The Battle Belongs to the Lord!
Reflection: There is a great song from the 70’s by one of the early Christian rock bands Petra called, the “Battle Belongs to the Lord.” In both the Old and New Testament, we see different types of battles. In Chronicles 19 and 20, we see David fighting against the Ammonites, Arameans (Syrians), and Philistines. God’s plan was to give the Israelites the Promised Land, from which would be born the Promised One, but there were battles to be fought. When David inquired of the Lord and moved out when God said to, he had much success. Joab expresses to David this sentiment when he says, “Be strong, and let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God. The Lord will do what is good in his sight.” And sure enough they h,ave victory and are one step closer to the Promised Land.
In Acts, we see Paul and Barnabbas in a different kind of battle as they preach the Good News and start reaching Gentiles. They are moving into enemy territory, and similarly as they fast and pray God gives them success and a beachhead is established in many cities like Antioch in Syria. When they go back to encourage the disciples, who were now running the new churches in Lystra, Iconium and Antioch they say, “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.”
Although Jesus had brought heaven to earth (God’s kingdom) through his life, death, and resurrection, as His disciples sought to be true to the Great Commission Jesus had given them to make disciples of all nations, they would advancing into the enemy’s territory. That is why it was so important for them to appoint elders in each church, praying and fasting to appoint the right leaders who they could trust the mission with. Since they could not lead every church they started, as the church was expanding so quickly, they needed to make critical decisions and put the right people in leadership.
At the heart of spiritual leadership is power and authority that belongs to the Lord, but is given to leaders to exercise the spiritual gift of leadership. And leadership is always about moving God’s kingdom into enemy territory knowing that the battle belongs to the Lord. Though we see strongholds that belong to the enemy, we know ultimately they will be overthrown.
Finally, we also see the internal battle in the church as some leaders want to go back to the Jewish law of circumcision and the laws of Moses. This was a critical point in the life in the church. Would they go back to the Law or stick with the Gospel of salvation through Christ alone in the power of thee Holy Spirit? The enemy would have loved for them to surrender the Gospel and return to the Law that was powerless to save! Fortunately as we will see tomorrow the leaders make the right decision and discern what is essential to keep operating in the power and authority they have been given.
What battles threaten the Church today? One is the battle over the authority of the bible, God’s Word. We have seen a gradual erosion in the Church’s reliance on the authority of the Word and the how secular relativism has crept into the Church especially here in North America (this happened in Europe and left many churches barren of people and God’s power). This battle belongs to the Lord too, but the Church must stand up and fight for it. Once we surrender the authority of God’s Word, we surrender our right to be leaders of the Kingdom.
Where is God calling you to stand up for Truth? The other power God has given us is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit calls us to the Gospel and sets apart for God’s work. The Holy Spirit empowers us and helps us discern what battles we need to fight. As we walk in the Spirit, we operate in the power of God, and overcome our sinful nature.
As we look at the battles we face today and know that as we push forward the kingdom there will come hardships, it is good to remember the battle belongs to the Lord and He has given us His Word and Spirit which carry His authority and power to defeat the enemy. By being God’s Word today you are being reinforced for any battle going on in your life. Amen.
Psalm 15
A psalm of David.
1 Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent?
Who may live on your holy mountain?
2 The one whose walk is blameless,
who does what is righteous,
who speaks the truth from their heart;
3 whose tongue utters no slander,
who does no wrong to a neighbor,
and casts no slur on others;
4 who despises a vile person
but honors those who fear the Lord;
who keeps an oath even when it hurts,
and does not change their mind;
5 who lends money to the poor without interest;
who does not accept a bribe against the innocent.
Whoever does these things
will never be shaken.
1 Chronicles 19,20
David Defeats the Ammonites
19 In the course of time, Nahash king of the Ammonites died, and his son succeeded him as king. 2 David thought, “I will show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent a delegation to express his sympathy to Hanun concerning his father. When David’s envoys came to Hanun in the land of the Ammonites to express sympathy to him, 3 the Ammonite commanders said to Hanun, “Do you think David is honoring your father by sending envoys to you to express sympathy? Haven’t his envoys come to you only to explore and spy out the country and overthrow it?” 4 So Hanun seized David’s envoys, shaved them, cut off their garments at the buttocks, and sent them away. 5 When someone came and told David about the men, he sent messengers to meet them, for they were greatly humiliated. The king said, “Stay at Jericho till your beards have grown, and then come back.” 6 When the Ammonites realized that they had become obnoxious to David, Hanun and the Ammonites sent a thousand talents of silver to hire chariots and charioteers from Aram Naharaim, Aram Maakah and Zobah. 7 They hired thirty-two thousand chariots and charioteers, as well as the king of Maakah with his troops, who came and camped near Medeba, while the Ammonites were mustered from their towns and moved out for battle. 8 On hearing this, David sent Joab out with the entire army of fighting men. 9 The Ammonites came out and drew up in battle formation at the entrance to their city, while the kings who had come were by themselves in the open country. 10 Joab saw that there were battle lines in front of him and behind him; so he selected some of the best troops in Israel and deployed them against the Arameans. 11 He put the rest of the men under the command of Abishai his brother, and they were deployed against the Ammonites. 12 Joab said, “If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you are to rescue me; but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will rescue you. 13 Be strong, and let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God. The Lord will do what is good in his sight.” 14 Then Joab and the troops with him advanced to fight the Arameans, and they fled before him. 15 When the Ammonites realized that the Arameans were fleeing, they too fled before his brother Abishai and went inside the city. So Joab went back to Jerusalem. 16 After the Arameans saw that they had been routed by Israel, they sent messengers and had Arameans brought from beyond the Euphrates River, with Shophak the commander of Hadadezer’s army leading them. 17 When David was told of this, he gathered all Israel and crossed the Jordan; he advanced against them and formed his battle lines opposite them. David formed his lines to meet the Arameans in battle, and they fought against him. 18 But they fled before Israel, and David killed seven thousand of their charioteers and forty thousand of their foot soldiers. He also killed Shophak the commander of their army. 19 When the vassals of Hadadezer saw that they had been routed by Israel, they made peace with David and became subject to him. So the Arameans were not willing to help the Ammonites anymore.
The Capture of Rabbah
20 In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, Joab led out the armed forces. He laid waste the land of the Ammonites and went to Rabbah and besieged it, but David remained in Jerusalem. Joab attacked Rabbah and left it in ruins. 2 David took the crown from the head of their king—its weight was found to be a talent[b] of gold, and it was set with precious stones—and it was placed on David’s head. He took a great quantity of plunder from the city 3 and brought out the people who were there, consigning them to labor with saws and with iron picks and axes. David did this to all the Ammonite towns. Then David and his entire army returned to Jerusalem.
War With the Philistines
4 In the course of time, war broke out with the Philistines, at Gezer. At that time Sibbekai the Hushathite killed Sippai, one of the descendants of the Rephaites, and the Philistines were subjugated. 5 In another battle with the Philistines, Elhanan son of Jair killed Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, who had a spear with a shaft like a weaver’s rod. 6 In still another battle, which took place at Gath, there was a huge man with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot—twenty-four in all. He also was descended from Rapha. 7 When he taunted Israel, Jonathan son of Shimea, David’s brother, killed him. 8 These were descendants of Rapha in Gath, and they fell at the hands of David and his men.
Acts 14:21-15:5
The Return to Antioch in Syria
21 They preached the gospel in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, 22 strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said. 23 Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust. 24 After going through Pisidia, they came into Pamphylia, 25 and when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia. 26 From Attalia they sailed back to Antioch, where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work they had now completed. 27 On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. 28 And they stayed there a long time with the disciples.
The Council at Jerusalem
15 Certain people came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the believers: “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.” 2 This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question. 3 The church sent them on their way, and as they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria, they told how the Gentiles had been converted. This news made all the believers very glad. 4 When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through them. 5 Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses.”
Blessed be God who has sent his angel and delivered his servants who trusted in him. Daniel 3:28
Not a hair of your head will perish. Luke 21:18
Loving Savior, ever protecting your children, we experience safety and know that we will never perish when we place our lives in your care. We trust and believe in your everlasting embrace. Amen.
In Acts, we see Paul and Barnabbas in a different kind of battle as they preach the Good News and start reaching Gentiles. They are moving into enemy territory, and similarly as they fast and pray God gives them success and a beachhead is established in many cities like Antioch in Syria. When they go back to encourage the disciples, who were now running the new churches in Lystra, Iconium and Antioch they say, “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.”
Although Jesus had brought heaven to earth (God’s kingdom) through his life, death, and resurrection, as His disciples sought to be true to the Great Commission Jesus had given them to make disciples of all nations, they would advancing into the enemy’s territory. That is why it was so important for them to appoint elders in each church, praying and fasting to appoint the right leaders who they could trust the mission with. Since they could not lead every church they started, as the church was expanding so quickly, they needed to make critical decisions and put the right people in leadership.
At the heart of spiritual leadership is power and authority that belongs to the Lord, but is given to leaders to exercise the spiritual gift of leadership. And leadership is always about moving God’s kingdom into enemy territory knowing that the battle belongs to the Lord. Though we see strongholds that belong to the enemy, we know ultimately they will be overthrown.
Finally, we also see the internal battle in the church as some leaders want to go back to the Jewish law of circumcision and the laws of Moses. This was a critical point in the life in the church. Would they go back to the Law or stick with the Gospel of salvation through Christ alone in the power of thee Holy Spirit? The enemy would have loved for them to surrender the Gospel and return to the Law that was powerless to save! Fortunately as we will see tomorrow the leaders make the right decision and discern what is essential to keep operating in the power and authority they have been given.
What battles threaten the Church today? One is the battle over the authority of the bible, God’s Word. We have seen a gradual erosion in the Church’s reliance on the authority of the Word and the how secular relativism has crept into the Church especially here in North America (this happened in Europe and left many churches barren of people and God’s power). This battle belongs to the Lord too, but the Church must stand up and fight for it. Once we surrender the authority of God’s Word, we surrender our right to be leaders of the Kingdom.
Where is God calling you to stand up for Truth? The other power God has given us is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit calls us to the Gospel and sets apart for God’s work. The Holy Spirit empowers us and helps us discern what battles we need to fight. As we walk in the Spirit, we operate in the power of God, and overcome our sinful nature.
As we look at the battles we face today and know that as we push forward the kingdom there will come hardships, it is good to remember the battle belongs to the Lord and He has given us His Word and Spirit which carry His authority and power to defeat the enemy. By being God’s Word today you are being reinforced for any battle going on in your life. Amen.
Psalm 15
A psalm of David.
1 Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent?
Who may live on your holy mountain?
2 The one whose walk is blameless,
who does what is righteous,
who speaks the truth from their heart;
3 whose tongue utters no slander,
who does no wrong to a neighbor,
and casts no slur on others;
4 who despises a vile person
but honors those who fear the Lord;
who keeps an oath even when it hurts,
and does not change their mind;
5 who lends money to the poor without interest;
who does not accept a bribe against the innocent.
Whoever does these things
will never be shaken.
1 Chronicles 19,20
David Defeats the Ammonites
19 In the course of time, Nahash king of the Ammonites died, and his son succeeded him as king. 2 David thought, “I will show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent a delegation to express his sympathy to Hanun concerning his father. When David’s envoys came to Hanun in the land of the Ammonites to express sympathy to him, 3 the Ammonite commanders said to Hanun, “Do you think David is honoring your father by sending envoys to you to express sympathy? Haven’t his envoys come to you only to explore and spy out the country and overthrow it?” 4 So Hanun seized David’s envoys, shaved them, cut off their garments at the buttocks, and sent them away. 5 When someone came and told David about the men, he sent messengers to meet them, for they were greatly humiliated. The king said, “Stay at Jericho till your beards have grown, and then come back.” 6 When the Ammonites realized that they had become obnoxious to David, Hanun and the Ammonites sent a thousand talents of silver to hire chariots and charioteers from Aram Naharaim, Aram Maakah and Zobah. 7 They hired thirty-two thousand chariots and charioteers, as well as the king of Maakah with his troops, who came and camped near Medeba, while the Ammonites were mustered from their towns and moved out for battle. 8 On hearing this, David sent Joab out with the entire army of fighting men. 9 The Ammonites came out and drew up in battle formation at the entrance to their city, while the kings who had come were by themselves in the open country. 10 Joab saw that there were battle lines in front of him and behind him; so he selected some of the best troops in Israel and deployed them against the Arameans. 11 He put the rest of the men under the command of Abishai his brother, and they were deployed against the Ammonites. 12 Joab said, “If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you are to rescue me; but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will rescue you. 13 Be strong, and let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God. The Lord will do what is good in his sight.” 14 Then Joab and the troops with him advanced to fight the Arameans, and they fled before him. 15 When the Ammonites realized that the Arameans were fleeing, they too fled before his brother Abishai and went inside the city. So Joab went back to Jerusalem. 16 After the Arameans saw that they had been routed by Israel, they sent messengers and had Arameans brought from beyond the Euphrates River, with Shophak the commander of Hadadezer’s army leading them. 17 When David was told of this, he gathered all Israel and crossed the Jordan; he advanced against them and formed his battle lines opposite them. David formed his lines to meet the Arameans in battle, and they fought against him. 18 But they fled before Israel, and David killed seven thousand of their charioteers and forty thousand of their foot soldiers. He also killed Shophak the commander of their army. 19 When the vassals of Hadadezer saw that they had been routed by Israel, they made peace with David and became subject to him. So the Arameans were not willing to help the Ammonites anymore.
The Capture of Rabbah
20 In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, Joab led out the armed forces. He laid waste the land of the Ammonites and went to Rabbah and besieged it, but David remained in Jerusalem. Joab attacked Rabbah and left it in ruins. 2 David took the crown from the head of their king—its weight was found to be a talent[b] of gold, and it was set with precious stones—and it was placed on David’s head. He took a great quantity of plunder from the city 3 and brought out the people who were there, consigning them to labor with saws and with iron picks and axes. David did this to all the Ammonite towns. Then David and his entire army returned to Jerusalem.
War With the Philistines
4 In the course of time, war broke out with the Philistines, at Gezer. At that time Sibbekai the Hushathite killed Sippai, one of the descendants of the Rephaites, and the Philistines were subjugated. 5 In another battle with the Philistines, Elhanan son of Jair killed Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, who had a spear with a shaft like a weaver’s rod. 6 In still another battle, which took place at Gath, there was a huge man with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot—twenty-four in all. He also was descended from Rapha. 7 When he taunted Israel, Jonathan son of Shimea, David’s brother, killed him. 8 These were descendants of Rapha in Gath, and they fell at the hands of David and his men.
Acts 14:21-15:5
The Return to Antioch in Syria
21 They preached the gospel in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, 22 strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said. 23 Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust. 24 After going through Pisidia, they came into Pamphylia, 25 and when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia. 26 From Attalia they sailed back to Antioch, where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work they had now completed. 27 On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. 28 And they stayed there a long time with the disciples.
The Council at Jerusalem
15 Certain people came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the believers: “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.” 2 This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question. 3 The church sent them on their way, and as they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria, they told how the Gentiles had been converted. This news made all the believers very glad. 4 When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through them. 5 Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses.”
Blessed be God who has sent his angel and delivered his servants who trusted in him. Daniel 3:28
Not a hair of your head will perish. Luke 21:18
Loving Savior, ever protecting your children, we experience safety and know that we will never perish when we place our lives in your care. We trust and believe in your everlasting embrace. Amen.
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