Winning With God

Introduction

Introduction

How do we win with God? There was a man in the Bible that won and prevailed with God, and his name was Jacob (Genesis 32:24-28).

Here we read how Jacob ‘wrestled’ with God and prevailed. Jacob was no stranger to conflict. As a child he ‘wrestled’ with his brother in his mother’s womb. As a young man he again wrestled with his brother until he convinced him to sell him his birthright. As an adult Jacob struggled with his father until he tricked him into giving him his brother’s birthright. Later when he fled into the land of fathers, Jacob found himself fighting for the hand of his wife Rachel. And after he married Rachel he would have to fight for his freedom to leave his father-in-law.

Jacob is once again ‘back in the ring.’ This time it seems he has met his match because now he is matched up with God. But instead of being afraid, Jacob is eager to contend with the Almighty. How can Jacob be so eager to fight with God, but reluctant to contend with his brother Esau? The reason Jacob is unafraid to stand toe-to-toe with God is because he knows God has promised to deal well with him (Genesis 32:9).

As a child Jacob ‘wrestled’ with his brother in his mother’s womb trying to be the first child to be conceived by his mother. Even after his brother breached their mother’s womb first, Jacob still wouldn’t give up. He kept fighting until He tricked his brother into giving up his birthright and he tricked their father into giving him the blessing that belonged to Esau.

After fleeing town in an attempt to escape his brother’s wrath, Jacob found himself in another fight. This time it was with his future father-in-law. Jacob found himself fighting for the hand of his daughter Rachel. Later Jacob would have to fight for his freedom to leave his father-in-law to return home to his own land.

Now it seems as though Jacob has met his match. He has now been matched up with God. If Jacob was looking for a fight, he certainly found it with God! But instead of being afraid, Jacob seems eager to contend with the Almighty. Why is Jacob unafraid to fight with God, who is clearly superior in strength, but afraid to meet his own brother Esau who is a mere man as he is?

Since he knows he has a promise from God to do him good, Jacob uses this conflict as an opportunity to secure God’s promise. Apparently, Jacob believes that his opponent (God) has the power to ‘bless’ him.

Obtaining a ‘blessing’ has been a lifelong pursuit of Jacob. He sought his father’s blessing before leaving home, he sought a blessing from God after leaving home and he is now seeking God’s blessing as he returns home.

Obtaining a ‘blessing’ has been Jacob’s lifelong goal.

What is the setting of this story? Jacob is returning home after spending the last 14 years with his father-in-law Laban building a family. He is now returning home to live out the rest of his days. Esau, Jacob’s brother, discovers that he’s back in town and Jacob fears that he wants revenge. Esau has been mad with Jacob ever since he tricked their aging father into giving him Esau’s blessing or inheritance.

But, In what way does Jacob seek to be ‘blessed?’ He cannot be looking for a material ‘blessing’ for he is already a very wealthy man. Therefore, he must be seeking a blessing of a different kind, one that will give him success (protection) with his brother.

This is important because Jacob asks the man that he wrestled with for a ‘blessing.’ Obtaining a blessing seems to be Jacob’s lifelong goal. But, In what way does Jacob seek to be ‘blessed?’ He cannot be looking for a material ‘blessing’ for he is already a very wealthy man. Therefore, he must be seeking a blessing of a different kind, one that will give him success (protection) with his brother.

Why is Jacob afraid to contend with Esau, but unafraid to wrestle with this stranger? Jacob clearly understands he is dealing with someone with superior power for he would ask this stranger to ‘bless’ him. Moreover, the fact that he requests to be ‘blessed’ by this stranger suggests that Jacob suspected that this man was God or had come from God (supernatural).

Jacob clearly understood that he was dealing with someone with superior power for he would ask this stranger to ‘bless’ him. Moreover, the fact that he requests to be ‘blessed’ by this stranger suggests that Jacob suspected that this man was God or had come from God (supernatural).

The man wrestling with Jacob seems intent on harming Jacob, but in the end he ‘blesses’ Jacob.

,

Genesis 32:29 KJV 1900

And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there.

God blessed Jacob, but His blessing came in the form of a name change. God changed Jacob’s name to Israel. Originally his name meant ‘cheater.’ This is how he has been known up until this time—as someone who wins by cheating. However, after his bout with God, men will no longer call him a cheater. They will call him a prevailer (winner).

God changed Jacob’s name to Israel. Originally his name meant ‘cheater.’ This is how he has been known up until this time—as someone who wins by cheating. However, after his bout with God, men will no longer call him a cheater. They will call him a prevailer (winner).

Jacob will later win in his fight with his brother, because he won his fight with God. You will never win the battle with people until you first learn to win the battle with God!

Some of you are surprised to hear me talk about taking up a fight with God. I’m not saying that we are to fight with God the same way we fight with men. I’m saying that if we’re going to see victory or success in life, we will be required to contend with God. In fact, no great accomplishment has ever been achieved without someone contending or struggling with God.

We contend with God through prayer

Jesus understood if He was going to win in His fight with the Jewish leaders, Herod and even the Romans, He would first have to strive with God. So, before being arrested Jesus separated himself and departed into the wilderness to prayer. And there, the Bible says, He sweated great drops of blood as He contended with God in prayer in the garden .

(; ).

We contend with God through faith

The fight of faith often feels like you are fighting with God. In fact, the Bible often refers to this fight as a ‘trail of our faith’ (, ). The ‘temptations’ associated with walking in faith is often a direct result of God’s influence. No, God never entices men to sin, but He does place men in trying circumstances to see if they will endure (, ).

Moreover, our battle with God through faith is often a battle of attrition. Attrition warfare is an attempt to wear down an opponent through continual loss. An opponent will often surrender in order to avoid further damage. Attrition is only successful against opponents who have a limit to what they are willing to suffer ().

With one touch God changed Jacob from a wrestler to someone just trying to hold on! That’s what it’s like to wrestle with God—you’re just trying to hold on as tight as you can for as long as you can! This is ultimately how Jacob prevailed in his fight with God.

,

Notice how Jacob refused to let go of God even after he suffered a blow to his leg. This determination by Jacob is what ultimately gave him victory with God (, ).

The angel said, “You prevailed over God AND men.” I believe Jacob prevailed and won over all the people in his life (Esau, his father, Laban) not because he cheated (outsmarted) them, but because deep down he believed the promise. It’s as if he prevailed over his enemies, not because he cheated, but in spite of the fact that he cheated. The real reason he prevailed was because he believed the promise. That faith (belief) may have convinced Jacob to try these silly tactics. There are a lot of people who are convinced that they will do and accomplish great things, so they attempt all kinds of things. Many of these people, however, do not see the kind of success that Jacob received. Why? They had ambition, but they didn’t have a promise. Having a promise is different from having aspiration or even desperation.

The angel didn’t just say, “You have power (wrestled) with God and prevailed.” I said, “You have power (wrestled) with God AND men and have prevailed.” In other words, the reason Jacob has prevailed with men is the same reason he has prevailed with God—he believed the promise.

Jacob didn’t prevail over his brother, his father or his father-in-life because he tricked them. He prevailed because deep down he believed the promise. Jacob may have been tempted to resort to these unscrupulous acts because he believed he was trying to obtain something that was rightfully his. However, he didn’t ‘win’ because of these acts. In fact, he won in spite of them. What really caused Jacob to prevail in life was his faith in the promise.

Now I should add that simply believing that God has called you to do great things won’t guarantee you success in life. Jacob wasn’t simply believing God called him to something greater. Jacob believed the promise God had given him that he would be a great nation.

There are a lot of people acting according to ambition rather than the promise. If you’re not meeting with success, then you may be chasing aspirations or acting in desperation rather than believing in the promise.

There are promises God has given to everyone, like: eternal life, the Holy Spirit or being conformed to the image of God’s Son.

Some of you are surprised to hear me talk about taking up a fight with God. I’m not saying that we are to fight with God the same way we fight with men. I’m saying that we are to fight with God the way the Bible encourages us to fight. In fact, no great accomplishment has ever been achieved without someone contending and struggling with God. (; ).

Stop fighting men and realize that the real fight is with God. That fight is won in prayer and through faith. The key to winning in life is learning to win with God. And you don’t win with God by giving up.

Hebrews 10:37–39 KJV 1900

For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

Hebrews 10:

The only way to win with God is to lose. Jacob didn’t walk away from his fight with God looking like he won. He was limping. That’s the price you pay for winning the battle of faith—you are humbled afterwards ().

The only way to win with God is to lose. Jacob didn’t walk away from his fight with God looking like he won. He was limping. That’s the price you pay for winning the battle of faith—you are humbled afterwards ().

If you’re not meeting with success in life, then you may be chasing ambition instead of a promise. Or, you may be trying to obtain it by fighting with men instead of taking up your fight with God! You’re fighting with men, but the real fight is with God.

If you’re not meeting with success in life, then you may be chasing ambition instead of a promise. Or, you may be trying to obtain it by fighting with men instead of taking up your fight with God! You’re fighting with men, but the real fight is with God.

When it comes to our fight with God we are engaged in a battle of attrition. Attrition warfare is an attempt to wear down an opponent through continual loss. The hope is that your opponent will eventually surrender in order to avoid further damage. Attrition is only successful against opponents who have a limit to what they are willing to risk.