A God Who Fights for Us - The Crosswalk Devotional - March 21
A God Who Fights for Us
By Alexis A. Goring
Bible Reading:
“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” – Exodus 14:14 NIV
Have you ever felt scared and defenseless? What did you do when that happened? Today, I want to tell you about the God who fights for us. He will never leave you defenseless. You can run to Him when you are scared and find refuge in His arms.
My message today was inspired by a true story that one of my favorite Christian authors, Asheritah Ciuciu, shared on “The Love Offering” podcast hosted by Rachael Adams. Asheritah set the scene for Rachael’s listeners: She and her children were hiking in the great outdoors. Everything was calm and peaceful until a big dog emerged from the woods and charged straight for Asheritah’s young son.
The dog was barking ferociously. This threat of danger to her son caused the Mama Bear inside Asheritah to emerge. Adrenaline kicked in as she quickly positioned herself as a human barrier in front of her son, welded her hiking stick like a weapon and shouted at the dog to back off. She told herself that she would take on this fierce animal if it meant protecting her son.
As soon as I heard her say those words, God impressed me with a spiritual parallel. Just like a good mother always fights for her children even if that means putting her life on the line, we serve a Savior who always fights for us! Jesus Christ literally put His life on the line and fought for our freedom from sin to the point of death. But the story doesn’t end there! He was resurrected after three days in the grave and snatched the keys to death and hell from Satan. Thanks to Jesus, death no longer has to be the end of our existence. Because of Christ, we have the hope of being reconciled to God and living forever in Heaven with Him.
Just like Asheritah took on the dog that threatened her son’s life, Christ took on Satan and all the forces of darkness, and He prevailed! If we stay on His side that means we too will be victorious! We don’t have to feel defeated when the trials of life knock us down. We can lean on Jesus and trust Him to help us rise again. And when we are too tired to fight these spiritual battles then we can just stay still and ask God to fight for us because He always will.
“Battles,” a song performed by The Afters, came to my mind as I wrote this message. Let’s explore the meaning of their lyrics (paraphrased by me). The opening lines set the scene of being deep in an ocean with a current that is trying to destroy you just like the waves wash over and demolish sandcastles. Fear feels like an army about to take you over. But in the middle of this impending doom, you remember who is with you. God is fighting your battles! Therefore, you stand strong as you see that God and His Angels are surrounding you in a holy hedge of impenetrable protection. The very presence of God causes darkness to flee. As you realize all of this, your fear fades and you become brave because you know the King of the Universe is on your side and with Him, you will win!
Let’s circle back to where I left you in the story when Asheritah was preparing to fight for her son: Before the dog could get too close to them, its owner rushed onto the scene apologizing profusely for their pet. They turned their dog away and left. Relieved that the threat was over, Asheritah rounded her kids up and walked with them to their vehicle. After buckling their seatbelts, Asheritah sat in the driver’s seat and took a moment to gather herself because her adrenaline crashed. She started shaking after she realized that their story could have ended badly.
Even the strongest human warriors have their limits. But we have a God who is a Mighty Warrior with no limits. The song by The Afters also mentions that God is our refuge and healer of our scars. He faithfully guards our heart. When we are weak, we can lean on God because He is strong.
These Bible-based promises in this song give me so much hope because I know no matter how dark the night, God is our Light. And I know that His Light is guaranteed to dispel darkness. The Bible says in Psalm 139:12 (ESV), “even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you.” There have been times in my life where darkness felt all-consuming but then God reminded me that He is with me. He sent reinforcements in His people to speak words of encouragement to me and pray over me. All of this helped lift me out of despair. I also like how the song says God heals our scars because when you are in a battle, you may be wounded by the enemy you are fighting. But God doesn’t let you stay in pain; He gently heals you over time.
In closing, I hope that you will listen to these songs (“Battles” by The Afters, and “Whom Shall I Fear?” by Chris Tomlin), as well as the podcast episode featuring Asheritah’s story. As you listen, I hope that God will encourage your heart and remind you that He’s fighting for you.
Intersecting Faith and Life:
How does it feel to know that the King of the Universe is fighting your battles for you? Next time you feel frightened, will you run to the refuge God offers?
Further Reading:
Deuteronomy 3:22
Joshua 23:10
Isaiah 41:10
2 Corinthians 10:4
2 Chronicles 20:17
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/allanswart
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Related Resource: 3 Simple Steps to Manage Your Emotions
Are you tired of up-and-down feelings stealing your peace, sabotaging your relationships, and filling your mind with self-defeating thoughts? What if you had a proven emotional management tool to biblically respond to your feelings with compassion and clarity? Join us for today’s episode to discover three simple steps to manage emotions, reduce stress, improve decision-making, and grow closer to God. If you like what you hear, be sure to subscribe to The Love Offering on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
