Experiencing Spiritual Victory!

Our real enemies are not our spouse, boss, neighbor, job, money problems, or health problems…our enemy is clearly defined as Satan and his demons - and that is who we can and will experience spiritual victory over if we follow the example we are about to see.

[caveat: if you are in a dangerous situation where abuse and oppression are happening, you need to get to a safe place - immediate danger = immediate action]

What spiritual battle are you facing today?

There are at least four steps on the path to spiritual victory that this passage gives:

Seek the Lord

Search the Scriptures

Sing His Praises

Stand Your Ground

I. Seek the Lord

2 Chronicles 20:1–2 NKJV

1 It happened after this that the people of Moab with the people of Ammon, and others with them besides the Ammonites, came to battle against Jehoshaphat. 2 Then some came and told Jehoshaphat, saying, “A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, from Syria; and they are in Hazazon Tamar” (which is En Gedi).

A confederacy of three enemy nations is coming to fight against Judah.

This was a massive host - a powerful war machine that greatly outnumbered the armies of Judah

The situation is dire! - There is no hope, humanly speaking!

We also face a powerful host!

1 Peter 5:8 NKJV

8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

One of his greatest tactics is to lull us into a state of lethargy so that we don’t even hear him coming until it’s too late.

In our own strength, we are powerless against him!

Notice Jehoshaphat’s response:

2 Chronicles 20:3 (NKJV)

3 And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.

I. Seek the Lord

A. Fear

There is first that initial surge of fear like you and I experience - but it drove Jehoshaphat TOWARDS the Lord…not away from Him!

We struggle with fear - but Jehoshaphat is showing us what to do with that fear - To seek the Lord

I. Seek the Lord

A. Fear

B. Focus

2 Chronicles 20:3 (NKJV)

3 And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord...

To set here means to be given or dedicated to, and “himself” is literally “his face”

So in other words, Jehoshaphat “dedicated his face - his entire countenance…his FOCUS - was in the pursuit of God!”

Let me ask you - what do YOU do with your fear?…to whom or what do you turn when fear comes to your door?....where do you set your face?

We must FOCUS our face, our concentration, on the Lord!

I. Seek the Lord

A. Fear

B. Focus

C. Fast

2 Chronicles 20:3 (NKJV)

3 And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.

The king was so focused that he didn’t want let anything to distract them from the Lord, not even food!

Is there anything in your life that is becoming a distraction from you setting your face to seek the Lord?

Fasting, a denial of satisfying one’s hunger, is essentially a temporary shift in priorities…it’s putting aside the temporal satisfaction in exchange for the eternal.

Fasting is not just abstaining from food…fasting is doing so for a spiritual purpose!

I won’t tell you how, when, or what to fast…I believe that fasting (much like giving) is an intensely personal and voluntary discipline [Jesus said don’t let others know you’re fasting, just like He said don’t let the right hand know what the left is doing…it’s personal - between you and the Lord]

2 Chronicles 20:4 (NKJV)

4 So Judah gathered together to ask help from the Lord; and from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord.

This was a corporate response to the nation’s leadership.

When leaders take a stand, the people will stand beside them!....at least they SHOULD stand beside them!

I. Seek the Lord

A. Fear

B. Focus

C. Fast

II. Search the Scriptures

[READ 2 Chron. 20:5-11]

I. Seek the Lord

II. Search the Scriptures

A. Reminding Ourselves

B. Requesting the Lord

C. Receiving the Word

II. Search the Scriptures

A. Reminding Ourselves (vv.5-11)

2 Chronicles 20:5 NKJV

5 Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, before the new court,

2 Chronicles 20:6 (NKJV)

6 and said: “O Lord God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You?

2 Chronicles 20:7 NKJV

7 Are You not our God, who drove out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel, and gave it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever?

Did God need to be reminded of what He had done or what He had promised? NO!

WE are the ones who need to be reminded!

Jehoshaphat reminded himself and the nation of Judah by a verbal recounting what God had done…we need to follow this example!

Each section of Jehoshaphat’s prayer can be traced back to another passage of Scripture:

2 Chronicles 20:6-7 - Genesis 13:14-17

The land promise to Abraham

2 Chronicles 20:8-9 - 1 Kings 8:37-40

The Temple dedication prayer

2 Chronicles 20:10-11 - Deut. 2:4, 9, 19

The command to avoid Edom, Moab, and Ammon

II. Search the Scriptures

A. Reminding Ourselves (vv.5-11)

B. Requesting the Lord (v.12-13)

2 Chronicles 20:12 (NKJV)

12 O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.”

The people had no power, and they had no plan, but they did have their God!

When the enemies come, when the Devil roars, when the spiritual battle against sin and temptation seems hopeless, when the loss hurts so deeply and pain is so overwhelming that you can’t get out of bed or take another step…what or whom are your eyes upon?

Hebrews 12:2 NKJV

2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

We need to fasten our eyes on Christ!

How long are you willing to keep your eyes on Jesus?

We will see in this narrative that God’s answer to Judah’s prayers comes rather quickly…but it’s not always like that.

Some of you have been praying for something for YEARS and still have no answer?…the salvation of a loved one…a return to the Lord of a prodigal?

Yet God has given no direct answer?

2 Chronicles 20:13 NKJV

13 Now all Judah, with their little ones, their wives, and their children, stood before the Lord.

I want to pause and address the last verse of this section here at verse 13

When it says “all Judah”, it’s talking about the heads of the families - the husbands and fathers.

Men, for most families, that’s us, and these men of Judah are giving us such an example to follow - are we leading our families to stand before the Lord?

Notice, the whole family is present.

Wives, if your husband takes the lead spiritually, are you willing to stand by his side and support him?

Children and teens, if dad says, “We are going to take our spiritual lives to the next level.”, are you willing to follow him?

II. Search the Scriptures

A. Reminding Ourselves (vv.5-11)

B. Requesting the Lord (v.12-13)

C. Receiving the Word (v.14-17)

2 Chronicles 20:14–15 NKJV

14 Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly. 15 And he said, “Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the Lord to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.

It’s important to realize that Jahaziel’s proclamation fulfilled the law’s requirements that a priest was to say to the nation before a battle:

Deuteronomy 20:2–4 NKJV

2 So it shall be, when you are on the verge of battle, that the priest shall approach and speak to the people. 3 And he shall say to them, ‘Hear, O Israel: Today you are on the verge of battle with your enemies. Do not let your heart faint, do not be afraid, and do not tremble or be terrified because of them; 4 for the Lord your God is He who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.’

Jahazial continues:

2 Chronicles 20:16–17 NKJV

16 Tomorrow go down against them. They will surely come up by the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the brook before the Wilderness of Jeruel. 17 You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you.”

Some observations about receiving the Word:

HOW TO RECEIVE THE WORD:

Listen by Faith

Believe it by Faith

Worship by Faith

Take action by Faith

Receiving the Word is all about faith!

Put yourself in Jehoshaphat’s shoes:

The enemy is coming - there is no human hope

You have cried out to God, reviewed His promises and acknowledged His power

And right after you say AMEN, some guy stands up and says “Here’s your answer from the Lord!”

We are about to see Jehoshaphat’s response - but we need to consider the FAITH component of this situation!

IMPORTANT: We are not waiting for the word of the Lord to come from a prophet…the Bible is our prophet! - The Scriptures are complete, closed, and in command!

HOW TO RECEIVE THE WORD:

Listen by Faith

Believe it by Faith

Worship by Faith

Take action by Faith

The Scriptures are complete, closed, and in command!

DON’T EVER UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF THE WORD OF GOD!

I. Seek the Lord

II. Search the Scriptures

III. Sing God’s Praises

2 Chronicles 20:18–19 (NKJV)

18 And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem bowed before the Lord, worshiping the Lord. 19 Then the Levites of the children of the Kohathites and of the children of the Korahites stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel with voices loud and high.

The word picture here is so powerful!

Singing God’s praises should be done LOUD AND HIGH!

Let us not be guilty of lethargy or laziness when we lift our voices!

Notice that these Levites break out in praise from their hearts - voluntarily - with no one commanding them to do so (the king was bowed down in worship)

These men could not be restrained! Their vocal worship burst forth because their hearts were filled with praise and adoration of their God!

Please keep in mind: The confederate forces are still coming - there has been no victory yet!

Now they are going to take action:

2 Chronicles 20:20–21 (NKJV)

20 So they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.” 21 And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the Lord, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying: “Praise the Lord, For His mercy endures forever.”

Notice that the king does not appoint the army generals or commanders or chariots or troops...

He appoints the Worship Team! It’s the singers, not the soldiers, who are going to lead the people to the victory.

Psalm 29:2 NKJV

2 Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name; Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.

Have you stopped in the midst of your fear to meditate on “the beauty of God’s holiness”?

Psalm 96:9 NKJV

9 Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness! Tremble before Him, all the earth.

2 Chronicles 20:21 NKJV

21 And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the Lord, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying: “Praise the Lord, For His mercy endures forever.”

This was not the march of men going to war but of the people going to worship!

In their minds, the battle was won and they were already celebrating in the pre-game like it was the post-game!

It was as if the battle was over and figuratively, it was!

Our enemy also has been defeated and will be defeated:

Colossians 2:15 NKJV

15 Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.

Yes, Satan and the world and our flesh are still able to destroy, but they don’t have to!

Are you living in the victory of the cross?

1 Corinthians 15:55 NKJV

55 “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?”

We are on the victory march!

Let us lift our voices and sing !

2 Chronicles 20:21 (NKJV)

Over and over they sang this great song of praise!

An repeating echo of adoration for the LORD!

A celebration of His mercy! - this emphasized that they understood that they did not deserve to be delivered like this, but God did it anyway!

Can you praise the Lord in that way?

Have you considered that you have also been rescued at the cross, though you are undeserving of His mercy?!?

I. Seek the Lord

II. Search the Scriptures

III. Sing God’s Praises

IV. Stand Your Ground

2 Chronicles 20:22 (NKJV)

22 Now when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated.

And now we come to the result of the Seeking and Searching and Singing:

VICTORY!!

2 Chronicles 20:23 NKJV

23 For the people of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to utterly kill and destroy them. And when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another.

The confederacy ended - the allies became enemies - and they slaughtered themselves!

Perhaps it was jealousy, or greed, or some suspicion of breaking ranks…but these powerful armies were reduced to nothing!

2 Chronicles 20:24 (NKJV)

24 So when Judah came to a place overlooking the wilderness, they looked toward the multitude; and there were their dead bodies, fallen on the earth. No one had escaped.

The victory was complete!

2 Chronicles 20:25–26 NKJV

25 When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away their spoil, they found among them an abundance of valuables on the dead bodies, and precious jewelry, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away; and they were three days gathering the spoil because there was so much. 26 And on the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Berachah, for there they blessed the Lord; therefore the name of that place was called The Valley of Berachah until this day.

Berachah = Blessing

2 Chronicles 20:27–28 NKJV

27 Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, with Jehoshaphat in front of them, to go back to Jerusalem with joy, for the Lord had made them rejoice over their enemies. 28 So they came to Jerusalem, with stringed instruments and harps and trumpets, to the house of the Lord.

They sang God’s praise before, during, and after the battle!!

As hard as it sounds, would you be willing this week to sing praises to God THROUGH your fear?

You might need to do it through your tears, in your solitary place, and it might not even feel good - but could you try praising God for the victory He will do as if He has already done it?

2 Chronicles 20:29–30 NKJV

29 And the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of those countries when they heard that the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel. 30 Then the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet, for his God gave him rest all around.

I. Seek the Lord

II. Search the Scriptures

III. Sing God’s Praises

IV. Stand Your Ground

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