I recently read a piece about the Alaskan bull moose. The males battle for dominance during the fall breeding season, literally going head-to-head with antlers crunching together as they collide. Often their antlers are broken. That ensures defeat. The biggest moose with the largest and strongest antlers wins the day.
The battle fought in the Fall is really won during the summer when they eat constantly. The moose who consumes the best diet for growing antlers and gaining weight will be the heavyweight in the fight. The lesson here? Spiritual battles await us all. Will we be victorious or will we fail? Much depends on what we do now – before the battle begins! And let’s face it – life seems to be a constant series of battles!
Warfare was a common occurrence in Biblical times. (As it is today.) God’s people often found themselves either preparing for a battle or recovering from one. Their enemies were numerous and relentless as they learned to lean on God. Proverbs 21 tells us: “The horse is prepared for the day of battle but victory belongs to the Lord.” We always need to remember our faith in Divine intervention during times of battle.
This little verse reminds us that regardless of human preparations or strategies in our battle, ultimate triumph lies with our Lord.
God never intended for us to live defeated lives. Jesus even declared, “I have come that they may have life and have it more abundantly.” The Bible consistently presents the Christian life as one of victory to victory – not victory meaning the absence of difficulties. And our victorious life isn’t reserved just for spiritual superstars – it’s the normal Christian experience God intends for every believer.
And if you think about it – victory is both a position and a practice. We’re already victorious in Christ who conquered sin, death & Satan; practically, we experience that victory as we walk in obedience and dependence on Him. Understanding & applying Biblical practices enables us to walk out a victorious life. A bottom line here would be this: sometimes you win – sometimes you learn!
David in the Bible was such a man who understood all this. He killed a lion and a bear while protecting his sheep. But his battles – and victories – didn’t stop there. He went on to have a battle and a victory over Goliath. But his battle didn’t stop there either. In fact, it’s documented that David fought approximately 8 to 9 major battles during his lifetime. He literally went from battle to battle and victory to victory! David’s faith led him to fight against all odds, but it was God who provided the victories.
I Chronicles 20 tells us, “The Lord gave David victory over all his enemies.” ALL. That’s a lot. I want to be able to say at the end of my own life that God gave me victory over all my enemies! What is missing from David’s life is any verse telling us that after a battle David was surprised that he had yet another battle to fight. He wasn’t. It was battle after battle & victory after victory! No ‘one and done’ here. Which brings me to the point of this article…
In January my doctor informed me that I had lung cancer. Kinda a kick-in-the-gut for sure!! This will be my third time battling cancer. My first “go-to” here was, of course, God. I put the whole thing – again – into His competent hands. I have no doubt that He will give me yet another victory! As someone once noted, “There is no victory without
a war, no prize without a price, no crown without a cross.” So I’m geared up for yet another victory!
I absolutely love what Benson Idahosa has said about our battles: “Instead of seeing the storms…and living vulnerably to every physical plague that ravages human beings
– discover that God has become your companion for victory through life’s adversities.”
A favorite quote of mine to wind this all up = It’s your reaction to adversity – not adversity itself – that determines how your life’s story will develop! Selah!
