2 Chronicles 20:18-24, Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord, worshiping the Lord. The Levites, from the sons of the Kohathites and of the sons of the Korahites, stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel, with a very loud voice. They rose early in the morning and went out to the wilderness of Tekoa; and when they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, O Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, put your trust in the Lord your God and you will be established. Put your trust in His prophets and succeed.” When he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who sang to the Lord and those who praised Him in holy attire, as they went out before the army and said, “Give thanks to the Lord, for His lovingkindness is everlasting.” When they began singing and praising, the Lord set ambushes against the sons of Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; so they were routed. For the sons of Ammon and Moab rose up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir destroying them completely; and when they had finished with the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another. When Judah came to the lookout of the wilderness, they looked toward the multitude, and behold, they were corpses lying on the ground, and no one had escaped.
As Jehoshaphat waited on the enemy and the battle that was coming, he focused himself toward the throne of God. If that was all I wrote, that single lesson would be enough for any of us. When we pray, we can avoid the negativism and defeatism that come from an improper focus on a particular situation. When we focus on power, especially the power of God, we can find victory in the direst circumstance. If we will name the problem and remember the salvation of our Lord, we will find a “peace” to deal with any outcome. Expressing God’s omnipotence leads us to victory as we submit ourselves to His will.
Real leaders know the value of coming to God with problems. They learn that every important answer is found at the feet of our Father. In this case, Jehoshaphat never really fell into the trap of self-reliance.
To be clear, he didn’t thank God and then spread out battle maps to begin making his own plans. We often fail to allow God to handle the strategy. I am not advocating just pray and wait. I am suggesting that we need to let God handle our outcomes. His wisdom for our situation needs to be the exact course of action. Are we really willing to allow God to give us His answer or are we going to try to force our goals on Him – as if we really could? We must let God’s wisdom rule. Every faithful person will be brought to reward in heaven. Are we willing to be used in the present for His glory even if it takes our own sacrifice?
While the king prayed, God was already delivering His people. The only thing the Army of Judah had to see, as they arrived, was the destroyed army that was left on the battlefield of those arrayed against God’s people.
1 Peter 5:8, Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
You and I face a formidable enemy – Satan. Satan began his existence as God made him, “full of beauty and wisdom.” (Ezekiel 28:12-17) He had a place in God’s Holy presence. However, as pride and arrogance consumed the righteous characteristics of his being he pretended to assume the very position of God. In the end, he did what he tries to get each human to do, claim to be a “peer” of God – as righteous and powerful as the Creator Himself.
Satan is our only real enemy, beside our own self. He is the: adversary (Zechariah 3:1; 1 Peter 5:8); accuser (Revelation 12:10); “deceiver” or “light bearer” (Isaiah 14:12); Dragon (Revelation 12:7); slanderer (1 Peter 5:8); murderer and liar (John 8:44; Revelation 20:10); prince of this world (John 12:31); prince of the power of the air (Ephesians 2:2); destroyer (Revelation 9:11); tempter (Matthew 13:38); and the god of this age (2 Corinthians 4:4).
Never underestimate Satan. Never take his suggestions or allure lightly. He was created with power and grandeur. But be sure that a skilled child of God can easily defeat Satan and his plans with the awesome Power of our loving Father. (2 Corinthians 10:3-5)
Satan is a force to be reckoned with, but his future is sealed. (Isaiah 14:15; Revelation 12:7-10) The only real power we have is through the blood of our innocent Savior. Never step on the battlefield unarmed and alone. “Rambo” is interesting as a movie concept; but it is a catastrophic condition in the battlefield of spiritual reality. Even the angels on high use the name of Jesus when warring against his evil efforts. (Jude 9) Never try to fight alone. Always call on the name of Jesus the Christ. He is our victory and our life – PRAISE HIS HOLY NAME!