Are You Relying Upon God to Win Your Battles?

Can we win a battle relying only on the things of God, rather than relying on and seeking God Himself? This is a topic that has been on my mind lately, and it stems from 1 Samuel 2-5 where we read an account of the High Priest Eli's two sons: Hophni and Phinehas. It is my hope and prayer today that the Lord direct my words and that the lesson to be learned here is learned and learned well. 

Who were Hophni and Phinehas? To give a kind of back story, look at 1 Samuel 2:12, 17, 22-25, 34-35, and 3:11-14. Italicized words in parentheses are my own emphasized words. 

12 Now the sons of Eli (Hophni and Phinehas) were corrupt; they did not know the LORD. 

17 Therefore the sin of the young men (Hophni and Phinehas) was very great before the LORD, for men abhorred the offering of the LORD. (They were forcibly taking the meat from the burnt offerings that wasn't theirs or was more than they should have taken.)

22 Now Eli was very old; and he heard everything his sons did to all Israel, and how they lay with the women who assembled at the door of the tabernacle of meeting (where God was). 23 So he said to them, "Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all the people. 24 No, my sons! For it is not a good report that I hear. You make the LORD's people transgress (sin against Him). 25 If one man sins against another, God will judge him. But if a man sins against the LORD, who will intercede for him?" Nevertheless, they did not heed the voice of their father (they ignored him outright), because the LORD desired to kill them. (Similar to when He hardened Pharaoh's heart in Exodus). 

34 (The LORD speaking to Eli,) "Now this shall be a sign to you that will come upon your two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas; in one day they shall die, both of them. 35 Then I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest who shall do according to what is in My heart and in My mind. I will build him a sure house, and he shall walk before My anointed forever."

11 Then the LORD said to Samuel (who was still a boy under the tutelage of Eli): "Behold, I will do something in Israel at which both ears of everyone who hears it will tingle. 12 In that day I will perform against Eli, all that I have spoken concerning his house (his sons and their descendants, his family lineage), from beginning to end. 13 For I have told him (Eli) that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knows, because his sons made themselves vile, and he did not restrain them (punish according to God's Law). 14 And therefore, I have sworn to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever. (they are henceforth condemned and irredeemable)."

So we can see that Hophni and Phinehas were not only the priestly sons of the High Priest Eli, but that they were wicked in the sight of the LORD and even worse - they were unrepentant. And if you read the rest of the end of chapter 2, you will see that the Lord wasn't exactly thrilled with Eli either. According to the Law of Moses (Torah), Eli should have put his sons to death for their wicked deeds before the LORD. Yet, he turned the other way until the outcry was so great, he was forced to confront them. By then, it was too late and his cowardice in disciplining his sons could no longer be excused. 

Did Eli ever turn to the Lord concerning his sons? It's probable that he did not. Would things perhaps have turned out differently had Eli done what was right and obeyed the Lord concerning His sons? Probably. But, the wickedness of Eli's two sons is not my focus for this article. What is the focus, is what happens later and the lesson behind it, in 1 Samuel 4:1-13, 18-19: 

1 Now Israel went out to battle against the Philistines, and encamped beside Ebenezer; and the Philistines encamped in Aphek. 2 Then the Philistines put themselves in battle array against Israel. And when they joined battle, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who killed about 4,000 men of the army in the field. 3 And when the people had come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, "Why has the LORD defeated us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD from Shiloh to us, that when it comes among us it may save us from the hand of our enemies." 

4 So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from there the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts, who dwells between the cherubim. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. 5 And when the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the camp, all Israel shouted so loudly that the earth shook. 6 Now when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, "What does the sound of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews mean?" Then they understood that the ark of the LORD had come into the camp.

7 So the Philistines were afraid, for they said, "God has come into the camp!" And they said, "Woe to us! For such a thing has never happened before. 8 Woe to us! Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness. 9 Be strong and conduct yourselves like men, you Philistines, that you do not become servants of the Hebrews, as they have been to you. Conduct yourselves like men, and fight!"

10 So the Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, and every man fled to his tent. There was a very great slaughter, and there fell of Israel 30,000 foot soldiers. 11 Also the ark of God was captured; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died. 12. Then a man of Benjamin ran from the battle line the same day, and came to Shiloh with his clothes torn and dirt on his head. 13 Now when he came, there was Eli, sitting on a seat by the wayside watching, for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city and told it, all the city cried out. 

(Then the man proceeded to tell Eli about what happened and the death of his two sons.)

18 Then it happened, when he made mention of the ark of God, that Eli fell off the seat backward by the side of the gate; and his neck was broken and he died, for the man was old and heavy (obese). And he had judged Israel (as high priest) 40 years. 19. Now his (Eli's) daughter-in-law, Phinehas' wife, was with child, due to be delivered; and when she heard the news that the ark of God was captured, and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and gave birth, for her labor pains came upon her. 

(She gave birth to a son, but the text says she didn't even notice and only had enough life left to name the child Ichabod, which means, "The glory has departed from Israel".)

So, we see Israel go to war with the Philistines. Do we see the high priest Eli seek the Lord as to whether or not Israel should even fight?  Do we see Eli seeking the Lord's wisdom and advice, or even His blessing? The text doesn't say, but considering what it implies, the answer to that is no. When they first engage in battle, Israel loses, but not too badly. However, instead of seeking the Lord then, as you would expect them to, they rather come up with their own solution. The Ark of the Covenant is what they needed for victory! If only they could have the Ark there at the battlefield, that would positively ensure victory! Nowhere do we see them say, "Let us seek the LORD," or, "The LORD will go before us in battle!" No.....it becomes all about God's instrument - rather than God Himself. 

The Israelites even become so bold as to say, "we can defeat, it will defeat..." and not, "God will or the LORD will defeat." The dependence is not upon God Himself, but upon His mercy seat - the Ark. Do you see the error? Yes, the Ark was/is holy. Yes, the LORD sat upon it and anyone who came near it or touched it immediately died because of His holiness. But, it was not the Ark that was all powerful. It was YHWH. It was the Lord. Instead of turning to the God Who brought them out of Egypt, who brought them into the Promised Land, who caused the walls of Jericho to fall with the blast of a trumpet, Who gave Samson supernatural strength enough to destroy an entire temple, Who destroyed an entire army using only a few hundred men and clay pots, the God Who had demonstrated time and again His power.....the Israelites turned to the Ark. They put their trust in an object, rather than the One that the object had been built for to begin with. 

When the Israelites were defeated even worse in the second battle, losing over 30,000 men, it just goes to show you how God felt about the matter. The defeat that day proved not that God was weak, or that the Philistines were stronger in arm, or that the Lord was happier with the Philistines. No, the defeat that day came because of Israel's misplaced trust and hope, as well as the wickedness that had been allowed in His Tabernacle. God had been left behind without a thought. Even the Philistines had a misplaced perspective! They didn't say they feared the Lord, but that they feared the Ark! They didn't say they feared YHWH, but that they feared the "gods" of Israel, plural. They mentioned the great Exodus from Egypt, but failed to attribute that mighty feat to the LORD. You would think that by this point, the Philistines would have known that their enemies, the Israelites, served only one God and that the Ark was not God. You would think.... What does that imply? 

It implies that not only did Israel not seek nor trust in the LORD, but they didn't even worship the Lord enough to where the surrounding peoples noticed. How sad. No wonder the Lord wanted to make a point and caused such a devastating defeat for Israel that day! However, the Lord didn't turn His back and walk away. No, He wanted to make His point, and it is a point that even today, we need to take to heart and take heed. The LORD wants us to know that it is not our traditions, our rituals, our holy oil, our formula prayers, our doctrine, our church, our ministry, our this or our that, that wins battles or saves us. It is Him. It.....Is.....HIM!

To further prove His point that He alone is God and that it is by His hand alone that we are either saved or destroyed, we can read in 1 Samuel 5 where He caused havoc in the Philistine city of Ashdod. The Philistines of Ashdod worshipped the god Dagon (a fish-looking god of fertility, weather, and agriculture). (And if you want to do a research topic on a tangent.....look up all the symbols of Dagon in the Catholic church - especially concerning their pope, as well as how our own culture is saturated with symbols concerning it.) We see where they brought the Ark into Dagon's temple and what happened? The LORD toppled their idol not once, but twice! The second time the Lord toppled the statue in such a way that there was no denying Who the LORD is. The Lord also brought about cancerous tumors upon the Philistines, to where they had to eventually return the Ark to Israel and appeal to the LORD for healing. 

3 For I AM the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;

8 Bring out the blind people who have eyes, and the deaf who have ears. 9 Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the people be assembled. Who among them can declare this, and show us former things? Let them bring out their witnesses, that they may be justified; or let them hear and say, "It is truth." 10 "You are My witnesses," says the LORD, "And My servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe Me, and understand that I AM He. Before Me there was no god formed, nor shall there be after Me.

11 I, even I AM the LORD, and besides Me there is no savior. 12 I have declared and saved, I have proclaimed, and there was no foreign god among you; therefore you are My witnesses," says the LORD, "that I AM God. 13 Indeed before the day was, I AM He; and there is no one who can deliver out of My hand; I work, and who will reverse it?"

22 "But you have not called upon Me, O Jacob; and you have been weary of Me, O Israel."

- Isaiah 43:3, 8-13, 22

God is holy, and He will not be mocked. He does not need us, but we need Him. The victory of our spiritual battles, the endurance of our trials, and the overcoming of our  tribulations will never come by our own hands, nor will it be as a result of anything we do. Victory belongs to Christ, the LORD alone. Who are we to boast, brag, and even teach otherwise? It is the Lord Who fights our battles, it is the Lord Who gives us strength, it is the Lord Who provides. So then, what are we to do? 

When faced with a battle, trial, or tribulation, we are not to lay down in defeat and say whatever, nor are we to ignore reality. Don't think I'm speaking against one extreme: dependence upon self, in order to promote another extreme: ignoring troubles. No, we are to face our struggles by 1: seeking the LORD first through prayer, fasting, and worship; 2: surrendering the situation to Him by willingly allowing Him to direct our steps, guide our actions, and strengthen our spirit; and 3: having trust and faith in Him, that it is the Father's will be done, that He is all powerful, that He is God, and that we will be obedient, trusting, and have faith/hope that He Himself, will be faithful. 

Again, I'm not writing this in order to start debates, cause division, or offend intentionally. I only write what the Lord has been putting upon my heart because we are reaching an hour that is late. Satan is waging war against the saints. We cannot afford to be like Hophni and Phinehas and walk in open sin and rebellion, yet call ourselves "priests of the LORD." In other words, we cannot be involved in sexual immorality, idolatry, the occult, etc...and still call ourselves "Christian". Repent! 

We cannot afford to be like the high priest Eli, and turn a blind eye and zipped lips to the wickedness being done in churches (idolatry, the occult, worldly pleasures, greed, false doctrine, false teaching, etc....). Speak out! Warn the lukewarm church to repent! Stop ignoring what is being done or taught in your church just because you like your church or like your preacher or enjoy the ministries there. It's time to stop participating and to stop being tolerant of unholiness and sin in the church.

And we especially cannot afford to be like the Israelites at that time, who put their hope and trust not in the LORD, who didn't first seek the LORD, but who put their hope and trust instead in things, in themselves, in symbols, in anything and everything except the Lord Himself. 

I see so many Christians going through so much pain, difficult trials, persecution, and all sorts of spiritual warfare right now, myself included. And please understand that whenever I write, I am also writing to myself! But know that we can trust the Lord. If we cannot trust in Christ with everything, then who can we trust? The things we do, say, etc... will never be good enough, but the LORD is good enough. He is mighty to save! 

I know it is hard to not want to take matters into our own hands, to not say, "Okay, I must do this, this, and this and then I'll be good. I'll win. This or that will happen which is what I want." No! We cannot rely upon the strength of our own arm or even upon rituals that we call holy or Biblical or whatever. We have to rely upon Christ Himself, alone! We can only see victory in our battles when we surrender to the Lord, trust Him, and allow Him to fight our battles. Put on the armor of God! 

Does this mean we will never lose, never experience trials and temptations, never suffer, or never experience tribulations? No, sometimes the Lord allows us to lose battles or just simply be involved in suffering in order to refine us, purify us, discipline us, teach us, etc.... We are to rejoice in sufferings. We just have to trust Him. That's the whole point of this blog article: TRUST IN THE LORD. If you are going through a difficult time right now: whether you have lost a loved one, are dealing with disease/illness/injury, have a financial crisis, are being spiritually attacked demonically/through witchcraft, or are just going through a hard time....go to the Lord and ask Him if you are trusting Him. Then surrender to the Lord and tell Him to teach you to trust in Him. Listen to Him and obey.

"Trust and obey...for there's no other way, to be happy in Jesus.....But to trust and obey."

I love each of you who reads this, and know that I don't enjoy calling out or berating or even being harsh. I honestly don't like it. But, when the Lord puts something upon my heart and tells me to tell it to the churches, I will. May we all have ears to hear and eyes to see. 

Then all this assembly shall know that the LORD does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the LORD's,  - 1 Samuel 17:47a

"Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit," says the LORD of Hosts.    - Zechariah 4:6b

The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but deliverance is of the LORD.     - Proverbs 21:31

The God of my strength, in Whom I will trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge; my Savior, You save me from violence.     - 2 Samuel 22:3

...for they cried out to God in battle. He heeded their prayer, because they put their trust in Him.    - 1 Chronicles 5:20b

But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; let those also who love Your Name be joyful in You.       - Psalm 5:11

...who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us,      - 2 Corinthians 1:10

3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope.      - Romans 5:3-4

...but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.       - 1 Peter 4:13

8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. 10 But may the God of all grace, Who  called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.                         - 1 Peter 5:8-10

10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 

14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.       - Ephesians 6:10-18