“Principles Governing
Warfare”
“When you
go out to battle against your enemies and see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, do
not be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, who brought you up from the land
of Egypt, is with you.” (v.1)
Here we see
Moses encouraging the children of Israel not to fear an enemy who is better
equipped and greater in number who may come against them. In fact, he sends the
priest to speak the men of war saying; “Do not be fainthearted. Do not be
afraid, or panic, or tremble before them, for the Lord your God is the one who
goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.” (v.3-4)
Moses even went so far as to thin the ranks through exemptions listed in our
text (v.5-8), to make sure every man of war was strongly committed to the
fight.
For Israel,
the secret to success in taking possession of the land that God had promised to
them, didn’t lie in human strategy or military might, it was a matter of faith
- believing that God would deliver them.
If this was
true for God’s people in a time of literal warfare, it is even more important
in the spiritual warfare all believers encounter today, for we face a powerful
spiritual enemy, one who can not be defeated in our own strength.
The Truth
“For our
struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the
authorities, against the powers of this world and against the spiritual forces
of evil in the heavenly realms. 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.”
(Ephesians 6:12-13)
