Winning The Battle Against All Odds
Categories: Church of Christ Bulletin ArticlesThe ambush has proven to be one of the most successful war tactics ever devised. At God’s instruction, Joshua used this tactic with great success in the second attack on Ai (Joshua 8:1-8). Once the men of that city were lured out into the open, by what they undoubtedly considered would be another rout of Israel, they were hemmed in on both sides (Joshua 8:19-20). As a result, all the inhabitants of Ai were killed (Joshua 8:26).
In II Chronicles 13:1-3, Abijah, the son of Rehoboam, was facing a more experienced king in Jeroboam. He was not worried about the outcome of the war, however, because the basis for his assurance of victory was an obedient faith (Romans 6:17; 1 John 5:3-4). We see evidence of this when Abijah told Jeroboam in advance why Israel would be defeated, “And now you think to withstand the kingdom of the LORD, which is in the hand of the sons of David; and you are a great multitude, and with you are the gold calves which Jeroboam made for you as gods. Have you not cast out the priests of the LORD, … and made for yourselves priests, … of things that are not gods? But as for us, the Lord is our God, and we have not forsaken Him; and the priests who minister to the LORD are the sons of Aaron” (II Chronicles 13:8-10 – NKJV). Note that he adds, “Now look, God Himself is with us as our head” (II Chronicles 13:12). Even though Jeroboam attempted an ambush, with God in the battle, he could not defeat Judah even with 800,000 men, suffering the loss of 500,000 men (2 Chronicles 13:13-17). Abijah’s trust in God was more than sufficient to conquer an army of superior numbers. The king’s faith was not misplaced, nor did it go unrewarded. Abijah knew that God would be with them in the battle (cf. 2 Chronicles 13:12).
Brethren, we face a spiritual enemy that desires to use the war tactic of ambush against us as well (Ephesians 6:11-12; 1 Peter 5:8), using deceit and trickery (see “wiles” in Ephesians 6:11 – KJV). But, “If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31; cf. Psalm 118:6). Know that when we fight the Lord’s battles (whether large or small), we can be confident of victory (Revelation 15:1-2 – KJV), no matter what the odds, for we know that God will be with us (cf. Numbers 14:9; 2 Chronicles 20:17; 2 Chronicles 32:8) .