Victory of Faith

I like how commonly and casually the Bible describes the miraculous.  The Bible begins assuming God's existence and supernatural power, but the Scripture reveals that after creation God continued to do wonderous things by His grace.  In 1 Chronicles 5:19-20, we read of the Reubenites, Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh:  "They made war with the Hagrites, Jetur, Naphish, and Nodab. ²⁰ And they were helped against them, and the Hagrites were delivered into their hand, and all who were with them, for they cried out to God in the battle. He heeded their prayer, because they put their trust in Him."  The children of Israel were engaged in war, and when they cried out to God He heard and helped them.  He provided strength and deliverance for them, not because they had been faithful to keep His commands or by status earned by good works, but due to their faith in Him.

As a result of God's divine intervention, the Israelites won the battle and seized livestock, camels, sheep, donkeys and many captives.  As 1 Chronicles 5:22 explains, "...many fell dead, because the war was God's. And they dwelt in their place until the captivity."  The war fought by the people was won because it was God's war.  This is a common theme in the Bible, for God fights for His people who trust in Him.  David declared the "battle is the LORD's" and thus proclaimed certain victory to Goliath's face and all those who assembled in 1 Samuel 17.  While God caused David to triumph over the giant with sling and stone, the word of the LORD came through the prophet Jahaziel to King Jehoshaphat of Judah in 2 Chronicles 20:17:  "You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the LORD, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!' Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the LORD is with you."  The following day the LORD set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab and Edom, and they ended up destroying one another as God's people sang praises of worship and joyfully advanced.

These kind of victories do not just happen; they are not convenient coincidences.  Teenage shepherds with slings do not normally triumph over giant champions who wear full armour and expertly wield sword and spear.  Since when do unarmed singers triumph over armed enemies?  These victories were not improbable:  they were impossible!  Yet in response to the prayers of faith of God's people, the battle became His and was won--and in some cases without God's people even needing to fight.  In the New Testament we do not see the children of God engaged in warfare against enemies for territory, but we are introduced to what a spiritual battle looks like and how believers are to engage.  Rather than warfare taking place in a field or in a valley between two mountains, this battle takes place in our redeemed hearts renewed minds by faith in Jesus.  Having been filled with the Holy Spirit who regenerates us, we are equipped for this battle and enabled to stand before even the accuser of our souls in victory.

Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 10:3-6:  "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. ⁴ For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,
⁵  casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, ⁶ and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled."  The weapons of our warfare are not knives or guns, for these would be useless to accomplish what our mighty God can do in pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and anything that exalts itself against the knowledge of God.  By faith in God we can bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Jesus and be ready to take corrective action upon the disobedient.  Only God is sufficient for these things and helps us overcome when we cry out to Him in faith.  We do well to remember the way the world fights battles--by force, protests, politics, compromise, propaganda, threats or fear--will never supply the arsenal required to experience genuine victory.

Our faith in Jesus Christ is the victory that overcomes the world, and there is no other Way (1 John 5:4).