“Facing the Battles” (Deuteronomy 9:1-3) - Roadmap the Renewal II –

Into the Promised Land

We’re in a series on Sunday mornings entitled, Roadmap to Renewal, as we study the Book of Deuteronomy. Last week I briefly mentioned about the background of the book. The Israelites had been in the wilderness for forty years, and now they were about to enter the Promised Land. As God had promised, the land was a rich land flowing with milk and honey indeed. But to their surprise, the Promised Land was not an empty land. Several different tribes of people were already living there, and the Israelites would have to conquer each tribe one by one. The question is this: why does God give His people the land that has to be conquered before it can be divided and settled? Why not just give them an empty land? The answer is because God wants His children to learn to trust Him, love Him, obey Him from the heart through this process. The Bible says that even Jesus, though he was God’s son, learned trusting-obedience by what he suffered, just as we do (cf. Heb 5:8 MSG). Conquering the Promised Land was not an easy task. It was a challenging, life-risking, long, tedious mission. If we read Joshua, it looks like the Israelites conquered the land at once, but it wasn’t. It took about seven years. These seven years gave Israel a more intense learning experience – learning to trust God.

Fighting the Spiritual Battle

Some of us may wonder if the story of Israel’s battle 3,400 years ago is relevant today. We may not engage in physical war. But, as Christians, we are in a spiritual battle at all times whether we like it or not. In Ephesians 6:12 the Apostle Paul exhorts God’s people to be on guard and alert, saying, “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places” (NLT). The truth is a fierce battle is raging around us 24 hours per day. And the most intense battlefield is our minds. So if we read through all the books of the Bible, we find a recurring theme about our minds – guarding our minds, strengthening our minds, renewing our minds, submitting our minds, bringing our thoughts into captivity, and so on. It is the battle for our minds. This principle applies to not only individuals, but also families, communities, and churches. As I shared last week, our church just embarked on the journey of the church revitalization and renewal. On our journey we have been facing different obstacles along the way, and we will continue to face more challenges. And as we do, we need to remember this: our struggle is not against people or circumstances. Our struggle is against the Devil and all his evil forces behind them. The questions is, “Are we ready for battle?” and “How do we fight?”

Are You Ready for Battle?

In Deuteronomy 20, before the Israelites engage in battle, God commands the officials to address the troops in this way: “Is anyone afraid or disheartened? He should go back to his house, or he might cause the heart of his comrades to melt like his own” (8). After this announcement, then God commands the captains to take charge of those who are willing to remain and do battle. We find same principles in other places through the Bible. For example, when Gideon calls the troops, 32,000 people respond. But compared to their enemies, the Israelites are few. The Midianites and the Amalekites are as thick as locusts, and their camels are as numerous as the sand on the seashore. But God says to Gideon, “The troops with you are too many… you will take all the credit, saying, ‘I did it all myself.’ Now therefore announce to the people, ‘Whoever is timid and afraid may return home.’” So 22,000 people return, and 10,000 remain. But God says, “The troops are still too many.” Then he gives them one more test, and finally only 300 men remain. Then God says, “With these 300 men I will save you.” The Bible says, “His delight is not in the strength of the horse, nor his pleasure in the legs of a man, but the LORD takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love” (Ps 147:10-11, ESV). The eyes of the Lord constantly search the whole earth to find those whose hearts are fully committed to Him (cf. 2 Ch 16:9). When God finds one, He anoints that person with his holy oil (cf. Ps 89:20), and helps him or her to fulfill all His will (cf. Acts 13:22). Our victory in the battle is not in how many we have or how much we have. Our victory is in how much and how fully we are committed to God and surrendered to His will. John Wesley once said, “Give me one hundred preachers who fear nothing but sin, and desire nothing but God, and I care not a straw whether they be clergymen or laymen; such alone will shake the gates of hell and set up the kingdom of heaven on Earth.” The church today needs these holy people – even one. My prayer is that you and I may be the ones.

War Room

Are you ready for battle? If the answer is “yes,” the next question would be, “How do we fight?” In this invisible war Jesus Christ our Lord is our perfect example to follow. First, we win battles through prayer. Before beginning his ministry in earnest, Jesus was first led by the Spirit into the wilderness. There he fasted and prayed for forty days (Matt 4:2). Before beginning his day, very early in the morning Jesus got up and went to a solitary place and prayed there (Mark 1:35). Before making important decisions, such as choosing the twelve apostles, Jesus prayed to God all night (Luke 6:12). Before engaging in intense battle, Jesus prayed fervently, and his sweat felt to the ground like great drops of blood (22:44). The life of Jesus provides the models for our prayer lives.

When we work, we work. When we pray, God works. When we pray, God softens our hardened hearts and His love is poured out into our hearts afresh. When we pray, God guards our minds, strengthens our minds, renews our minds. When we pray, God opens to us a door for the word. When we pray, our ministry is anointed and becomes fruitful and life-giving. It’s not that we keep prayer, but that prayer keeps us. Prayer saves us, delivers us from ourselves. In the movie War Room, Miss Clara says to her mentee like this, “Elizabeth, there’s not room for you and God on the throne of your heart. It’s either Him or it’s you. You need to step down. If you want victory, you have to first surrender.” Yes, to win the fight, we must first surrender. We need to get out of the way and let God do it. How is it possible? Prayer! When we pray, we are surrendered to God’s will. “Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done!” (Matt 26:39). We need to do our fighting in prayer.

The Sword of the Spirit

Secondly, we win battles by taking the sword of the Spirit, that is, the word of God. When Jesus was tempted by the devil, each time he defeated him by using the word of God. Particularly, Jesus used the book of Deuteronomy. The Apostle Paul tells us the right way to fight, saying, “Therefore put on the full armor of God… take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Eph 6:13, 17). God’s word is an indispensable and the most powerful weapon in our spiritual battle. Right before the Israelites engage in war, God says to Joshua, “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful” (Joshua 1:8). More than anything else, God’s primary concern is our holiness. God wants us to be holy and sanctified through His word. Then, everything else will fall into place. God’s commandment to Joshua is still relevant today. Let us not God’s word be out of mind for a second, ponder it and meditate on it day and night. Let us hear the word and do the word. And we will win battles and be prosperous in God’s eyes.

Fighting from Victory

When we face a spiritual battle, we need to remember this: our battle is already won. Our victory is not in our performance – how hard we pray, or how much we know the word and do the word. Our victory is in Jesus – his finished work on the cross. The Apostle Paul powerfully proclaims this truth in Colossians 2:13-15 as follows:

You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross (NLT).

 Sometimes it’s hard to embrace this truth, especially when we watch the news, see loved ones struggle, or face our own difficult circumstances. But, no matter what the enemy tries to throw our way, we must never forget that our victory in Jesus is secure. About a month ago we had 2019 FIFA Under 20 World Cup. This year South Korea did a good job, got into the finals and finished in second place. In particular, in the quarterfinals Korea and Senegal were neck and neck all the way. The game was decided in the shootout. When I watched the game for the first time, I was so nervous. But when I watched it a second time, I was much more relaxed and enjoyed the game, because I knew how it would end. In the same way, although the battle might be fierce, we can always have confidence in the victory because Jesus already conquered the power of sin and death. So now we fight from victory, not for victory. “Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!” (1 Cor 15:57). Amen.