You’ll Never Walk Alone
Deuteronomy 20:1–4 (ESV) “When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of them, because the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, will be with you. 2 When you are about to go into battle, the priest shall come forward and address the army. 3 He shall say: “Hear, Israel: Today you are going into battle against your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not panic or be terrified by them. 4 For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.”
The passage contains God’s instructions to the Israelites on warfare before they enter the Promised Land. In it, He tells them how to fight and win — with His unfailing help — the land He was about to give them. It teaches us about our own engagement in the spiritual warfare that rages around us.
The Raging Battle Around Us
Just like the Israelites, we are facing different kinds of battles each day. Maybe for some of us, it’s our co-worker, our workload, our boss, our family member, our friend, financial issues, waiting season, feeling lost, alone, tired, and more. Our battles not only damage our physical but also mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being.
Some days, I will feel annoyed by a lazy co-worker or rude client. Sometimes, I can’t handle the stress of my workload or feel pressured by my tasks. There are times I have problems with my family member, and I feel helpless as I’m far away from them. There are moments when I feel frustrated, irritated, and confused.
God’s gracious reminder and the realization
God reminded me that, “Life is full of ups and downs. It will not be problem-free, but going through life with Me, you will have Peace.”
This made me realize life is not smooth sailing. You can be happy today and then disappointed tomorrow. But overcoming each life’s challenges together with Him is a beautiful journey. After each victory, you will feel how blessed and loved you are. You will value all those moments of pain and brokenness as these made you wiser and stronger. You will realize there are reasons behind those struggles.
Life indeed is not easy, but we, as Christians, must face each day with Hope in Him. Remember it is not you alone fighting the battle but He is fighting for you and with you. Just like how Moses reminded the Israelites to not be afraid and fainthearted, we can fix our eyes on Jesus, not on the raging battle, and then will have peace.
The opportunity on the battlefield
Fight each day right. Fight the good fight of the faith. Put on the full armor of God. Remember, the way you conquer the battlefield can be testimonies that could draw others closer to Him.
If something bad happened, what is your initial response? Are you anxious or at peace? If someone did something against you, are you still willing to offer grace and compassion? If waiting for something has been taking a long time, are you impatient or do you surrender everything to Him?
We surrender because we are already conquerors
You have the choice of how to deal with your problems. Surrendering everything to Him first is the best thing you can do.
You are His child. As Romans 8:37 says that “in all things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us”.
I want to encourage everyone that we may have a lot to worry about, but in Him, we have already won. God is always on our side. We are fighting “from” victory and not “for” victory. You’ll never walk alone.
— Jenny Anne Flores