Every day we face our personal battles in our work, our own home or even within us. We are conqueror thru Christ and we need to be ready for our everyday battle.
How could we fight our battles?
A. Use the Right Weapons
David fought Goliath with a slingshot. Imagine how a small boy could defeat a giant with stone and slingshot with just one shot and without an armor. Is it just because of David’s skill that he won? If we are to fight a giant like Goliath and we have to choose a weapon, will you choose a stone and a slingshot? Some of us will choose bow and arrow or sword like what the soldiers of King Saul had.
David had was not just slingshot and stone but his faith in God.
“David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin but I come against you in the Name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defiled” – 1 Samuel 17:45
As we fight our personal battles, what is our weapon? Is it wealth, position, words?
Let our weapon be greater than what can we find in this world.
Let our weapons be:
- Faith in Jesus Christ
The Word of God is powerful and alive. We can face every battle carrying with us His words and promises that will never fail. Let us meditate the word of God day and night. Let us put the armor of the Lord, ready for battle.
“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
2. Prayer and Fasting
Many battles in the Old Testament won thru prayer and fasting.
One of those is in 2 Chronicles 20 when Jehoshaphat learned that a vast army were coming against them they prayed and fast.
Similarly, King Hezekiah prayed to God when Sennacherib threatens Jerusalem.
Isaiah 37: 21 says “ This is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: Because you have prayed for me concerning Assyria…”
The Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew (Isaiah 37: 35)
3. Praise and Worship
It is more than our favorite songs we sing at church but the state of our hearts and minds in all circumstances.
David sought after God’s heart no matter what even during the time that his enemies was after his life. In the midst of difficulty and dilemma, David chose to trust the Lord. David chose to keep his eyes in the Lord always. When he fought Goliath, he worshipped the Lord by giving back the glory to Him alone. He put everything in God’s hands.
B.Recognize the True Enemy
When David went to the site of battle to bring food, his own brother, Eliab, mocked him but he chose not to listen. What did David do? Did he fight with his brother? No, David turned away.
“He then turned away to someone else…” 1 Samuel 17:30
Most of the time, it is hard to turn away from others’ mocking or negative criticisms about us most especially if we are related to them but David chose to turn away. David’s goal was not to argue but to defeat the giant in front of them. He never allowed himself to divert his attention from his goal and from his true enemy.
The goal of the enemy for all the believers of Christ is to steal, kill and destroy. To accomplish that goal is to divert our attention away from Jesus by presenting something in front of us either to intimidate us or to entice us that we will have a tendency to forget our purpose, our calling and our true goal in this life.
C. Have the Right Perspective
“The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine” – 1 Samuel 17:37
David completely trusted the Lord that God will deliver Goliath into his hand. He had confidence not from what he can do but what God can do right at that moment.
“ All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.” 1 Samuel 17:47
The right perspective is relying on God’s and not on our own.
MISTAKE AND FAILURE
There are times that in a battle there is failure, defeat and mistakes. As humans, we also fail and made mistakes hence, lead us from our defeat.
If you can recall, David also fell into temptation. He was once defeated from his battle against the flesh when he saw Bathsheba, wife of Uriah. However, the story did not end for David to fall into sin and remain defeated. David recognized what He had done was not pleasing to God and chose to repent and humbled himself before the Lord. God forgave him but David reap the consequences of his sin– his son died.
When we choose to repent and humble ourselves before the Lord, we will never remain defeated. God has a way of transforming our lives. Humility over pride makes us a winner in Christ. If we choose pride over humility, it can kill us.
We may fall at times from our personal battles that caused us to sin but we should never use our imperfections as an excuse to always fall again and again and again with the same mistakes or sin. We have to decide on our own to what team do we really belong. We have to learn from our mistakes. We are imperfect and unworthy people but because of what Jesus did on the cross we were made right with God. Let us not be contented just by knowing Christ. We have to work out our salvation and we have to seek God and His word daily because that is where our strength will come from.
Battle is part of life. In this world, we will have troubles but Jesus said take heart, “I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Let us not forget where our true strength will come from—from Jesus. It is only by His strength and power that we will become victorious not merely on our own. We will always be a winner if we choose to rely on God.
We are not just fighting because of what we have and what we can do but who we have in our lives, who is Jesus.
God bless you!
Note: Featured image is not my property. Credits to the owner of the photo.
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