Fighting Life’s Struggles — Moses Way

All of us have struggles in life. If you ask a rich man, he will have his story of struggles. If you ask a poor man, he has his own. But as believers, we face more struggles than the unbeliever. Jesus Himself said we would face troubles and persecution because we follow Him. He put it in the picture of students and teachers: if they treated the Master this way, His household should expect the same.

[Matthew 10:22, 25 NIV]  22 You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. ... 25 It is enough for students to be like their teachers, and servants like their masters. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household!

So should we leave Jesus to be free from troubles? That is not the solution either. Look at the life of an unbeliever, and you will see that they have many troubles as well. The troubles of life comes from Satan, Satan does not come to give life. He comes only to destroy. The word of God confirms the same.

[John 10:10 NIV]  10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

So what is the solution? How do we overcome these struggles and wage war against them? We look back to the Bible, to how God taught the Israelites through Moses to wage war and inherit their promised land. We read through Deuteronomy 20, “Waging a War.”

Teaching of Moses on Waging a War — Deuteronomy 20

Moses addressed the Israelites based on God’s guidance:

• Israel is on the plains of Moab, about to cross the Jordan and enter Canaan. Deuteronomy 20 sits within Moses’ second address.

• The nations ahead were larger and stronger, better equipped with horses and iron chariots, and more experienced in war. Humanly speaking, Israel was outmatched.

• Other nations trusted in military strength. Israel’s greatest strength was the presence of God.

[Deuteronomy 20:1-4 NIV]  1 When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of them, because the LORD your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, will be with you. 2 When you are about to go into battle, the priest shall come forward and address the army. 3 He shall say: “Hear, Israel: Today you are going into battle against your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not panic or be terrified by them. 4 For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.”

What Moses taught the Israelites can teach us how to fight back against the struggles of life.

Look Back to Build Faith

[Deuteronomy 20:1 NIV]  1 ... do not be afraid of them, because the LORD your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, will be with you.

• Horses and chariots were the equivalent of today’s tanks, fighter jets, missiles and military technology. Egypt, the Canaanites and the surrounding nations trusted in military power.

• Our “horses and chariots” today may look like a financial crisis, a health issue, job loss, family problems, persecution, impossible situations or anxiety about the future.

• God tells Israel:

  • Do not measure your victory by what you see.

  • Measure it by who is with you.

• Notice why God reminds them that He is the one “who brought you up out of Egypt.” Remembering God’s past faithfulness builds faith for present battles. If God defeated mighty Pharaoh, He could certainly defeat the Canaanites.

• And the reminder is exact. Egypt’s strength was its horses and chariots, and God sank them in the sea. The very weapons Israel feared in Canaan were the kind God had already drowned.

  • [Exodus 14:13-14 NIV]  13 Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. 14 The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

  • [Exodus 15:1 NIV]  1 Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the LORD: “I will sing to the LORD, for he is highly exalted. Both horse and driver he has hurled into the sea.”

• Fear grows when we focus on the size of the enemy, the difficulty of the situation or our own weakness.

• Faith grows when we remember God’s past victories.

• David did exactly this before fighting Goliath: [1 Samuel 17:37 NIV]  37 The LORD who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” Saul said to David, “Go, and the LORD be with you.”

An Army Greater Than Yours

[Deuteronomy 20:1 NIV]  1 ... and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of them ...

• srael was told it would see “an army greater than yours.” Elisha’s servant saw the same thing at Dothan, until his eyes were opened and the hills were full of horses and chariots of fire.

• [2 Kings 6:16-17 NIV]  16 “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 17 And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, LORD, so that he may see.” Then the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

• We all have situations bigger than ours:

  • the money you need to pay back is greater than what you have

  • the sickness is not leaving after many treatments

  • the job door stays closed after repeated tries

• Each of these is a big, impossible Goliath in our lives.

• We need to acknowledge the fact: “The enemy is greater than you,” but not greater than our God. And we say in faith:

  • [Romans 8:31 NIV]  31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

Not Horses and Chariots, but the Armor of God

[Deuteronomy 20:1 NIV]  1 When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots ...

• The world depends on people, their money and their resources. But we who are God’s children should not depend on them.

• Our armor is not horses and chariots, but the full armor of God.

  • [Ephesians 6:10-18 NIV]  10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

• Ask God to clothe you with this armor to fight back. We trust in God, and we fight with His armor:

  • The belt of truth: hold on to God’s truth when the enemy feeds you lies about your situation.

  • The breastplate of righteousness: our right standing comes from Christ, so guilt and accusation cannot pierce the heart.

  • Feet fitted with the gospel of peace: stand steady and ready, carrying His peace into every battle.

  • The shield of faith: faith puts out the flaming arrows of doubt, fear and discouragement.

  • The helmet of salvation: guard your mind with the assurance that you belong to Him.

  • The sword of the Spirit, the word of God: our only attacking weapon. Answer the enemy with “It is written,” as Jesus did.

  • Prayer: it holds every piece in place, so stay alert and keep on praying.

• We don’t fight the battle like the world does. We fight in the unseen world, to break the enemy who is behind the battle.

  • [2 Corinthians 10:3-5 NIV]  3 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

• Like Elisha [2 Kings 6:16-17 NIV], God will send unseen horses and chariots of fire to fight the enemy behind our struggles: our jobs, sickness, money challenges, or the curse that is robbing the blessing.

• Like David, we say in faith: [Psalm 20:7 NIV]  7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.

• And there is a warning, “Woe to those.” When we trust the world, people or anything outside God, it comes under God’s woe.

  • [Isaiah 31:1 NIV]  1 Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in the multitude of their chariots and in the great strength of their horsemen, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel, or seek help from the LORD.

God Is the Commander: The Priest Speaks First

[Deuteronomy 20:2 NIV]  2 When you are about to go into battle, the priest shall come forward and address the army.

• Notice that the first person to speak before battle was not the general. It was the priest. Why? Because Israel’s battles were spiritual before they were military.

• The priest reminded them that God is present, that God has made a covenant with them, and that victory comes from God.

• The priest did not carry weapons. He carried God’s Word.

• Joshua followed the same order at the Jordan: the priests with the ark went ahead of the people.

• Before Jericho, Joshua met the true Commander of Israel’s army. The first command was not a battle plan but worship.

  • [Joshua 5:13-15 NIV]  13 Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?” 14 “Neither,” he replied, “but as commander of the army of the LORD I have now come.” Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, “What message does my Lord have for his servant?” 15 The commander of the LORD’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.

• King Jehoshaphat sent singers ahead of the army, and the enemy was broken through praise.

  • [2 Chronicles 20:15, 17 NIV]  15 He said: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. ... 17 You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.’”

• Our Priest today is Jesus, our Great High Priest. He speaks for us and intercedes for us, and the Holy Spirit encourages us through God’s Word.

  • [Hebrews 4:14-16 NIV]  14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. 16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

• So pray in the Spirit and in truth, and ask God to be the Priest who goes before you into the battle.

  • [Romans 8:26-27 NIV]  26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

• Read the Word and pray, whatever your spiritual level may be. Jesus is waiting to save you and fight the battle for you. His name is “Saviour,” so He saves us, no matter how bad a state we are in. Only faith that He can save you will save your situation.

The Enemy’s Ammunition Is Fear; God’s Word Is “Fear Not”

[Deuteronomy 20:3 NIV]  3 He shall say: “Hear, Israel: Today you are going into battle against your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not panic or be terrified by them.

• Notice the progression in the priest’s words. Each one goes a step further, from the inside to the outside:

  • “Do not be fainthearted”: the heart grows soft and begins to melt.

  • “Do not be afraid”: fear takes hold.

  • “Do not panic”: the feet hurry away in alarm.

  • “Do not be terrified”: the whole body trembles in dread.

• Fear usually grows in stages. A small fear becomes anxiety. Anxiety becomes panic. Panic becomes defeat.

• God stops fear before it controls the heart. This does not mean they felt no fear. It means they were not to let fear rule them.

• Christ has dealt with the root of fear itself:

  • [Hebrews 2:14-15 NIV]  14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.

  • [2 Timothy 1:7 NIV]  7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.

  • [1 John 4:18 NIV]  18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

  • [Philippians 4:6-7 NIV]  6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

• Fear comes from the enemy. God gives the strength to fight fear back. David did not see the size of Goliath, and Samson did not see the size of the lion. Only faith in Jesus can overcome fear, because if God is for us, who can be against us? [Romans 8:31 NIV]

Victory Comes from Our LORD: Four Truths

[Deuteronomy 20:4 NIV]  4 For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.

1. God Goes with You

• Israel never fought alone. His presence was their greatest weapon.

• The same promise is there for us. If we obey Him and walk with Him, He is surely with us to the end of the age: [Matthew 28:20 NIV]  20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

2. God Fights for You

• They still had to fight, but God won the battle. There is an important balance here between God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility. Israel marched. Israel swung the sword. But God gave the victory.

• The same principle applies today. God calls us to resist the devil, pray continually, put on the armor of God, obey His Word and remain faithful. God provides the strength, the wisdom and the ultimate victory.

  • [James 4:7 NIV]  7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

  • [1 Samuel 17:47 NIV]  47 All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.

3. Your Enemies Are God’s Enemies

• When Israel kept God’s covenant, God treated attacks against them as attacks against Himself. Whoever fights against the believer is fighting against the Lord.

  • [Zechariah 2:8 NIV]  8 For this is what the LORD Almighty says: “After the Glorious One has sent me against the nations that have plundered you—for whoever touches you touches the apple of his eye—

• We see this with Saul of Tarsus. Saul persecuted many believers, yet when Jesus met him, He asked, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

  • [Acts 26:14-15 NIV]  14 We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ 15 “Then I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ “‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied.

• Our enemies are not people. They are Satan, sin, temptation, false teaching, fear, discouragement and spiritual opposition [Ephesians 6:12 NIV].

• Don’t see your struggle as only your battle. It is the enemy’s fight against God. Because we are God’s children, the enemy strikes at us. When we see it this way and pray, God will fight back.

4. Victory Comes from God

• “To give you victory” literally means “to save you.” Victory is God’s gift, not merely the result of human effort.

• Each victory is personally designed and given by Him to you, and it is also shared with His people: “All will share alike” [1 Samuel 30:24 NIV].

• Jesus still fights for His people:

  • He opens doors no one can open.

  • He defeats enemies we cannot defeat.

  • He changes hearts and protects us.

  • He gives supernatural peace, and wisdom instead of panic.

• [Colossians 2:15 NIV]  15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

• [1 Corinthians 15:57 NIV]  57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

• [Romans 8:37 NIV]  37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

• We fight from victory, not for victory.

Do NOTs to Fight the Battle

1. Don’t Fight with a Divided Heart [Deuteronomy 20:5-7 NIV]

• A man whose heart is back at his new house, his vineyard or his bride is a soldier with a divided heart. God would rather send him home than have him fight distracted.

• [Luke 9:62 NIV]  62 Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

2. Don’t Let Fear Spread [Deuteronomy 20:8 NIV]

• “Let him go home so that his fellow soldiers will not become disheartened too.” It is the same word as in verse 3, the heart growing soft, now spreading from one man to the next. One fearful man melts others.

• But faith is contagious too. Joshua and Caleb stood against the whole crowd:

• [Numbers 14:9 NIV]  9 Only do not rebel against the LORD. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the LORD is with us. Do not be afraid of them.

• Gideon applied this very law before the battle with Midian. God reduced the army so that Israel could not boast that its own strength had saved it.

• [Judges 7:3 NIV]  3 Now announce to the army, ‘Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.’” So twenty-two thousand men left, while ten thousand remained.

3. Don’t Keep the Plunder for Yourself [Deuteronomy 20:13-15 NIV]

• “The plunder the LORD your God gives you.” Even the plunder was God’s gift. God blesses believers with talents, finances, influence, education, careers, opportunities and spiritual gifts. These are our “plunder.”

• Unlike Israel, we do not take them from defeated enemies through war. After Christ’s victory, God entrusts blessings to His people as stewards. The Victor Himself distributes the gifts:

  • [Ephesians 4:8 NIV]  8 This is why it says: “When he ascended on high, he took many captives and gave gifts to his people.”

  • [1 Corinthians 4:7 NIV]  7 For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?

• The question is this: will we consume God’s blessings selfishly, or steward them for His kingdom? The plunder is for God’s glory, so use it for His glory:

  • If God has blessed you financially, be generous with the church and the poor.

  • If God has given you spiritual gifts of revelation, use them to pray for people and build them up, not for gossip or to tell others.

4. Don’t Fight People — Fight Sin [Deuteronomy 20:16-18 NIV]

• Today God does not command believers to destroy people. He commands us to destroy sin. The Canaanites become a picture of sinful desires, the old sinful nature, idols, and habits that compete with Christ.

• Paul uses similar language: put to death the earthly nature, the carnal man.

  • [Galatians 5:24 NIV]  24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

  • [Romans 8:13 NIV]  13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.

• The flesh is our own old sinful nature. The enemy uses it through temptation, and when we yield, we give him ground. When by the Spirit we nail the flesh to the cross, his foothold is lost, and we live.

  • [Romans 7:18 NIV]  18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.

  • [James 1:14 NIV]  14 But each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed.

  • [Ephesians 4:27 NIV]  27 and do not give the devil a foothold.

5. Don’t Just Manage Sin — It Becomes a Snare

• Israel did not finish the work. The nations left in the land became traps, and their gods became snares. Saul spared what God said to destroy and lost the kingdom. Partial obedience is disobedience.

• [Judges 2:2-3 NIV]  2 and you shall not make a covenant with the people of this land, but you shall break down their altars.’ Yet you have disobeyed me. Why have you done this? 3 And I have also said, ‘I will not drive them out before you; they will become traps for you, and their gods will become snares to you.’

• [Psalm 106:34-36 NIV]  34 They did not destroy the peoples as the LORD had commanded them, 35 but they mingled with the nations and adopted their customs. 36 They worshiped their idols, which became a snare to them.

We Fight from Victory

The rich man has his story of struggles. The poor man has his. And we who follow Jesus will have ours too. But we do not fight alone, and we do not fight the way the world fights.

• Look back at what God has already done, and faith will rise for today’s battle.

• Put on the full armor of God, and let prayer and the Word go ahead of you.

• Do not let fear rule your heart, and do not leave sin half-dealt with.

The words Moses gave Israel on the plains of Moab are still God’s word to us today:

[Deuteronomy 20:4 NIV]  4 For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.

The world fights for victory. We fight from victory.