battle — Devotions — Kristine Brown, Author

What does the Bible say about our battle cry?

There will be times in life when there seems to be no hope. When we’re being ambushed by the enemy from the front and from behind. Like Abijah, we can choose how we respond when we’re surrounded by the enemy. The example we see in King Abijah still applies to our battles today.

When surrounded by the enemy, we need to have a battle shout ready.

When the men of Judah saw that the situation looked bleak, they called out to the Lord. God hears our cries of anguish. He is there, even when we feel like the battle lines have forged a chasm we can’t cross. Nothing can separate us from His love. (Romans 8:35)

Knowing God will never leave us in battle helps us trust Him in every circumstance.

That’s a beautiful thought, but when a desperate situation comes crashing into our lives, it’s hard to hold onto that promise. However, if we know our battle shout, we will be ready when trouble comes.

When God heard the battle cry, He defeated Judah’s enemy. Sometimes, like in the battle King Abijah faced, we get to see God work immediately, taking down the enemy right before us. Other times, the outcome doesn’t turn out the way we think it will. It’s during those times we need to trust God to take care of it, regardless of what we see happening in the moment.

Are you facing a situation that seems hopeless? Have you questioned whether God hears you at all?

Let’s commit together today to develop our own personal battle shout. Let’s stand side-by-side, warriors believing and trusting in the God who loves us. And if doubt or fear threatens to take over, we will be ready.

Want to find your battle shout? Do you long to be ready when opposition comes? Check out these 5 Best Verses for Your Battle Shout.

(This post has been updated since its original publication.)

You know that feeling you get, in the moment when you realize a battle is eminent?

Your enemy wages war against you, and the news punches you right in the stomach. Is it fear? Shock? Uncertainty of where to go, or what to do next?

For me, when the report comes and I realize an attack is on its way, I immediately switch to defense mode. Sure, I pray. I ask God for help. I claim to trust God with my words, but my actions tell a different story.

Because there’s nothing quite so frazzling as that instant when you say to yourself, “This is real,” but you feel like it’s a bad dream. You wonder if God hears you at all. And in a desperate attempt to be strong and courageous, you start fighting the battle yourself.

We’ve all been there, on the front lines of impending battle. In that frightening place, it’s easy to see the magnitude of what we are facing and forget one important detail.

There’s a big difference between the way we see the battle, and how God sees it.

King Jehoshaphat knew this.

When Jehoram, King of Israel, asked Jehoshaphat, King of Judah, to join him and go to battle against Moab, Jehoshaphat agreed. The king of Edom also joined with them. But after marching seven days with no water for their men or animals, Jehoram lost faith.

“Then the king of Israel said, ‘Alas! The Lord has called these three kings to give them into the hand of Moab.’” 2 Kings 3:10 ESV

But Jehoshaphat wasn’t ready to give up so easily. He called for a prophet, so they could see what God had to say about it. God’s words to these three kings revealed a powerful truth that still applies to our battles today.

“And this is a simple matter in the sight of the Lord; He will also deliver the Moabites into your hand.” 2 Kings 3:18 NKJV

What we see as our most difficult struggles are the simplest matters to God.

God spoke through the prophet Elisha, telling them He planned to fill every dry stream bed with water, so they would have plenty to drink. That was His first promise. Then He also added another minor detail.

By the way, I will also take care of this one other simple thing. I will deliver your enemy into your hands.

You see, God had a plan all along. King Jehoram couldn’t see it. All he could see was three armies of exhausted, worn out, thirsty men without water to drink. How would they ever be able to fight?

I hear you, Jehoram. I’ve been in that place of doubt. We all have. We look around at our circumstances, and our human minds can’t possibly foresee a good outcome. Yet it’s in those moments God calls us into a deeper level of trust.

“And when they rose early the next morning and the sun shone on the water, the Moabites saw the water opposite them as red as blood.” (v. 22) They thought the kings had turned on each other, so they went after the spoil. But when they came to the camp, the Israelites rose up and took them down.

God used the water to confuse the Moabites and win the victory even before the battle began.

Just like Jehoshaphat, when we trust God with our biggest struggles, He will bring us to a place of victory in the most remarkable ways.

Are you facing a battle that seems insurmountable? Are you ambushed by feelings of fear, shock, or uncertainty? Instead of taking matters into our own hands, let’s take our trust to a new level today. Our biggest battles are God’s simplest matters.

Blessings,

Kristine

Does God Hear My Battle Shout?

What does the Bible say about our battle cry?