Human Response 299: Be Not Afraid of Enemies

Deuteronomy 20:1, 3 When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and sees horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them: for the Lord thy God is worth thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them.

Moses is telling Israel to be not afraid of the enemies who occupy the Land God is giving them. For the Lord is with them and He will fight for them. Therefore, you do not need to be afraid or terrified because of them. And so it worked out under the Conquest of Joshua (Hebrew name for Jesus). God did fight for them.

“These things are written for our learning.” For NT believers the Lord has the same encouraging spiritual message. God gave us the Kingdom through the work and the victorious warfare of Jesus, but we by faith still go in to possess it. Our spiritual enemies (sin, death, and the devil) are constantly disputing with us and fighting with us over the possession of, settling in, and enjoying of the Kingdom of God within the heart. They argue and fight over the occupation of it.

But we have the Valiant One who fights alongside us. We have the Word of Truth, the Name of Jesus, the Gospel of Grace, and the Promise of God. Our Enemies will fight as they will to prevent us from entering in and driving them out. But they cannot prevail. We will overcome and win.

The daily encouraging word from our Lord as we go into battle every morning is: do not be afraid of your spiritual enemies, faint not, do not tremble, or be terrified. We do not fear, doubt, or worry. Jesus is on our side. We respond with courage and confidence by remembering our baptism, receiving grace, and applying faith to the current issues.