Battles

You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me; you stoop down to make me great. Psalm 18:35 NIV

You are lounging on the couch when the doorbell rings. Not expecting anyone, you are surprised and run to the door to see who is there. With windows running down either side of the door, you can easily view the visitor. But it is not just one. There are hundreds of visitors at your door. Your skin crawls with dread as you see line after line of men in full military dress armed with guns. You do not recognize their insignia – they are not on your side, and from the looks of their faces, they are not happy.

But wait! You just remember you have a candle and a clay pot by the front door. And what do you know, the neighbor has left his trumpet in your foyer, as well. You are ready for battle. If this sounds confusing to you, how do you think Gideon’s army felt when Gideon told them they would go enter a battle where they were completely outnumbered armed only with candles inside of jars and trumpets.

Okay, so we don’t usually find full-scale armies ready for war outside of our front doors. But battles are being fought. Often, these battles are within us. We battle fear, sexual purity, jealousy, putting God first, giving God all – the list goes on. God helped Gideon defeat the Midianites with only three hundred men. But Gideon put his complete trust in God. We need to put our complete trust in God to win our battles, too. If God could defeat the Midianites years ago, He can win the battle you are fighting today. He is unchanging. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13:8 NIV

God will equip us to win if we let Him. How often do we pass up the opportunity for victory because of fear? You are a soldier in God’s army. Carry His banner into the battle. He will be victorious!

Read about Gideon’s battle: Judges 7:20-21

Write down an area in which you are struggling on a small piece of paper. Fold the paper and place it in your Bible at Judges 7. Let it be a reminder that God will win.