Fighting Our Own Battles

We cannot fight the most important battles, the spiritual battles, alone. The way to be victorious all the time is to get on God*s side, and not our own. The way to get on the Lord*s side is to receive Jesus into our hearts and lives. I heard about two buddies who happened to be fighting on the same side of some issue. One said to the other: Well buddy, it*s you and me against the world and, quite frankly, I think we*re gonna lose. Loners have even less chance of victory than a couple of buddies. First of all, when we fight our own battles, we are going to pick the wrong battles and fight on the wrong side. We need to have the Lord put us in the right battles and on the right side of the battles.

Jeremiah 10:23: O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.

2 Timothy 2:24: And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, 25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;

Try to imagine who is going to win battles when they oppose themselves. When there is equal strength against equal strength no one wins. One who opposes God opposes himself and guarantees defeat.

Sometimes the Lord wins the battles all by Himself. Now and again He permits us to play some tiny role in a battle.

2 Chronicles 20:15: And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God*s.

In the Old Testament the army of God was the nation of Israel. In the church age, the army of God is the church.

Matthew 16:18: And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Believers need to be fighting with the Lord and in partnership with the believers in the body of Christ, the church. That includes the universal church (all believers everywhere) and a local church fighting local battles. If a believer is not a faithful member of a local church he is going to lose the spiritual battles that affect the local issues, the issues that affect him the most directly. The only spiritual battle that we must fight alone is the battle against our own flesh and we even have God*s help in that. One way to fight against God and oppose yourself is to skip church. Lone believers fight and lose all sorts of battles outside of churches. I want to be on the Lord*s side and win, how about you?

1 Samuel 17:47: And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD*S, and he will give you into our hands.

Exodus 14:14: The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.

Ephesians 6:12: For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

1 John 5:4: For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

Notice that the passage says our faith not just my faith.

Care to discuss Fighting Our Own Battles with Ron?

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