Deuteronomy 3:22 says, “Do not fear them, for the LORD your God is the one fighting for you.” Just after the king of Sihon and the king of Og were defeated by the Israelites, Moses instructed Joshua to have no fear when he led the people into the promised land. Just as God had given victory to the nation under Moses, so, too, He would give victory to Israel under Joshua if only Israel would trust and obey. We are not fighting literal kings and literal armies, though we do fight the spiritual forces of darkness (Ephesians 6:12). Our call is not to fear evil or cower before the devil. The devil can only do what God gives him permission to do. Even though he has rebelled against God to set up his own kingdom, he knows that he is not the supreme power. This is why, for example, he had to ask God for permission to afflict Job and his family (Job 1:12). God had a plan for Job to sanctify him and use him to teach countless others great lessons about suffering and the sovereignty of God. When we read the accounts of Job and of Israel as they entered the promised land, we should be moved to have confidence that the same God who delivered them from their foes is the same God who can deliver us from our foe, the devil, today. In Christ, we have the victory. No demon and no scheme of the enemy can defeat the child of God or force him or her into sin. Because of Christ in us, the enemy must flee when he is resisted (James 4:7).
Not only, however, do we not have to fear the forces of darkness, but we do not have to fear mere mortal man. People can be difficult. If you have ever been teased, bullied, or made fun of in school, you understand. If you have an annoying neighbor or co-worker, you understand. If you have ever been given a raw deal and have been taken advantage of by another person, perhaps even a professing believer, you understand. It is easy to become angry at the person and desire to take vengeful action. It is easy to take matters into our own hands and begin to fret and worry. Sure, there might be some things we can do to try to be at peace with others and to defend justice, but ultimately we must put our hope in God. The command from Moses to Joshua was “Do not fear them.” Who is your "them" that you fear? Who is the "them" that frustrates you to no end? Who is the “them” that is a thorn in your flesh? God’s call to Joshua and to us as well is not to lose hope or give in to sinful measures simply because of the schemes and ways of evil man. What is man, after all (Psalm 144:3)? We serve a powerful God Who goes by the name of Jehovah Jireh, the God Who Provides. There is nothing He can’t do. When we are pressed against the wall by our enemies and have every human reason to fear, God can deliver. He is the One fighting for us. When a relationship is just going nowhere and is just plain difficult, God is the One fighting for His children. When we are attacked, insulted, or mocked, God is the One fighting for our cause. Sometimes situations are easy to rectify, and other times it just seems as if the wicked are going to win because there is nothing we or anybody else can do to stop them. Sometimes the wicked do prosper (Psalm 73:3), and the righteous do suffer (Matthew 5:45). Our hope, however, is that God is just, justice will ultimately be served, God will avenge all wrongs (Romans 12:19), and He is on our side, taking up our cause. God is in our corner. May we always remember that, no matter what opposition or struggle we face. He is the One fighting for us. We are weak; He is strong. We are feeble; He is powerful. With us alone, the task is impossible. But with God, all things are possible (Matthew 19:26). What a mighty God we serve, and how wonderful it is that He fights with us and for us to accomplish His will in our lives. If God is for us, who can be against us (Romans 8:31)? In the end, righteousness always prevails because God gets the final say come eternity and judgment time.
Are you backed up against a wall? Or maybe you know someone else who seems to be in a sure bind of the enemy with no hope of escape. Why fear, when the Sovereign of the Universe, the One Who is in charge of it all, is on the case? God is always on call, always available, and always present. He is the One fighting for us. Political measures might fail. Personal influence might not get the job done. Money might not solve the problem. One’s strength and resolve might not be enough, but God knew we would be in these strenuous kinds of situations all along. He wants us to see our helplessness so that He can be our Help, our Hope, our Deliverer, and our Provider. Whatever the situation and predicament, call to God and do not fear because He is the One fighting for you. And in this case, One is more than enough.
The Good News