Written by Pastor Jack Wellman– Hannah Whitall
The Battle is His
When King Jehoshaphat was surrounded by enemies forces and the nation of Judah was hopelessly outnumbered, the king didn’t despair but he said, “Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: Thus says the LORD to you, ‘Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God’s’” (2nd Chron 20:15). If the battle was up to the king and the forces of Judah, it would have been time to despair, but those who know God understand that “the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give you into our hand” (1st Sam 17:47b).
According to your Faith
Jesus once healed a blind man and told him, “According to your faith be it done to you” (Matt 9:29), but instead of advertising “miracle healings” like some preachers do on TV, Jesu said, “And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, “See that no one knows about it” (Matt 9:30). There are so many false prophets out there today who claim to have healing power but it’s only to seek glory for themselves. Besides, God grants miracles and this power doesn’t come from any man. When Jesus healed, He didn’t broadcast it, but usually told them, “See that no one knows about it,” so in this way, God receives the glory and not man.
Victory in Surrender
Ironically, Christians have had victory over drugs, alcohol, pornography, gambling, and other strongholds, but it wasn’t from trying as hard as they can. Instead, they found victory in surrender. A great example is a Christian friend of mine who has battled pornography for decades. One day, he finally gave up trying to overcome it. He had enough, so he surrendered to God and said, “God, I give up, I can’t fight this,” but then, almost suddenly, he lost his desire to look at it anymore. Wow! It was only when he surrendered to God that He was able to overcome this because God was fighting for him and apparently took the desire out of his heart.
The Miracle in You
I think one of the greatest miracles there are is the miracle of conversion. For one thing, we were deader than Lazarus’ four-days-dead. We were dead in our sins and were basically the walking dead (Eph 2:1-2). It took the Spirit of God to convict us of our sins and change our hearts of stone into a heart of flesh and a heart that would be receptive to God and one that would trust in Christ. We were once blind and lost, but now we can see and are found. That takes the power of God through His Spirit.
Conclusion
We can only find victory by surrendering to God, and it isn’t about how strong our faith is, but the Object of our Faith (Jesus Christ), and so there is victory only in surrender, like on the day we surrendered to God and pleaded for His mercy and came to trust, the only name by which we can be saved (Acts 4:12) and that is Jesus Christ.
