This Battle is NOT Yours; It’s The Lord’s

Daily Devotional

2 Chronicles 20:15 And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the Lord unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s.

Do not try to do for yourself what only the Spirit of God can do. We sometimes make the mistake of trying to get things done with our strength that the Spirit of God was assigned to complete on our behalf. Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah avoided that mistake when they were faced with the great multitude comprising the armies of Moab, the Ammonites and Mount Seir. Being fearful that his army was no match for the large army before him, Jehoshaphat proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah, gathering all the people to seek the help of the Lord in prayer.  In the midst of the time of prayer, the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel and he declared God’s answer to the congregation: “the battle is not yours, but the Lord’s”. What God was effectively saying was that this battle did not require their involvement, because what needs to be done could only be done by the Spirit of God.

The battle that Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah were confronted with was bigger than them; it was way above their level. Human effort could not have given them the victory; it could take them so far but no further because it was a job for the Spirit of God.  What kept them from not making the mistake of trying to do it with human effort was that they sought the Lord in prayer prior to engaging. It was there that it was revealed that that battle was a work for the Holy Spirit. Not all battles that we face will be like that, but you might be one of those who are in battle and the Holy Spirit is saying that what needs to be done can only be done by the Spirit of God. It may be in your marriage, finances, health, business or relationship; it will take the work of the Holy Spirit.  Like the people of Judah, look to the Spirit of God for help by going deep into his presence through prayer and fasting.

Life Application: You can’t just stay in the natural and expect the Spirit of God to do what must be done on your behalf, extract the divine help you need by going deep in the presence of God through prayer and fasting. 

Prayer: Lord, this battle is not mine, it is yours. Help me to submit to your Spirit and take refuge in the fact that all things are working for my good. In Jesus name, amen.