvary and we resist the temptation to go rogue after the enemy on our own. We can’t win without You, we can’t lose with You. Help us stay close, listen well, and fight with spiritual weapons that will actually inflict damage on the other side. We are so grateful to be enlisted in Your army. Amen.