Hammer on Anvil '

"You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the Lord will be with you" (2 Chronicles 20:17).

I love Jehoshaphat. Though mention is made of him as early as the Book of 2 Samuel, we really get to know him in 1 Kings 22, where we learn he is the king of Judah. He visits the king of Israel, who is distraught that "Ramoth-gilead belongs to us, and we keep quiet and do not take it out of the hand of the king of Syria” (verse 3). The king of Israel enlists Jehoshaphat to help him, and the first piece of advice Jehoshaphat gives him is to “Inquire first for the word of the Lord" (verse 5). Wise man. It is always best to seek the Lord, no matter what sort of battle you are facing.

The more familiar passage of Jehoshaphat is in 2 Chronicles 20, where the Moabites and Ammonites are coming against Jehoshaphat. It was a vast army, and Jehoshaphat admittedly was scared. But once again, his first response is to seek the Lord. He even proclaimed a fast throughout all of Judah. As the people fasted and prayed, the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel, and he spoke this word of hope to the entire assembly:

Thus says the Lord to you, "Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours, but God's. Tomorrow go down against them. Behold, they will come up by the ascent of Ziz. You will find them at the end of the valley, east of the wilderness of Jeruel. You will not need to fight in the battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf."

Now that's an encouraging word from the Lord when you're facing an insidious enemy who looks way bigger than you, and you know that you are helpless in your own strength. Much like when Gandalf faced Balrog in "Lord of the Rings."



Though I can't post a video because of copyright restrictions, here's what happens: Gandalf first ensures that Frodo and the gang are all safe, and then stands between his friends and the terrifying Balrog. When Balrog threatens to cross over the bridge, Gandalf holds his position tenaciously (as we are instructed to do in 2 Chronicles 20:17) and ultimately does battle with the formidable beast.

When I first saw that movie, I got what a friend of mine used to call "Holy Ghost goosebumps." It was such a powerful portrayal of spiritual warfare, and I wasn't expecting to see something so biblical come out of Hollywood (Tolkien, yes, but Hollywood, no).

You see, my friends, this is how our God does battle for us. We need to remember that the war is already won, thanks to the atoning blood of Jesus Christ. No matter how desperate things may seem, the reality is that nobody can throw anything at us that can change what Jesus has done for us. This world is not our home, friends -- and sometimes we need to cling tightly to that hope when the world gets very dark and hateful. Even if we face death, that only means we will be in the presence of our Savior!

If you are up against a Balrog in your life right now, seek the Lord's counsel. Then "Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the Lord."