Strength For The Battle

It’s everywhere. On the news. On social media. In conversations with friends and strangers alike. War. Unrest. Conflict. Grief. Pain. Whether on a global scale between nations and governments, or on a more personal level – in marriages and friendships, relationships with children, physical/mental health, or financial challenges, recovery from addictions, and in myriads of other ways – we are all facing a battle of some kind today. And this knowledge can lay heavy on our minds and hearts.

Personally, I’ve felt like I’ve been battling the enemy on multiple fronts over the last few weeks and the steady onslaught has been exhausting. There have been times that I have been so tired I haven’t felt like getting out of bed. The questions and doubts raging in my mind have seemed endless. And yet in the midst of all of this, I have found a new perspective.

The words of 1 Peter 5:8-10 keep coming back to me. Reminding me that I am not alone. Reminding me that Jesus is with me. That He has never failed me and that in all of this He still has a plan.

“Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are. In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation.” ~ 1 Peter 5:8-10 NLT

Sometimes in the middle of the hard things, it can be hard to see beyond your current moment. There are times when the battle is fierce and rages long. When your hands grow weary and your strength fails. When your faith falters and the fiery darts strike true. When you walk wounded and your heart is shattered.

The moments when time seems to stand still, and the veil between heaven and earth thins, and this world’s grip seems to slip. When the promise of Heaven’s rest beckons loud and the longing to step across the threshold of Home gives voice in your chest. When grief weighs heavy and defeat looms. When you feel you just can’t go on.

Maybe you are in the midst of one of these battles right now. Maybe your faith has been shaken. And you feel the blows keep coming and you’re losing ground. But don’t give up! You are not alone, my friend!

I think sometimes it’s easy to read the Bible and forget that the stories in it’s pages are recorded accounts of real people, facing challenges that overwhelmed them, just like we do. The words that the Apostle Peter wrote to a church under attack thousands of years ago are words that are still relevant for us today. Over and over throughout Scripture we see examples of people who walked through tremendous trials, who faced giants, and who conquered insurmountable challenges and were victorious. Because they knew Who to run to for strength.

So where do we run for refuge and to regain strength for the battle? What are we to do when we feel like we are drowning? How do we stand firm, as Peter says, and resist the enemy?

The story of David in 1 Samuel chapter 30 is one that I have returned to again and again over the years.

In this account, David and his men had just returned home, already exhausted from battle with the Philistines, only to find that the Amalekites had pillaged and burned their homes and taken everyone away as captives. Their grief and weariness was so profound that they wept until they couldn’t anymore. And when their tears were spent, David’s own men threatened to kill him in their anger and despair.

But I have always found David’s response to this situation a source of encouragement. He didn’t fall apart. He didn’t give up. When David was done weeping, when faced with the threat of violence against him, he picked himself up and sought his source of strength. Verse 6 says that David found strength in the LORD his God. The NKJV says “David encouraged himself in the LORD.” I love that.

See, David knew that no matter how bleak things looked, he still had a Refuge he could run to. He knew where to go to find the strength that he did not have. He had seen the Lord work in his life before. He had seen the faithfulness of God. He had experienced the God of the impossible.

And God was faithful! He met David where he was, equipped him with strength and a new battle plan, and sent him out to wage war on the enemy. And not only were they victorious, but verses 18-19 say that David recovered everything and everyone that were taken. Nothing was missing!

Have you ever felt like David and his men? Has grief driven you to your knees? Have you wept until you have run out of tears? Have you faced an enemy that seemed more than you could handle? I think we’ve all been there. Maybe you are in the thick of battle right now. But no matter what you are facing right now, don’t give up. Don’t let go. Like David did, remember the One Who is able.

Run to your Refuge.

Still your heart and listen. And you will hear your Father’s whisper.

“I AM here, my Child. I know you’re broken. I know you’re heart is heavy. I know the shadows crowd and the battle is hard. I know you feel the pull to give up. But be strong and courageous. Stand firm. I am still at work. Even when you can’t see it. And I have a purpose yet. Hold fast to Me. I will not fail you.”

God has not abandoned you in your fight. Hang on to Jesus. He will strengthen your heart. He will lift your weary head and wipe your tears. Hold fast to His promises and let His Presence transform you.

Don’t give up. Don’t give in. Don’t let go. Stand firm and find your strength in the Lord. Victory is coming, my friend. The Lord is at hand!

To me, it has been a source of great comfort and strength in the day of battle, just to remember that the secret of steadfastness, and indeed, of victory, is the recognition that “the Lord is at hand.”

Duncan Campbell

Until next time…