Don't be afraid

“The Lord said to Joshua, ‘Do not fear them, for I have delivered them into your hand; not a man of them shall stand before you.’” (Joshua 10:8, NKJV)

God told Joshua several times to not be afraid of the opposition before him. He promised them the land and said the enemies would be routed. Sometimes the battle would be fierce, but other times their enemies would simply flee before them. In this case, even though five kings joined forces against them, “There were more who died from the hailstones than the children of Israel killed with the sword.” God was in charge of their battles.

As I battle in prayer for a dear family member, the war seems to be getting more difficult. She has now turned against my husband and me because we would not agree with her nor let her rant about the current person on her hate list. The main relationships in her life have disintegrated. She says she does not care. In her state, she thinks we hate her.

But our “battle is not against flesh and blood” as Ephesians says, but against “spiritual wickedness.” We know she is not the enemy nor are we her enemies. The liar and the destroyer is working overtime to keep her from thinking straight and to prevent us from having a good influence. He particularly does not want me to call on God or rely on Him.

This morning I asked God to encourage me. The situation looks so hopeless. He gave me this verse telling me not to fear; the outcome is a sure thing. In fact, the entire Bible says that Satan is already defeated. Even though his efforts still raise havoc, by His death Christ destroyed Satan’s power. His end is a certainty.

I’d like to see right now the end of his efforts to deceive and ruin the world, but for reasons I don’t understand, evil is still allowed. God, I don’t understand. But just as God asked Joshua to not fear and trust that the victory was won before the battle even started, He asks me to trust Him without understanding, and before I can see what He is going to do.

If anyone thinks the Christian life gets easier as we get older, they need to talk to me.