105. The Lord Fights for Us
Isaiah 49:25 But thus saith the Lord, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children.
God promises to fight with those who fight with us. The Lord Jesus Christ has already fought with our Enemies (Sin, Death, Devil) and has overcome them. The Lord continues to fight for us: and this is the promise for us to believe in our daily lives. And Jesus will win the battle and the war at the end of the age (take a peek at the end of the book). As soon as we have been brought to faith in Christ we have been enlisted in Spiritual Warfare: our souls are the battleground between God and Satan, Good and Evil, Sin and Grace, Life and Death. The battle is finished, but the enemy tries to convince us not to believe it; he lies. We fight back with the Truth of the Gospel of Christ: God loves me because of Jesus. By faith in Christ we win the battles and we will win the War.
Meanwhile, we have this promise: the Lord contends with those who contend with us. He fights for us against those who fight against us. The entire Bible story from Genesis 3 to Revelation 20 can be read as a history of this spiritual warfare. We lose some battles, we win some battles, but we win the war in the end. The outcome is not in doubt, although we may doubt it during difficult times. That is why we have this promise. God fights for me.
God changed Jacob’s name to “Israel.” Israel can mean “fighting with God,” but a better meaning of the name is “God fights” for Jacob, and for all the believers in the God of Jacob. Believers trust in the promises of God which have been fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Israel is the Church of all believers. I am the Israel of God: God fights for me. And He wins.