Battle Weary

Listen to me, all Judah, citizens of Jerusalem, and King Jehoshaphat. The Eternal has responded to your pleading: “Do not fear or worry about this army. The battle is not yours to fight; it is the True God’s. 2 Chronicles 20:15 (Voice)

Do you sometimes think you have a personality disorder because one minute you're giving all your worries to God and praising Him because He is able to do what you cannot, but then not two minutes later you're singing a different tune? Okay, just me then?

I know I’m always claiming to be the queen of this and that, but I truly am the queen of "Praise Him on the mountaintop but lose sight of Him in the valley."

Can I get an "amen" from my other vision-impaired valley wanderers?

I mean, how freeing does it feel when we are believing God is able to do what we need Him to do? The weight that seems to physically lift from us at the moment of our sincere belief is beyond explanation.

But it doesn't last.

Before you know it, we're in a season of adversity again and that euphoria we experienced when we last believed God is able doesn't even cast a shadow over our heart anymore.

I don't know about you, but I am tired. I am battle weary. I want freedom. Not necessarily from the battle itself (although yes, please God) but freedom from the worry of the battle. The worry of things so far beyond my control any other reasonable person would say I'm foolish to worry to begin with. And they wouldn't be wrong.

Living in a broken world will always bring us trials, so to spend our time wishing they would just go away does us absolutely no good–just like those fat-burning gummies infiltrating our social media feeds and that exercise app I downloaded.

As believers in and joint heirs with Jesus Christ, we have direct access to God our Father (Romans 8:17).

This means the power that worked to raise Jesus from the dead is constantly at work in our lives (Ephesians 1:19-20).

Just how did Jesus activate the power that raised Him from the dead when He was dead?

He didn’t. 

He activated that power by believing and surrendering to God’s plan while He was living. The battle with death was never His.  It was always God's. He was simply called to surrender to God. By surrendering, He experienced victory not only for Himself but for us.

As I am typing these words, God is speaking to my heart. 

The battles we endure are not our battles.  They belong to God – The Eternal and True God (2 Chronicles 20:15) – for the good work He is doing in them for us. 

We know that through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, death and evil have been overcome. The victory won and passed on to us through His blood. Why then do we worry that victory will not be ours this time?!

Friend, the battle isn't ours, but the victory sure is!

While no battle is fun, some are necessary. Regardless, every battle is ugly. Sometimes there's even great loss. No matter the circumstances or the cause of the battle though, there is always a victor. Spiritually, we are the victor each and every time we surrender the battle to God. Whether that battle is with grief, loneliness, illness, addiction, lack of finances, lack of employment, a broken relationship, etcetera. When we let God fight whatever our battle is, we win. And we win at the onset if we surrender immediately...to God.

I recently saw a video and the woman in it said, "If the load ain't yours, put it down."

Put it down, friends.  

Put it at the feet of Jesus.

Leave it at the throne of God.

It ain't yours.

Victory - everlasting victory - over whatever it is that has you in the valley today will be yours on the mountaintop tomorrow because our God fights for us.

I'm looking for my white flag now as I have a few battles I need to surrender to Him for real, everlasting victory. 

What battle will you surrender to God today?

White flag not required.

*This was originally published August 12, 2024 and has been updated for this publication date.