Have you ever wondered why as Christians, we have to fight battles? Jesus has already secured victory over the evil one by His death and resurrection on the cross, and yet, there is still so much we battle through. Sometimes we face challenges and wonder, ‘why is this happening?’

In these moments, it can be hard to make sense of such situations, to see beyond the now. Sometimes, a point may come where we look back and understand why. However, on this side of eternity, this may not always happen.

As someone who likes to know the whys and wherefores, this can be tricky to accept! I trust God and I know that all things work together for good to them that love God and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). However, I do still believe it is okay to ask God questions about our situations, and that asking questions does not negate our trust in Him. One question (among many!) that I like to ask is ‘God please what are you trying to teach me through this situation?’ In other words, why is this happening and what can I learn from it?

WHY

Recently, I was reading the book of 1 Samuel and there was a particular story that struck me. In chapter 10, Saul had just been chosen as the first King of Israel. The people had wanted a king, and now they were getting one. There was excitement, with chants of “Long live the King!” Then in verses 26-27, this happened: “Saul also went to his home in Gibeah, accompanied by valiant men whose hearts God had touched. But some scoundrels said, “How can this fellow save us?” They despised him and brought him no gifts. But Saul kept silent.”

What happened next did the talking though. In chapter 11, we read that Nahash the Ammonite king decided to stir up trouble. He went to fight the Israelite town of Jabesh-Gilead. The citizens of that town wanted peace, but Nahash said he would only give them peace if they allowed him gouge out all their right eyes. Talk about cruelty. Not only did he want to partially blind them and cause them great pain, he wanted to humiliate them. News of this reached Saul, and so it happened that this situation that was orchestrated to bring pain and humiliation became a turning point. It was this battle that gave Saul an opportunity to prove his mettle and gain acceptance. This was key for Saul as a leader. I mean, have you ever tried leading a group of people who don’t believe in you, and don’t want you as their leader?

Given that Saul had no human predecessor he could learn from or who could publicly endorse his capabilities, this was important for him. Yes, God had already done so through Prophet Samuel, but as humans, we like evidence. In verse 6, we read that “the Spirit of God came powerfully upon Saul.” As a result, he was able to successfully mobilise an army, launch a surprise attack against the Ammonites, and destroy them. Then the people exclaimed to Samuel, “Now where are those men who said, ‘Why should Saul rule over us?’ Bring them here, and we will kill them!” Thankfully Saul responded with grace, saying “No one will be executed today, for today the Lord has rescued Israel!” (Verses 12 and 13).

In addition to allowing Saul prove his capability and enabling the people to accept him, victory in this battle boosted Saul’s confidence in God, as he recognised that it was God who rescued Israel. It also boosted his confidence in himself. In 1 Samuel 10:21-23, when they wanted to present him as king, he ran away to hide and they had to look for him! Sometimes we doubt our own capabilities until we go through some battles and realise that God has equipped us with so much more than we realised. Gideon is another example of someone who didn’t know what God was capable of doing through Him until God actually did it. God even seemed to make things trickier for Gideon by reducing the size of his army. However, God was patient with him through the learning process, and he experienced God’s victory (Judges 6-8).

Battles can stretch us and expand our capacity, capabilities, and show us reserves of strength available to us which we wouldn’t even have fathomed otherwise. As G. Jessen notes, “a lot of times we forget that so much wisdom can be gained through struggles, not by eliminating them.” I remember as a child reading books where the hero would have to ‘cross seven rivers and climb seven mountains’ before getting to the place of their victory. This sounds poetic until you realise just how challenging climbing mountains and crossing seas can be. However, doing so helps the climbers and crossers develop muscles, endurance and strength. Sometimes we need to go through battle zones on our journey to what God has planned for us, otherwise we may arrive there with weak, untested spiritual muscles and fall spectacularly.

Battles can humble us. Which is great, because God gives grace/shows favour to the humble and lifts them up (Proverbs 3:34, 1 Peter 5:5-6). Battles therefore give God a chance to display His power in our lives. In 1 Samuel 18, Saul thought he was setting a trap for David by causing him to battle with the Philistines (v. 17). However the battle ended up really showing Saul that God was with David (vs 26-30). Like David, we should resist the temptation to gloat and seek revenge when we receive victory though, remembering that it is God who secured the victory for us (2 Samuel 4).

Battles present us with the opportunity to learn more about God – who He is, His character, His power, His nature, His strength; and to deepen our relationship with Him. How would Gideon have known what God was capable of, if he did not have to face a battle that his own human strength could not win? How would David have known the encouragement and reserves of strategic wisdom God could provide, if he did not meet situations where he did not know what to do? (1 Samuel 30:1-9). Various kinds of battles allow us experience different aspects of God; God as Jehovah El-Shaddai (God Almighty), Jehovah Shammah (the Lord that is There), Jehovah Sabaoth (the Lord of Hosts/Armies), Jehovah Rapha (the Lord that Heals), Jehovah Jireh (the Lord that Provides), Jehovah Shalom (The Lord Our Peace), Jehovah Nissi (The Lord Our Banner/Warrior/Victory). We know God is all these from the Bible, but when we experience God in our lives in these ways, we can become undeniable walking testimonies for those around us to see.

When we fight battles, we gain lived experience. This not only better equips us to fight future battles, it enables us to support others who are fighting similar battles. We can be a source of strength, encouragement and comfort to others. “All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4, NLT). “Simon, Simon, look out! Satan has asked to sift you like wheat. But I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And you, when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers” (Luke 22:31-32, HCSB).

When you’ve been through a battle, you know where the hotspots and the pinch points are, and you learn more about the devices of the enemy (2 Corinthians 11). You know what it feels like to be wounded and down on the ground. But you also know you can hold on to the hope that God will lift you up again. This does not mean that everyone’s experiences will be similar to yours, and we should take care not to assume such. However this battle experience combined with prayer can be a very powerful source of support. It also means that we are less likely to suffer cringe moments/foot-in-mouth disease, i.e. saying or doing things that harm rather than help. Like sandpaper, we are roughened so that we can smoothen others. We can ‘share the plunder’ from our battles with others, regardless of whether they fought with us. May we not be like the trouble makers among David’s followers who didn’t want to share the plunder with those who didn’t fight with them. No. Instead, like David, let’s share it far and wide, with old friends, new friends, everyone who needs it (1 Samuel 30:22-31). This way, we can be influential witnesses for Christ.

HOW

In a battle, it is crucial to be discerning, and to act in a way that honours God, because the temptation to do otherwise can be so great. David’s men urged him to kill Saul. They even said “Behold, this is the day of which the Lord said to you, ‘Behold; I am about to give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it seems good to you’” (1 Samuel 24:4). Again in 1 Samuel 26:8 (NIV), “Abishai said to David, “Today God has delivered your enemy into your hands. Now let me pin him to the ground with one thrust of the spear; I won’t strike him twice.” But David refused to kill Saul because he respected God’s anointing on Saul’s life. David trusted that God would deal with Saul himself (26:9). Bear in mind that this was the same Saul that had been trying to kill David, and had caused him to live like a fugitive for years! Not only that, God had already rejected Saul as king, so he was no more the anointed one (1 Samuel 15). Still, David respected the anointing that once was, and the fact that Saul was still the one on the throne at the time. Instead of turning to bitterness and vengeance, he turned to God, “Plead my cause, O Lord, with them that strive with me: fight against them that fight against me. Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for mine help.” (Psalm 35:1-2). In the end, God came through for David.

We may not be facing the kind of battles that David faced, physical wars against men (Ephesians 6:12). Even so, it is key that we do not give the enemy room in our camp, that we do not give the devil a foothold in our lives (Ephesians 4:27). A foothold is “a secure position from which further progress may be made.” What are the things in our lives that are giving the devil a foothold, especially as the battle rages on? Are we allowing bitterness to creep in? It can happen so subtly – frustration at unanswered prayers, leading to doubt; long-drawn out battles, leading to weariness and a weakened spiritual life; ‘seeing the wicked prosper and in great power’ while the righteous suffer, gradually chipping away at our belief in God as a just God. Before you know it, it has moved from foothold to household.

This last point is one that is a struggle for many – why do bad things happen to good people? I remember when I received a serious life-changing diagnosis, which I’ve written about before. When I told my brother, his first reaction was ‘How can this be happening to you of all people? Why you of all people?’ Or we hear the classic life is not fair. But I guess the question can be rephrased as ‘why not us?’

The truth is that sometimes, even as Christians, we disobey God and this lands us in war zones. I need to emphasise that this is not always the case, but it can be. Solomon disobeyed God by turning to other gods. This caused God to tear part of the kingdom away from him, and to raise up Hadad to be Solomon’s adversary (1 Kings 11: 11-14). In Jonah 4, we learn that God provided the plant to give Jonah shade. But it was the same God who provided the worm to chew up the plant, and the sun that almost caused Jonah to faint! (Jonah 4:5-11). There’s a lesson to be learnt in both cases. Sometimes we just need to learn and obey, and not bother fighting (1 Kings 12:24). The beauty of these incidents is that they highlight God’s mercy, even in our sin.

 I remember reading a quote in response to the question of why bad things happen to good people. The answer was ‘that has happened only once, to Jesus, and that was because He chose to suffer ‘the bad thing’, the punishment we deserved, because he loves us.’ As Psalm 14:1, also quoted in Romans 3:10 notes, “There is none righteous, no not one.” This knowledge humbles me, and more importantly, enables me to focus on God’s grace, which is lavish and freely given, rather than my paltry works (Romans 3: 23-25, 1 Corinthians 15:10, Ephesians 2:8-9). The very good news is that the one righteous person, Jesus, gave us His righteousness as a free gift (2 Corinthians 5:21). Praise God for that, because there is no way we could have earned it on our own (Isaiah 64:6, Ephesians 2:8-10, Romans 5:6). This doesn’t exempt us from battles though. We know that the afflictions of the righteous are many and that in this world we will have tribulations. But we also know that The Lord delivers the righteous from ALL their afflictions, and that Jesus has overcome the world, which means we can have peace and be of good cheer, even in the midst of battles (Psalm 34:19, John 16:33). In all this, it is vital to remember the why – it is all for God’s glory (1 Peter 4:11, 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12).

However, I’ll be honest and say that even knowing all this, I’ve still struggled with some battles. There will be times when you don’t even care about being stronger or doing any of the above, you just want the bloody battle to be over!

WHAT

What can we do when we face such battles and are really struggling? Like David and Asaph, we can pour out our frustrations directly to God (Psalm 37, 73). We can spend time with God – praying in the Spirit, praying with our understanding, praying the Word of God, pouring out our hearts to God, worshipping, staying silent in His presence. We can get reinforcement and comfort from the Word of God. We can seek wise counsel, while also utilising our God-given discernment. Remember how David’s men framed the opportunities to kill Saul as God-given opportunities? May God give us discernment and wisdom to stick to His will even when tempted to do otherwise. This is where knowing and understanding the Word and Will of God is vital. We can accept help from good friends. 2 Samuel 21 records that during yet another battle between the Philistines and Israel, David became exhausted (v.15). This caused him to almost get killed, and his men had to tell him to cease the battling “so that the lamp of Israel will not be extinguished.” His men then proceeded to fight subsequent battles on his behalf, and won! (vs 18-22).

I pray that when we face battles in our lives, we will continue to trust and obey God, to look to Him and lean on Him, to pray and to listen, to even vent to Him if we have to, while retaining a posture of worship. I pray that when we reach points of exhaustion, we will have Godly people around us who can carry us to safety, while continuing to fight on our behalf. I pray that we continue to be discerning even in the heat of our battles. Finally, as Ephesians 6:13 encourages, having done all, may we continue to stand, propped up by The El-Shaddai, Our Ebenezer, and Solid Rock of Ages, God, who remains ever faithful does not change like shifting shadows*, Hallelujah!

* James 1:17

Image source here.