"For the LORD your God goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.” vs4

Here is our hope in the battle against sin: the Lord is with us for certain victory! It may seem unfair that sinners are helped, but the blood of Jesus prevails, mercy prevails, and grace is greater than our sin! We are undeserving, but worthy is the Lamb.

First, it is a battle [Deut 20:1]!

“When you go out to war against your enemies and see horses, chariots, and an army larger than yours,”

It's the greatest fight in the world, but when you're TIRED of your sin and can no longer live with it, then you have help in God.

We must put off the flesh, and it's no easy task. The flesh lusts against the Spirit, but there's no peace in sin. This is God's mercy, like the coronavirus, it opens our eyes to need help.

Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation without regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. [2 Cor 7:10]

No longer are we complacent or willing to hide it, and no longer can we help ourselves, but we trust the Lord and DO WHATEVER IT TAKES. Excuses are not tolerated!

Consider what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what zeal, what vindication! In every way you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter. [2 Cor 7:11]

We must fight and win.

Secondly, we fight by faith! He's with us [Deut 20:1]!

Do not be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, is with you.

The same God that redeemed us also gives us the Spirit, and believing in forgiveness, we receive help.

Satan tells us we're helpless. We've gone too far and degraded ourself, but the blood speaks better things. It says, “Justice is satisfied for the most often repeated rebelliousness of man.” Christ has done enough, and God proves Himself gracious. We dare to venture upon the word, and we find relief by the Spirit!

For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful man, as an offering for sin. He thus condemned sin in the flesh [paid the penalty], so that the righteous standard of the law might be fulfilled in us [love], who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit [believing the gospel]. [Rom 8:3-4]

Now, optimism springs forward, fear and trembling grab hope, and we say, “God will do what we cannot.” We trust Him, fight by faith, and overcome.

Thirdly, victory is certain [Deut 20:3-4]!

Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not be alarmed or terrified because of them. For the LORD your God goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.”

This is great news. Before we win, we sing. We go to battle praising God, and we find the enemy scattered, self mutilated, defeated.

As they went out before the army, they were singing:

“Give thanks to the LORD,

for His loving devotion endures forever.”

The moment they began their shouts and praises, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir who had come against Judah, and they were defeated. [2 Chron 20:21-22]

The Spirit will give us victory, as He always has for all who've trusted Him. Trusting Christ, not self, is CERTAIN success, and we need this to go forward. Do not remove the hope of God's elect! Keep Christ before them.