“For the LORD your God is He Who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.” Deuteronomy 20:4
In recent months during conversations and reading comments on social media, I’ve heard women expressing feelings of defeat in their walk with Christ.
“I just don’t seem able to beat this.”
“I can’t let go of this.”
“I cannot get this right.”
“I do not have the strength to deal with this any longer.”
“I’m so tired of feeling defeated all the time.”
Whatever “this” may be, the result is the same – DEFEAT.
My heart aches for these daughters of God because when we feel defeated, our joy is gone, and hope is a blurry shadow somehow out of reach. I know this because I’ve been there. Haven’t you at one time or another?
Thinking about the idea of being “defeated,” I’m reminded of a chapter in Israel’s history. Stay with me on this. There’s a message here for anyone who deals with “defeat” from time to time.
Forty years of wandering in the desert was over. For a second time in Israel’s history, the Israelites crossed a massive body of water on dry land. (Joshua 3) From the west bank of the Jordan River, the Israelites marched towards the great walled city of Jericho, where they obediently marched in silence around the walled city six days in a row. On the seventh day, they circled the city seven more times. Upon completion of the seventh lap, there was a blast from the ram’s horn, the trumpets sounded, the people shouted with a great voice and the mighty walls of Jericho fell to the ground. A miraculous God-led victory! (Joshua 6)
Riding on a victory-high, Israel felt ready to take on the small city of Ai. Spies scoped out the land and returned to camp saying that it would only take a few thousand soldiers to conquer the poorly defended town. Three thousand men marched on Ai and were beaten so badly, they turned tail and ran. Thirty-six Israelites were killed in battle. (Joshua 7:1-9)
Defeated. Scripture says, “And the hearts of the people melted and became as water.” (Joshua 7:5b)
Joshua and the leaders of Israel tore their clothes and fell on their faces before the Lord. “Why, O Lord? Why have You deserted us? We are your chosen people. Our enemies are going to be emboldened to come after us when they hear of our embarrassing loss. Why, Lord, why?” (my paraphrase)
Then God told them that there was sin in their midst; someone had taken forbidden spoils from the ruins of Jericho and hidden the things in their camp. Joshua quickly discovered the identity of the offender and punishment was swift and final for Achan, his family, and all their belongings.
Once the camp had been purged of the offenders and the forbidden items, God told Joshua to take all of the fighting men back to Ai and He gave them a strategy for a victorious battle.
There are two points that I want you to notice:
Point 1. Defeat was certain because there was sin in the camp, resulting in God’s removal of His presence from His people.
This point usually gets the emphasis when this story is told because it’s the most obvious and it is critically important. Achan’s sin was his downfall, but it did not just impact him. His disobedience, the theft of the forbidden objects, and his deceit in hiding the items in his tent, which then drew his family into the coverup, caused the ultimate defilement of Israel, resulting in Israel’s defeat and the death of thirty-six Israelites.
When you feel defeated, your first step should be self-evaluation. Is there a sin in your life that needs to be confessed and repented, so that the relationship between you and your Father is restored? Sin, even the “little ones” can get in between you and God. Don’t allow unconfessed, unrepented sin to bring defeat into your life.
“…Let us lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” Hebrews 12:1a
POINT 2. Defeat will come when you allow spiritual victories in your life to fool you into thinking that you can do it on your own.
When you attribute Almighty God’s works of grace and mercy in your life
to your own competency and capability, DEFEAT is inevitable.
If you’re familiar with the passage in Joshua 7:1-9, you may have noticed that there was no mention of Joshua or the priests asking God if HE wanted Israel to go into battle against Ai. Don’t you think that if God had been consulted, He would have told Joshua that there was a problem in Israel that had to be dealt before any battle was fought – the problem of Achan’s sin?
Instead, Israel thought that since they had just defeated mighty Jericho, certainly they could handle little Ai. They saw the victory at Jericho as theirs, not recognizing that it was ALL God.
How often do we mistakenly identify our successes, spiritual or otherwise, as the result of our own efforts, instead of recognizing that it was God working in us and through us to accomplish His good work?
I can’t speak for you, but I know in my own life there have been times (more than I would like to admit) when what started as a work for God – intended to bring glory to Him – turned into a pat-myself-on-the-back – “glory to me” moment. If I don’t recognize immediately my sin and repent, I move on to my next effort with a false sense of empowerment …ready to take on the world…I am Super-Christian-Woman!
That’s when defeat smacks me up-side-of-the-head.
God has to get my attention to bring me back in line with His will. Sometimes His attention-getting method is gentle; the Holy Spirit’s convicting voice brings me to the quick realization and repentance of my sin of prideful arrogance. Other times, God takes more drastic measures because my spirit is so out-of-alignment with His, that only a significant defeat will bring me to my knees.
Suffering a major defeat in battle and the loss of thirty-six lives was a drastic measure to bring the Israelites to the realization that victory in battle would happen only through the power of God. The Israelites’ job was obedience – God would take care of the rest.
God’s words delivered by Moses to the Israelites forty years prior – words that had been recorded and passed down to the generation entering the Promised Land were still true:
“Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord…The Lord will fight for you, and you only have to be silent.”
Exodus 14:13, 14
Dear Friend, when you feel defeated, please remember that the battles of life are not yours to fight on your own. Yes, you will have battles – that’s why Paul wrote about “putting on the whole armor of God” in Ephesians 6:10-20. But look closely at verse 10 –
“Finally, be strong in the LORD [not in yourself] and in the strength of His might [not in your strength or your might].”
Ephesians 6:10
“But thanks be to God, Who gives us the victory through our LORD Jesus Christ.”
1 Corinthians 15:57
Friend – you ARE an overcomer in Christ Jesus!
“But everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith.”
1 John 5:4