Tomorrow go down against them. You will see them coming up the ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the valley facing the Wilderness of Jeruel. You do not have to fight this battle. Position yourselves and stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD. He is with you Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Tomorrow, go out to face them, for Yahweh is with you.     2 Chronicles 20:16-17 HCSB

Many people have the misconception that being a Christian is all about love and peace. Being a hippie in the 60’s and 70’s was all about love and peace. Being a Christian often means war. It often means we are called to fight spiritual battles. Are you prepared for battle?

Before a soldier goes into training much less war, they must be properly equipped. God gives us equipment for battle in Ephesians 6:10-18. He gives us the belt of truth, armor of righteousness, feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is God’s word.

The battles we fight as Christians are not battles of flesh and blood, but spiritual battles and we must prepare as such. We battle against the spiritual forces of evil. If you will notice in that list of equipment, there is only one offensive weapon and this is the Sword of the Spirit. This is God’s word.

Equipment that shields us and protects us is important, but we must also be familiar with our offensive weapons. No officer or soldier would step out onto the field carrying a weapon they did not know how to operate. If we are going to do spiritual battle, we have to study God’s word. We have to know what God expects of us. We have to understand His promises.

When Jesus was tempted in the desert, the devil used God’s word. Even the devil uses God’s word when he is trying to tempt us. In the Garden of Eden, he twisted God’s word to tempt Eve. If we don’t have a good, strong knowledge and understanding of God’s word we become easy prey for the devil.

Faith is also a key factor. It’s what shields us from the flaming arrows of the evil one (Ephesians 10:16). We must trust in God to be with us. We must accept Christ as our Savior and enter into a loving relationship with Him in order to have the helmet of Salvation. This helmet protects us from the temptation that comes into our minds.

We must strive for righteousness which protects our heart against evil. And we must have feet that are sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace. We stand firm in the peace of God and we will not be shaken. God provides our peace. When we trust in Him we can have peace in times of trouble.

There are many battles in the Old Testament, but the one in our Scripture passage is one of my favorites. God told Jehoshaphat to simply suit up and watch these armies that were coming against him enter into the land. God even had them put their choir out in front. They were to march out singing praises to God. They went ahead of the armed forces.

God caused the armies coming against them to become confused and begin fighting each other until they were destroyed. Jehoshaphat and his army only had to go in and collect the plunder.

Sometimes God calls us to fight and sometimes He calls us to stand still and watch Him work. To know what He is calling you to do in each situation, you need to be in close communication with Him through prayer and Bible study. Remember if you are praying but not studying your Bible, you are in a one-sided conversation.

Trust in God, He’s got this. Always be prepared for battle but do not fear because He is there with you. He will fight for you.

Have a great day!