WHAT DOES “THE BATTLE IS NOT YOURS BUT GOD’S” MEAN?
In 2 Chronicles 20:15, King Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah were facing an army they knew they could not defeat on their own. God told them, “Do not be afraid! Don’t be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God’s” (2 Chronicles 20:15 NLT).
This didn’t mean they were supposed to do nothing. They still had to seek God, listen to His instructions, take their positions, and trust Him with the outcome. Giving your battles to God doesn’t mean ignoring your problems. It means doing what God asks you to do and trusting Him with what you cannot control.
I had to learn this lesson myself when I was faced with a situation I didn’t know how to handle.
I was frustrated and confused about what to do with one of the waitresses that I had at the restaurant my parents owned and I helped run. God’s word says in 2 Chronicles 20: 15 that the battles you have here on earth are not yours, but God’s to deal with. That sounds wonderful, doesn’t it? But how would I go about giving those battles over to God?
Now, this waitress had been with me for a long time. So she was like family to me. Even though she was like family to me I still had to discipline her and find out why I was getting complaints about her.
So I prayed.
In my prayer time with the Lord, he showed me the story of King Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 20: 1-30).
2 CHRONICLES 20:15 IN CONTEXT
Now King Jehoshaphat was in trouble. For there was a vast army approaching him in Judah. The king got together with the people of Judah and asked the Lord what they should do. They prayed to God, they praised God, and they knew that God was the only way that they were going to win this war.
Then the word came to a man named Jahaziel. And he said to King Jehoshaphat and all the people of Judah this is what the Lord says to do.
“Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's. Tomorrow march down against them. You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you.”
So they left for battle trusting God would take care of the rest. On the way to the battlefield, they decided to sing praises to the Lord. While they were singing praises, the Lord sent ambushes to the vast army that awaited them and they were defeated.
WHAT JEHOSHAPHAT’S STORY TEACHES US
What I felt the Lord showing me was that I didn’t have to carry the worry of this situation or try to control the outcome. I still needed to do my part. So she and I had a heart-to-heart talk about the things she was doing, and then I had to trust God with the rest.
God wants you to come to him for every little thing. If I would have taken care of it my way. She probably wouldn’t have a job. But the Lord told me not to worry about it and that he would take care of it.
I have the tendency to want to jump ahead of God and try to take care of things myself.
I don’t know about you but I don’t want to miss out on anything!
Your battles here on earth are not your battles.
Jesus has already won the war against evil by dying on the cross for you. Sin has been defeated because Jesus died on the cross for you.
1 John 4:4 (NLT) says, “But you belong to God, my dear children.”
You have already won a victory because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.
Do you remember when you asked Jesus into your heart? He gave you the Holy Spirit to live inside you while you live here on Earth. The Holy Spirit is your helper, and he is much stronger than the evil forces of this world.
PRAISE GOD IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BATTLE
I also want you to take notice that King Jehoshaphat’s army sang praises on their way to the battlefield. When they started to sing, God brought ambushes down upon the opposing army and they were defeated.
When it comes to giving your battles over to the Lord, you need to praise him for taking care of your issues. And you need to thank him before he helps you.
HOW TO APPLY 2 CHRONICLES 20:15 TODAY
So what do you do when you are facing a battle that feels too big for you?
Pray honestly. Jehoshaphat didn’t pretend everything was fine. He went straight to God. You can do the same thing. Tell God what you’re afraid of, what you’re worried about, and what you don’t know how to handle.
Seek God’s wisdom. Spend time in His Word and ask Him to show you what your next step should be. Sometimes giving the battle to God still requires you to have a difficult conversation, make a decision, or take action.
Take the faithful next step and trust God with the outcome. Jehoshaphat still had to go to the battlefield. He obeyed what God told him to do and trusted God to handle what he couldn’t.
That’s what giving your battle to God looks like. You aren’t pretending the battle isn’t there. You are choosing not to carry something God never asked you to carry alone.
GOD KNOWS YOUR FUTURE
Since God has gone ahead of you and seen your future, don’t you think it would be wise to listen to what he has to say? And allow him to do his work in your life? You are not going to miss out on anything. Because what God has in store for you will be far greater than anything you could come up with.
To be honest I am glad that the battles are not mine. Knowing that I have God, the all-knowing guiding me, helps me to know that I am safe in his arms. That I can trust him.
CONCLUSION
Friends, it is your choice whether you want to give your battles over to the Lord. He will not push you into doing it. He wants you to come to him when you are ready to. God is so patient with you and me.
I want you to try this exercise to help you give those worries or burdens over to the Lord. Visualize a box. Put your battles in that box, then place it at the Lord’s feet. Visualize walking away, and don’t look back. Your battles are now in God’s hands.
And if you find yourself picking that box back up tomorrow, give it back to Him again. Surrender isn’t always a one-time decision. Sometimes we have to choose it again and again.