Battle Weary

When Israel left their slavery in Egypt, life was still a big challenge. They had their freedom, but also their battles. The story of that nation is a picture of Christian salvation. People enslaved by sin are set free from its tyranny — yet we still experience attacks to our faith.

Yesterday I felt bone weary from fighting spiritual battles. I wanted to toss in the towel. I could not see results so it seemed that my prayers were bouncing off the ceiling. Today, God encourages me with a verse about the newly freed people of Israel. They were suddenly assaulted by the Amaleks. Joshua led in defense against these enemies. Moses went to the top of a hill and held up his staff.

But Moses’ hands grew weary, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. (Exodus 17:12)

While Moses’ hands were raised, Israel was winning this battle, but when his hands lowered, Amalek prevailed. As two others came and held up his hands, Israel prevailed and eventually won.

The raising of his hands and staff signified at least two things. Raised hands indicate supplication and intercessory prayer.

Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice! (Psalm 141:2)

The Bible does not say that Joshua’s hands were heavy in fighting, but Moses’s hands were heavy in praying. One commentator suggests that the more spiritual our service, the more apt we are to falter in it. Praying is hard work. I am full of energy in the morning, but after a time of intense prayer I feel exhausted. Jesus described this by saying that even though the spirit is willing, the flesh is weak.

But what about the staff? One writer says that by this time the staff was famous and a strong symbol of God’s saving acts. Another says that by holding the staff of God above his head with both hands, Moses  symbolized Israel’s total dependence on the power of God. This would encourage the soldiers as they fought yet another enemy.

The biggest encouragement from this verse is that the two activities were important. It is as important that Joshua fights with the sword as that Moses should wrestle in prayer. Neither would be effective without the other. The battle did not depend on Joshua’s skill, yet it could not be won without him. In the same way, Moses’ prayer was nothing without the practical work of Joshua, yet Joshua totally depended on Moses’ intercession, even though he could not see him or hear him as he did his part.

When I pray, I am not very often the answer to my own prayers. Like Moses, I’m calling out to God, not out there engaged in making things happen. This is okay, but I usually cannot see who is winning either. My arms get tired. I don’t have a staff from God or a vision of an army, only the command to pray.

I’ve been praying more and more for the other warriors, those who are out there like Joshua putting shoe leather to my prayers. When I pray for someone to hear and believe the Gospel, I am also praying for the Christians who know that person. I pray they will be faithful to tell the person on my prayer list the good news that Jesus Christ died for their sin and offers eternal life by grace through faith. I pray these Christian friends will not get discouraged and will hear God, obeying whatever He tells them to do.

But my arms get tired. My spirit feels like plunking down on a rock and giving in to ‘poor me’ because this is hard work. Moses needed help. Sometimes I do too, because some days it seems like the whole world has stopped praying.

John MacArthur says this, “The ebb and flow of battle in correlation with Moses’ uplifted or drooping arms imparted more than psychological encouragement as the soldiers looked up to their leader on the hilltop, and more than Moses’ interceding for them. It demonstrated and acknowledged their having to depend upon God for victory in battle and not upon their own strength and zeal.”

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Lord, this is so true. Friends can come along and help, but the battle is Yours. Only by Your grace can the enemies of lies, darkness, evil and sin be defeated. As Moses displays, fatigue may set in, but that will not stop You from giving victory to Your people. Just as the soldiers were encouraged to see Joshua before them in the field of battle and Moses above them upon the top of the hill, I am encouraged that Christ is both. You are my Joshua, the captain of my salvation who fights my battles — and my Moses, who is seated high in the heavens, ever living to intercede for me so my faith does not fail. I am still weary, but also thankful that You are holding up my arms.