Whose Battles Will The Lord Fight?

Josh. 23:11-13. The Christian is a participant in a warfare of awesome proportions — the powers arrayed against him are staggering. Eph. 6:11?13, describes the enormity of conflict. Each Christian is called upon to fight for his own soul and those of his family.
Our work in this world is to try to rescue as many other souls as possible from the enemy.
That call is sounded by the apostle Paul in 1 Tim. 4:16.
The good news is that we do not fight alone. Otherwise the struggle would be so overwhelming we would be devoured in an instant. God has promised to fight our battles for us. We can rest our confidence in the victory that He will win for us.
How do I know that? What assurance do I have that I do not fight alone? And if I do fight will I be victorious?
(A) I have the word of Jesus. He fought the battle for me and won hands down. Jno.
16:33, “I have told you these things, that in Me you may have
peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have
overcome the world." Jno. 10:29-30.
Commit your self to God through Jesus and you have the combined power of both God and Jesus. Absolutely nothing can defeat that combination. You cannot be defeated unless you choose to surrender.
(a) Rom. 8:37, “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors
through Him who loved us.” 1 Jno. 4:4, “You are of God, and
have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he
who is in the world. “
1 Jno. 5:4, You can take that to the bank. It’s a sure bet.
But, whose battles will the Lord fight? Certainly not just anyone who says he is “on the Lord's side.” 1 Jno. 3:18?20, says we are to serve God and “...not just love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him.” God’s help has always been conditional.
Example: God told Israel, “...go take the promise land for I have given it to you.” They were afraid and would not go. Deut. 1:34?35, "And the LORD heard the sound of your words, and was angry, and took an oath, saying, 'Surely not one of these men of this evil generation shall see that good land of which I swore to give to your fathers.”
Israel shrank back before the prospect of doing battle against the inhabitants of Canaan, they were condemned for cowardice ? Deut. 1:26?33. Forty years later, God again promised to fight on behalf of Israel such that no enemy could stand before them. But God would only do this if Israel remained faithful to Him, Deut. 28:1-7.
(4) What’s the application of this to our lives today? It was written down and preserved for our learning and our understanding.

(1) No matter what challenges, hardships, wounds occur in this warefare against the powers of darkness, we cannot win without commitment to God. But with God we can be more than conquerors. Jno. 15:5, Jesus said, “...without Me you can do nothing.” But, I am reminded in Phil 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
(1) Why do we fail so often? Could it be that we are making the same mistakes as Israel? Is our worldliness a hinderence to God hearing our prayers and answering our pleas?
(2) We Imitate the world. Dress like the world, Talk like the World, Act like the World, Seek the approval of the World. And you can’t tell the difference between us and the world.
(2) 1 Jno. 2:15?16, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world ?? the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life ?? is not of the Father but is of the world.” We need to wake up to the danger posed to our salvation by Satan ? Gal. 1:4, says, Jesus “... gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age.”
(1) There must be holiness before God. Tit. 2:11-14, says, Christ gave Himself to “redeem” us from sin: not only to forgive us, “but to purify us.” We have a choice to make regarding where our friendships will be and who our enemies will be, Jas. 4:4.
(2) Our fellowship depends on our being separate from the world and the people who influence us to be like it, 2 Cor. 6:14?16; 17:1.
(3) We are commanded not to be conformed to this world, but to be transformed into those who do the will of God ? Rom. 12:1-2. The Lord will only fight the battles of those who have wholeheartedly consecrated themselves to Him, Eph. 6:10?13.
(5) Acts 20:32.

Spur - 12/15/02 pm