God's Might in Our Greatest Battles: Trusting God in Spiritual Warfare

Preliminary

Invite to 2 Chron. 20.

Dr. Stan Toler shares a story:

The new minister came to his office the first morning of his new assignment. He found the envelopes on his desk from the previous pastor.

The first was marked, "Open if you run into trouble."

On the second was the note, "Open if you run into bad trouble."

The third read, "Open if the trouble is disastrous."

There was no need to open any envelope for quite some time. But the honeymoon finally ended and the young pastor found he was having difficulty.

He remembered the envelopes that he had put away in a drawer.

He opened the first envelope and found this suggestion: "Blame your predecessor.” He took the advice and it seemed to work-at least for a while.

...Things went along fine for quite some time and then trouble, more serious this time, struck. It was time for the second envelope, which he quickly opened. This time he read, "Blame the denomination." Again he found relief. He was grateful for the letters.

...A few years later, trouble returned to his congregation, and this time, it was really bad. Once more, he sought guidance from the helpful words of his predecessor. He went to the drawer, opened the third envelope, and read, "Prepare three envelopes."

Maybe you're in the process of preparing some envelopes right now.

Wouldn't it be great if the answer to some of life's troubles was as simple as opening some "magic envelope"?

Some things in life not only leave us speechless but also leave us clueless.

Financial difficulties.

Broken relationships.

Sudden illness.

Job insecurity.

And all the cluelessness and speechlessness, and chaotic chaos leads us to run around like a chicken with its head cut off.

Now that is a real thing. I remember my Uncle Everette and Aunt Sis worked on a chicken farm - its emphasis was eggs so all of the old hens and any roosters were disposed of. At times they were either given these or purchased them at low cost and my family would get some as well. Then we would have a chicken killing day.

Oh that was exciting to a kid. My older brother Tim could grab those chickens up by their feet turn them over and put his foot on its head and yank real hard and faster than you could hardly realize off came the head - and that thing would flop and walk and flutter its feathers for quite awhile afterwards.

That is where that saying came from - well not from our family killing chickens, but from the fact that chickens still move around rather frantically after their heads are removed.

It is a true story it was featured in Time Magazine, Lifetime Magazine, Guinness Book of World Records, and still yet today there is an article about Mike in the online Encyclopedia Britannica.

Many of us are like Mike -

Mike was a famous former resident of Fruita, Colorado. Fruita recently honored this distinguished citizen with a sculpture placed on a downtown corner. In March of 2000, sculptor Lyle Nichols unveiled the four-foot masterpiece titled Mike the Headless Chicken. It is a reminder of what happened in Fruita nearly 60 years earlier.

Back in the 1940s, farmer Lloyd Olsen prepared to lop off the head of one of his chickens, one he had named Mike. Wanting to preserve as much of the neck for dinner as possible, he laid his ax at the base of Mike's skull, raised the sharp blade, and WHOOSH! That's the end of ol' Mike, right?

... Wrong.

Mike survived the attack and became a bizarre piece of history a headless folk hero.

Olsen not only didn't eat the bird but he actually started to care for it.

Of course, headless Mike had to make some life adjustments. He went through the motions of pecking for the food but couldn't get anything. And when he tried to crow only a slight gurgle came out.

Farmer Olsen fed this strange chicken with an eyedropper, and after a week of survival, he took Mike to some scientists at the University of Utah. They theorized the chicken had enough brain stem left to live without his head.

True story - you can look it up and read all kinds of interesting facts and even see pictures of the chicken…just wait until after your Sunday Chicken dinner....

Mike the Headless Chicken made it into Life magazine and the Guinness Book of World Records. He became quite an attraction

The story Mr. Olsen told years later to his grandson, is that they were staying in a hotel and they woke up to hear Mike choking on mucus, and to their horror realized they had left the syringe - with which they cleared it’s esophagus, at the last venue they were at.

All they could do was set there and listen to Mike die in an Arizona motel eighteen months after surviving the chopping block.'

Maybe you're a survivor as well.

I actually tend to think of all of us as survivors

Although, I seriously doubt that you have been beheaded and lived to tell about it.

Like Mike, you may be trying to maneuver through life without any real direction.

Your new normal, hasn’t become normal yet

Or worse yet, you may know about the direction that your Heavenly Father wants to give, and you keep grabbing the steering wheel away from Him! Maybe you think that by taking over you can get to where you want to go a bit faster.

We can think we are doing God a favor by trying to take the wheel - but you don’t see the whole road. Things look so different from the passenger side or from the backseat.

Then it's time to hand the steering wheel over to God.

It's time to rest in God's timely help in the face of your situation,

the need of your heart,

and the circumstances of your life.

You can take courage and know this:

His help is never late,

and seldom early;

He's always right on time.

We see this played out in black and white in our Bible passage this morning. Let’s look at it

2 Chronicles 20:1–30 KJV 1900

1 It came to pass after this also, that the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and with them other beside the Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle. 2 Then there came some that told Jehoshaphat, saying, There cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea on this side Syria; and, behold, they be in Hazazon-tamar, which is En-gedi. 3 And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. 4 And Judah gathered themselves together, to ask help of the Lord: even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord. 5 And Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, before the new court, 6 And said, O Lord God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? and in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee? 7 Art not thou our God, who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever? 8 And they dwelt therein, and have built thee a sanctuary therein for thy name, saying, 9 If, when evil cometh upon us, as the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we stand before this house, and in thy presence, (for thy name is in this house,) and cry unto thee in our affliction, then thou wilt hear and help. 10 And now, behold, the children of Ammon and Moab and mount Seir, whom thou wouldest not let Israel invade, when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them, and destroyed them not; 11 Behold, I say, how they reward us, to come to cast us out of thy possession, which thou hast given us to inherit. 12 O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee. 13 And all Judah stood before the Lord, with their little ones, their wives, and their children. 14 Then 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, came the Spirit of the Lord in the midst of the congregation; 15 And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the Lord unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s. 16 To morrow go ye down against them: behold, they come up by the cliff of Ziz; and ye shall find them at the end of the brook, before the wilderness of Jeruel. 17 Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the Lord will be with you. 18 And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the Lord, worshipping the Lord. 19 And the Levites, of the children of the Kohathites, and of the children of the Korhites, stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel with a loud voice on high. 20 And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper. 21 And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the Lord, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the Lord; for his mercy endureth for ever. 22 And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten. 23 For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of mount Seir, utterly to slay and destroy them: and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, every one helped to destroy another. 24 And when Judah came toward the watch tower in the wilderness, they looked unto the multitude, and, behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none escaped. 25 And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away the spoil of them, they found among them in abundance both riches with the dead bodies, and precious jewels, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away: and they were three days in gathering of the spoil, it was so much. 26 And on the fourth day they assembled themselves in the valley of Berachah; for there they blessed the Lord: therefore the name of the same place was called, The valley of Berachah, unto this day. 27 Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, and Jehoshaphat in the forefront of them, to go again to Jerusalem with joy; for the Lord had made them to rejoice over their enemies. 28 And they came to Jerusalem with psalteries and harps and trumpets unto the house of the Lord. 29 And the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of those countries, when they had heard that the Lord fought against the enemies of Israel. 30 So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet: for his God gave him rest round about.

In our reading we don’t see so much about a car or driving - but we do see a man who purposes in his heart and mind that THE BATTLE BELONGS TO GOD!!!

What does it mean when the Battle belongs to God

We must leave the battle in his hands

We must trust His path to victory no matter what current situations look like

We must fight the way He wants us to fight

We must engage spiritual battle with spiritual weapons and armor

When the Battle is God’s we are assured of victory

It is His battle but it is our victory

We should acknowledge and shout before the walls fall

IN our passage I see several principles that can help us in our walk to Triumph by Faith and remind us that God is still mighty even in our greatest battles.

The first thing I’d like us to notice...

1. No Problem is Too Big for God 2 Chronicles 20:2-4

JEHOSHAPHAT, The 4th king of Judah, was 35 years of age at his accession, and reigned 25 years,

This skirmish happens about halfway through his reign somewhere within the late 9th century BC, more specifically around 853-850 BC.

It no doubt was another busy day filled with briefings, meetings, social events, court, and whatever else filled a Jewish king of Judah during this time

When the interruption happens, it is an interruption that is both disruptive and terrifying.

The door to the Kings court bursts open and probably without much dignity or poise - the messenger blurts out “A great army is coming at us your Majesty, it is a great multitude of an army in fact they are at Engedi only about 35-40 miles away” That is about a day and a half away sir.

Suddenly there was no other more urgent business that day - this was a priority one, a red level terrifying moment

King Jehoshaphat was so terrified that the Bible says...”And Jehoshaphat feared...”

He was afraid. We would say “He was scared to death”

Modern psychology tells us there are four main natural responses to fear. I knew there were two fight or flight, but I recently learned there are two more:

Fight A response that involves conflict, such as fighting, yelling, or controlling others. This response is triggered when your body feels it can overpower a threat.

Flight A response that involves escape, such as running away from danger.

Freeze A response that involves an inability to move or act in response to a threat.

Fawn A stress response that involves trying to please someone to avoid conflict. This response can include identity confusion, codependency, and people pleasing

One form of argument and persuasion that really frustrates me the appeal to emotion. Usually begins with… “How would you feel if ______ happened to you”

There is no way to really put yourself in that place.

In today’s society schools are now having to do active shooter drills. So far we have not had one at IBS, but I figure it is coming before too long. At teachers conference on of the presenters told about how their school had one recently. The police come in and simulate an active shooter case.

She said - I thought I would be a fighter in that situation, but when it happened I froze”

Even more her husband, who is very bold and daring and she assumed would be a fighter - also froze.

We can “how do I feel in this situation “ all we want - but until we are there - ....

Jehoshaphat would have been trained and for battle - you would think he would have been a fighter but now when it comes he is terrified and almost freezes.

But remembers this wonderful principle - NO PROBLEM IS TOO BIG FOR GOD!!!

The problems can be bigger than you - but they are never bigger than God!!!

There is no sin too bad, or too awful, or too deep that the blood of Jesus cannot cleanse

Yesterday’s impossibilities are today’s miracles. God specializes in the impossible!

I love the song the Gaither Vocal Band used to sing:

There is no problem too big God cannot solve it There is no mountain too tall God cannot move it There is no storm too dark God cannot calm it There is no sorrow too deep He cannot soothe it Oh, if He carried the weight of the world upon His shoulders I know my brother that He will carry you

I want you to know what Jehoshaphat knew - God has the ability to handle any situation, no matter how daunting.

Church you can bring your greatest challenges to God.

There is no problem too big for God. but another principle we need to notice and I think is extremely important.

2. No Person is Too Insignificant for God's Help

Text: 2 Chronicles 20:12-13

I’ve heard people say things, “God has more important things to do than worry about my little problems” Or something similar - but do you know that is a false heretical view of God.

Jehoshaphat and Judah were feeling pretty small and insignificant.

Listen to what they say, “We have no might against this great company that cometh against us - neither know we what to do....”

Our problems that are not too big for God also do not make us too insignificant for God’s help.

It’s so easy to think, “God really hears the pastor pray… but me???” Or Put in the person you think is really spiritual or closer to God than you.

But you know what Jesus said?

The very hairs of your head are numbered - If he keeps account of your hair, you are not insignificant

Jesus told the disciples that the Kingdom of Heaven was made up of people who appeared small or insignificant in that day- children - in fact the children got a hug from Jesus but the disciples got a lecture.

The bible tells a fascinating story of a woman who for years had struggled with an issue of blood and was desperate and who felt that she was insignificant, and no doubt embarrased, perhaps even ashamed - she couldn’t bother Jesus by falling at his feet and explaining her situation - she was too insignificant

“No,” she said, “No if I can but touch the hem of his garment, I’ll be healed. I can be in and out of there before anyone even knows”

Oh but she had miscalculated - There was a God who had his eye on her for a long time.

I like to think that Jesus awoke that morning with this woman on his mind.

That he knew how she struggled to get out of be that morning.

How she struggled to finalize her decision to head out and actually do this.

How she felt so small and insignificant - but if only she knew who she really was

He watched as she struggled to get through the crowd and then as she reached out and touched the hem of his garment.

Oh and he felt it - the power the virtue - all of heaven stopped in that moment and moved to help this poor, sick, insignificant woman.

But Jesus didn’t feel that way - no I love what Jesus says, “Daughter,...” oh how that must have rung in her red burning, embarrassed, called on the spot ears. “He called me daughter”

Stan Toler points out, “Maybe you'd have to jump up to shake the hand of the fellow painted on that sign at the amusement park-you know the one that qualifies you to be tall enough to ride the roller coaster. You may feel insignificant on the inside, but you're big in God's eyes. ...

....You could be kneeling down, tying the player's shoelaces in the middle of the greatest basketball team huddle, but God can spot a frown on your face from the farthest outpost of heaven.”

We read that all of Judah came out to pray verse I love “2 Chronicles 20:13 “13 And all Judah stood before the Lord, with their little ones, their wives, and their children.”

Songwriter put it

There are no strangers, there are no outcasts There are no orphans of God So many fallen, but Hallelujah There are no orphans of God

No problem is too big for God and no person is too insignificant for God’s help… this realization leads Jehoshaphat and all Judah to...

3. Fasting and Prayer Lead to Victory

Text: 2 Chronicles 20:3 “3 And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.”

Set himself to seek the Lord - That means he determined to pray - purposed to pray - purposed to seek GOD - It’s one thing to go through motions of praying, and leaving without any change - it is another to determine to pray in your praying and desperate times require desperate measures

Sometimes I think we loose the seriousness of the hour

The battle that is really raging around us

The vast and powerful evil army that is coming against us

If our eyes could be opened, if we would be intentional, if we could see and hear the message that God is giving us - we might be more prone to set ourselves to seek the Lord.

We might set ourselves to seek the Lord and to FAST - not something we talk about much anymore

Fasting is abstaining from something (anything from food to your favorite pastime or hobby) for the purpose of spending that time in spiritual pursuits.

Fasting is most often linked with prayer.

Many of the major religions of the world practice fasting as a personal, spiritual discipline.

Throughout the Bible, fasts were called to seek God's direction and blessing.

I still believe that Prayer and fasting is a way to spiritual victory.

King Jehoshaphat is a marvelous example.

Time was running out for Israel's King Jehoshaphat. The enemy was knocking on the door of his kingdom. A soldier brought him a bad-news message.

But what Jehoshaphat did next made him a victor before the first arrow ever flew.

He called Judah together to fast and pray

Great things happen when we deny self and call on God in believing faith.

Are you facing problems that are too big for you to handle? Are you feeling insignificant and too small for God to help?

I still believe that fasting and prayer are the key to spiritual breakthroughs

Jehoshaphat knew that there were no problems too big for God, and that there was no one too small or insignificant for God to help, that prayer and fasting was the way to breakthrough… but he also knew

4. Don’t Wait Until the Battle is Over: SHOUT NOW!!!

Military might and strategy is a fascinating study. The thought and care, and contingency all that goes into it -

but not Jehoshaphat he said I know that our problem is not too big for God -

it’s way more than our little army can handle - but not for God.

I know that we are God’s children and that God is good -

We have prayed and fasted and gotten a word from Him - 2 Chronicles 20:15 “...Thus saith the Lord unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s.”

He also heard … 2 Chronicles 20:17 “ Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the Lord will be with you.”

The battle is God’s so I don’t have to wait until the battle is over we are going to shout now.

As soon as Jehoshaphat heard this word from God he and all Judah “fell before the Lord, worshipping the Lord”

No shot fired, the enemy still approaching, with intent to harm and plunder

But they were falling on their face no more in fear the worry and fret had turned to praise and joy

Did you know that worship is a form of spiritual warfare

The front lines in Jehoshaphat's army was not the fiercest and bravest warriors - no it was the Worship leaders - the song leaders, the instrumentalists, and they went out singing and praising

They knew that no problem or army was too big for God,

no one is too small or insignificant to get help from the LORD,

Fasting and prayer is the way to spiritual breakthrough,

They didn’t need to wait until the battle was over to begin to shout.

This also brings about a realization too....

5. Look at the Lord, Not the Load

Text: 2 Chronicles 20:12 “O our God,...neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.”

"We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you."

This is a focus issue - what are we focused on?

Are you problem-focused or God-focused?

If you're like most people, you tend to look more at your problems.

But focusing on problems means putting them first-even in front of your faith.

What a waste of a precious moment!

Focus on God, not on your problem. Look at the Lord not at your load

The apostle Paul gave some pretty good advice about focus. 2 Cor. 4:16-18

2 Corinthians 4:16–18 KJV 1900

16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. 17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; 18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Focusing on the outward-the earthly, is like being on the devil's diet plan, you end up wasting away.

Focusing on the promises and presence of an eternal God—the eternal, unseen-means we are gaining ground every day. It's better to be on God's time.

Look to Jesus - he is the author and finisher of our faith

Look to Jesus he is the rewarder of them that diligently seek Him

Look to Jesus that is where our helps come from

Look at the Lord not at your load!!!

6. God Has a Promise for Every Problem

Text: I already talked about them getting a word from God. It was more than just a friendly text it was a promise - 2 Chronicles 20:15 “15 And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the Lord unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s.”

In 18th-century Wales, a young man named William Williams graduated from the university as a physician but quickly changed professions to become a physician of the soul...a clergyman.

During his 43 years of itinerant ministry, Williams traveled more than 95,000 miles,

and his impassioned preaching drew crowds of 10,000 or more.

Once he spoke to an estimated crowd of 80,000, noting in his journal, "God strengthened me to speak so loud that most could hear."

William Williams is best remembered, however, for his hymns, becoming in Wales what Isaac Watts was in England.

In all, he composed over 800 hymns,

his best known being an autobiographical prayer.

Williams had lived as a pilgrim,

pressing on through the snow of winter,

the rains of springtime,

and the heat of fall.

He was beaten by mobs (once within an inch of his life) and cheered by crowds,

but in all his travels he sought only to do the will of God, saying:

Guide me, O Thou great Jehovah,

Pilgrim through this barren land;

I am weak, but Thou art mighty;

Hold me with Thy powerful hand.*

Knowing God's Word is a sure comfort when trouble comes. The more familiar you are with Scripture, the greater help it will become.

Oh the problem was big, bigger than them, insurmountable by human effort and strength, terrifyingly big

But the Promise of God was bigger

Your problems have a promise in the word of God

Every promise from God comes to us now through Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 1:20 “20 For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.” ),

Yes every promise from God comes to us now through Jesus the God with scars on his hands. Your problems may be big, perhaps even bigger than you know. But your God is bigger, and his promises to you are stronger and surer.

7. The War is Already Won

Text: 2 Chronicles 20:17 “17 Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the Lord will be with you.”

And what happened??? When the praise and worship music began to fill the air, the Lord set ambushments against the enemy - they were smitten

Judah went to battle the multitude - 2 Chron 20:24 but when they looked unto the multitude, and, behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none escaped”

It took them three days to gather the spoil

What a mighty victory - they never fired a shot

If you are in the heat of the spiritual battle, if you are struggling, wrestling, trying to make sense of it all take courage and strength from Jehoshaphat and

Remember that God is bigger than your problems - no problem is too big for God

Remember that no one is too small or insignificant for God to help

Prayer and fasting is a direct route to spiritual breakthrough

Don’t wait until the battle is over - praise the Lord in the beauty of holiness now… RIGHT NOW

The Promises of God are bigger than your problem

The battle is already won

[Verse 2] Yet in my heart the battle was raging Not all prisoners of war had come home These were battlefields of my own making See I didn't know that the war had been won Oh then I heard that the king of the ages He had fought all life's battles for me Oh and the victory, the victory is mine for the claiming And now praise His name, I'm free

It is finished, the battle is over It is finished, there`ll be no more war It is finished, the end of the conflict It is finished and Jesus is Lord

God Shows His Might in Our Greatest Battles: Trusting God in Spiritual Warfare