The Conflict Within

The Hardest Battle You Will Face Is The Battle In Your Heart

So often we think that our struggle or difficulties in life are because of other people, or our parents, or the teacher thats out to get you, or the coach that isn’t fair, or the kids that make fun of you; but, the real battle that is more important is the one within that God is using these difficulties to work on you.

Did anyone see Alex Honnald Free Solo the sky scraper in Taiwan? It wasn’t necessarily the difficulty of the climb that would cause a terrible tragedy; but it’s the mental difficulty over fear of what could happen if you mess up.

Judges was not a great time for Israel

At war with Midianites

God calls Gideon to fight against the Midianites and promises that He will be with Gideon and that he has nothing to fear.

We learn that deep down Gideon has a real struggle with not feeling adequate to do something big for God and has a fear problem.

He asks for a sign of confirmation:

Judges 6:17 “Then he said to him, “If I have found favor with you, give me a sign that you are speaking with me.”

Then asks him to tear down the idols in Israel and build an altar for God… Gideon does it but he does it sneaking around in the night:

Judges 6:27 “So Gideon took ten of his male servants and did as the Lord had told him. But because he was too afraid of his father’s family and the men of the city to do it in the daytime, he did it at night.”

Gideon is just so unsure and fearful to attack the Midianites like God asked so he asks for two miraculous signs:

Judges 6:37 “I will put a wool fleece here on the threshing floor. If dew is only on the fleece, and all the ground is dry, I will know that you will deliver Israel by me, as you said.””

Judges 6:39 “Gideon then said to God, “Don’t be angry with me; let me speak one more time. Please allow me to make one more test with the fleece. Let it remain dry, and the dew be all over the ground.””

Then God tests Gideon twice!

Judges 7:2 “The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many troops for me to hand the Midianites over to them, or else Israel might elevate themselves over me and say, ‘I saved myself.’”

Judges 7:4 “Then the Lord said to Gideon, “There are still too many troops. Take them down to the water, and I will test them for you there. If I say to you, ‘This one can go with you,’ he can go. But if I say about anyone, ‘This one cannot go with you,’ he cannot go.””

What’s going on here?

What is the problem that God is really solving? Midian or Gideon?

They go on to miraculously win the battle against Midian that only God could have done for his glory.

Gideon grew not from his achievement but from working through the conflict within.

What is your conflict within that you might think is conflict with someone else?

1. Identity Crisis

Blamed on: social media, trends, peer pressure Actually: “Who am I really?” Teens are trying to figure out who they are apart from parents, church, friends, and expectations.

2. Fear of Rejection

Blamed on: cliques, bullying, “mean kids” Actually: “What if the real me isn’t enough?” Even confident-looking teens often live with a constant low-grade anxiety that if people really knew them, they’d be pushed out.

3. Shame and Self-Criticism

Blamed on: comparison culture, Instagram, TikTok Actually: an internal voice saying “I’m behind, broken, or failing.” External comparison amplifies it, but the deeper wound is believing they are fundamentally less than.

4. Pressure to Perform

Blamed on: school, parents, sports/coaches, church expectations Actually: “My worth is tied to how well I do.” They internalize the idea that love, approval, or belonging must be earned.