The War was of God

“For there fell down many slain, because the war was of God. And they dwelt in their steads until the captivity.” (1Chronicles 5:22)

This Scripture is about the descendants of Ruben, Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh, sons of Jacob who God renamed Israel. They were 44,760 warriors who were skilled and experts in war. (1 Chronicles 5:18) But their success was not in their skill and expertise. In 1 Chronicles 5:20, the writer who many believe is Ezra because of the same incidents found in his writings, writes that the enemy was delivered to them because “they cried to God in the battle.” That word that was translated cried means that they came together to call on God and proclaim.  The Scriptures don’t tell us their words.  But I can imagine they proclaimed God’s goodness and greatness in His ability to give them the victory over their enemies. Although God had given them the anointing and skill in war, they depended on God for the victory.

What a lesson this is for us. The victory in our battles against our enemies, the demons of hell, the world and the flesh have no victory against us.  Not only has the Lord given us all the tools and ability to destroy these enemies and we use them as the Spirit wills, but the victory also comes from the goodness and greatness of God. Yes, we must put on the whole armor of God. (Ephesians 6:10-18) Yes, we must yield the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. But our dependance must be on our Lord.  He destroyed the works of the enemy. “He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.” (1John 3:8) Jesus already destroyed the works of the devil.  We sin because we want to. We fail because we want to. We think we can win the battles in our lives on our own.  But the battle is the Lord’s now as it was when David went against Goliath (1Samuel 17:47). Whatever thing is coming against us is a lie.  Because Jesus destroyed the works of the devil. That’s all the devil has, deception.  Be those things, disease, unrest in our families and communities or calamity, be they destructive to our peace, our love and our world or be they painful in our bodies, in our souls (mind, will, emotions) and daunting to our spirits, we have the victory already.  What do we need to do? Like the Rubenites, Gadites and half tribe of Manasseh, we must come together with our families and call on God and proclaim His victory because the battle is His.

“And they made war with the Hagarites, with Jetur, and Nephish, and Nodab.” (1Chronicles 5:19) In this verse we learn that the Hagarites, Jetur, Nephish and Nodab (descendants of Ishmael-Genesis 25:13,15) were living in the land when the Rubenites, Gadites and half tribe of Manasseh made war with them. They were the people living in the land that God had given the descendants of Ruben, Gad and Manasseh. In today’s society that is just not done. This is just bullying. It’s an invasion. But at that time, it was a God thing. God was doing a new thing.  He was establishing His people in their land and keeping His promise and covenant to Abraham. The people there were idol worshippers, haters of the One True God and enemies of God. The descendants of Jacob rid the land of sin and lived in the land. (1Chronicles 5:10)

 Today we live in world conscious society that is accepting of all people and all beliefs. But that is the world view and not a God view. I am not suggesting we make war and destroy people who don’t believe and worship our God. We live in a different era, under the covenant made by Jesus which is spiritual.  Today, more than ever, we live in the spirit. Today more than ever we must war in the spirit. It may look like, feel like and sound like defeat, but the battle is the Lord’s and we have the victory. “Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of His knowledge by us in every place.” (2Corinthians 2:14) We are more than conquerors. “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.” (Romans 8:37)

Do we want to rid the land of sin?  Do we want the idolators and haters of good to be defeated?  It’s not done with evil, our words nor human wisdom. It’s done in the power of the Word of God which is alive and able to accomplish what God said. “So shall My word be that goeth forth out of My mouth: it shall not return unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:11) We war with God’s goodness and love. “See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men.” (1Thessalonians 5:15) In his letter to the Romans Paul wrote: “Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:21) God’s goodness has the power to tear men’s hearts wide open to receive salvation from Him. Paul wrote, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” (Romans 1:16)

How do we do this? It seems counter effective. But it isn’t because the same God that defeated Goliath, the Hagarites, Jetur, Nephish and Nodab, is the same God that already defeated the darkness. We expose their deeds as evil before God by shining our light in the dark corners of the world. “Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. Wherefore He saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.” (Ephesians 5:1-21) This section of Scriptures is long but so instructive. It tells us how to have victory over the darkness. First we follow God and walk in love. We abandon fornication, and all uncleanness, covetousness, filthiness, foolish talking and jesting.  We speak our gratefulness for the things of God instead. We don’t believe vain and deceitful words. We go to the Word of God and confirm every word. We don’t participate in ungodliness. In our culture, the people of God use the world’s words and actions.  We toast the New Year not with an alcoholic beverage, but with a beverage that imitates the champagne of the world. Drinking is not a sin in itself, but imitating the world because we truly want to be part of it, is sin.

The world’s efforts are fruitless. Just look at all the programs and projects created to right the wrongs of the world. They accomplish nothing. God is not in it. That’s why they fail.  And we are not to participate in them. We are to go about full of the Holy Spirit walking in joy, singing and proclaiming and giving thanks for God’s goodness.  Wow!  It sounds almost crazy. The world is going to hell, and we have joy in our hearts. But that is God’s Word. We show and demonstrate that living in God’s world is completely different from this world. Can we do this? We can only allow God to work when we are obedient and when we trust completely in the Lord by living in faith. “Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, My soul shall have no pleasure in him.” (Hebrews 10:38) Are we there yet? I don’t think we are. There is still too much of the world in us that we don’t want to give up. Just think about that. God cannot fight in our behalf when we are in the enemy’s camp.

I hope this lesson didn’t seem so extreme.  I believe it’s where we’re heading before Jesus returns. His true sheep will be radical in faith and in their walk. It may or may not be in our time.