The weapons of God's warfare!

    When David faced Goliath in 1 Samuel 17, he made some fearless, bold statements. They were, however, not statements made in confidence in his own ability but in his God’s ability to do the impossible. He knew what he could do and that would not be enough. But, he knew what his God could and would do and that was everything.
    David did not just boast that God would deliver their enemies into their hands, but that when He did, they would all know that “the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s …” (1 Samuel 17:47). God is not a God to do things in the way that we would expect. His ways and thoughts are higher than ours. Our logic is not His logic. Sometimes, we try to figure God out, figure out His strategy, how He would or could work the situation out. But God is not moved by our opinion and strategies but His. Remember, they tried to get David to use familiar weapons but that was not how God was going to fight and win this battle. 
    The reality is, God’s battle strategy, God’s solution to our problem, is not always the way we might expect or hope … and that’s fine. God does not need to win the battle our way but His way. Who would have expected or even chosen, one, a young boy to fight against Goliath, or two, that his weapons would be a sling shot and a stone. This whole battle strategy did not make any sense. In fact, it was downright laughable. Yet, that’s exactly who and what God chose to use … and it worked! It worked not because of who and what was chosen but because of God’s power working through who and what He chose to use. It was still all God. He does not share His glory with another. 
    I am reminded of two stories. The first is the Israelites crossing of the Red Sea. They were trapped between the Egyptians who were pursuing them and a huge body of water they could not possibly cross. Yet, God had set this whole scenario up (Exodus 14:1-4). When the Israelites complained in fear, God through Moses told them: “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still” (Exodus 14:13-14). The reality is that the Israelites had no weapons with which to fight the Egyptians and they had no means with which to cross the Red Sea. God had to do this.                 
    Sometimes God just sets us up. This situation was just as impossible as the confrontation between David and Goliath. Yet, God came through for the Israelites. He did what had never been done before. He parted the Red Sea and while this was a way of escape for His people, it was also the method He used to destroy their enemies. The Israelites did not have to use any sword or spear, they just had to trust their God. 
    The second story tells of the combined armies that rose up against king Jehoshaphat and Judah. When Jehoshaphat and his people turned to the Lord in fear, God’s answer to them was: “Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem” (2 Chronicles 20:15 & 17). Interestingly, they truly did not have to fight their enemies. Singers went before the army singing praises to God. As they did so, their enemies began to fight against one another until they were completely consumed. All the Israelites had to do, was gather the spoil from their enemies’s dead bodies. Here, the weapon was worship. As they focused on their God and sang praises to Him, He fought that battle for them. 
    This all excites me because we cannot box God in. Our way of doing things and God’s way, are two different things. We don’t have to worry when our own ideas and solutions seem limited or even non-existent. God’s got us and He knows exactly the tools and weapons to use to fight and win on our behalf. Even when what we do have in our hands is limited, God will take and use the little that we have and empower it to do the job. It’s still all about God and about His amazing ability to do the impossible … His way.
    If you have not accepted Jesus Christ into your life as your personal Lord and Saviour, I encourage you to do so today. There is no loss in serving a God whose power and ability are limitless and many times incomprehensible. God will not fail us. He will fight on our behalf and whatever or whoever He chooses to use, even though it may not make sense to us, He will empower and enable to get the job done. Just trust Him!
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