Fighting the Battles

I have a couple of major battles in my life (who doesn’t?!). To be perfectly honest, I don’t often feel like fighting them. And hey, I tell myself, isn’t God on the throne? Can’t He fight – and win – these battles without my help? Didn’t God tell the Israelites, “YHWH will fight for you; you need only be still” (Ex 14:14)? And didn’t Jesus say to turn the other cheek?

But I have this sneaking suspicion that I am just multiplying excuses for not doing what is unpleasant, time-consuming, emotionally draining and even a little scary (after all, my enemies may hit back). I am reminded of all the times God requires His people to do something as part of the battle that He wins. For every time He sovereignly and independently wins a battle for His people, it seems like there are at least a dozen other times when He tells them to do such-and-such and the battle will be won – still miraculously but with their human cooperation.

I think of all the times David and Joshua were given specific battle plans. I think of Jonathan and his armor bearer stepping out in faith alone against the entire Philistine army saying, “Nothing can hinder YHWH from saving, whether by many or by few” (1 Sam 14:6). Would God have even fought those battles without a person’s cooperation?

I believe God wants me to put aside the easy, the safe and the enjoyable when He sounds the battle trumpet and calls me to war. I’d rather not, to be honest, but if He has called, who am I to second-guess the outcome? After all, He’s just asking me to show up and walk through any doors He sets before me. God is the one who does the real fighting that both gets the doors open and wins the war.