When the Battle is Not the Lord’s
A common expression that you’ve probably heard in times of opposition or difficulty is “The battle is not yours. It’s the Lord’s.”
It sounds great. It’s encouraging. Reassuring. Empowering.
But it isn’t always true. The battle isn’t always the Lord’s. Not because He is incapable. Or unloving. But because sometimes we’re fighting battles He doesn’t intend us to fight.
In context of the passage, this expression comes from 2 Chronicles 20; the Israelites are facing an unprovoked attack by their enemies, and God intends to rescue them. In this case, it is definitely the Lord’s battle. What matters is His strength. Not theirs. His might to face their opposition. Not their inability to. And so Israel can have the confidence that comes from God having their back.
But there are other places in the Bible where God does not fight for Israel. Where they are defeated. Crushed and humiliated even. Sometimes, it was because of their unrepentant sin. But other times, it was because the battle was really of their own initiative and they tried to sanctify it on the backend with God’s approval.
Not every battle we face is God’s to fight. There are times in our lives and ministries where we are fighting our own battles. It’s about our ego. Our agenda. Our purposes. Our glory.
Maybe it’s a conflict at work that if you were honest, you have just as much responsibility for creating as your opposition. Or marriage difficulties that you could claim equal blame in. Or a ministry initiative that found its origin more in your own desire and ambitions than in God’s will.
In these moments, we can’t have the confidence that God will fight for us. We can’t just depend on the Lord’s strength.
Make sure that whatever battle you’re facing right now is something God intends you to be in. Otherwise, your expectation that God is going to fight for you is ultimately going to lead to frustration when you find yourself still fighting in your own strength.
God isn’t interested in prolonging battles He wants no part in. 
Steven Furtick is the Lead Pastor of Elevation Church, an incredible move of God in Charlotte, NC with more than 6,000 in attendance each week among three locations. He is the author of the book, Sun Stand Still. He lives in Charlotte with his wife Holly and their two sons, Elijah and Graham.
More from Steven Furtick or visit Steven at www.stevenfurtick.com
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