Victory in Jesus

We're going to begin reading in just a moment from second Chronicles chapter 20 but before we get there, I would like to read these verses again. Some of which we have already read this morning. The Bible says in Romans chapter eight, that we are more than conquerors. We are more than conquerors. First Corinthians fifteen fifty seven, but thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

First John five four and five, for whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world and this is the victory that overcometh the world even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world but he that believeth that Jesus is the son of God. In first John four four, you are of God little children and have overcome the world because greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world. Before we continue, let's go to prayer once more this morning. Brother Steve Oldman, it's good to have you with us.

Would you lead us in a prayer before we continue the message today? Amen. What do these verses tell us? They tell us that we are overcomers in Christ Jesus. They tell us that we have the what?

The victory that the victory is ours in Jesus Christ. We are to overcome. We are to defeat the enemy. We are to be victorious. The Christian life is many things but among those things is this, the Christian life is warfare and the goal to war is to what?

To win, to conquer, to defeat the enemy, to obtain the victory. Now, if it were just up to us to do that on our own, we would be defeated. Because our enemy is stronger than us. Our enemy is older than us. We are no match for sin or Satan.

But our savior is. And in Jesus Christ, it says here, we have the what? We have the victory and he gives us victory over our enemy. God's word tells us that our war is not with flesh and blood. Ephesians chapter six verses 10 to 12, it describes it like this.

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his mind. Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Our battle today is not with flesh and blood. Our battle as Christians and citizens of heaven is with the forces of evil.

Our our battle is with sin. Our battle is with Satan. And thanks be to God who give us us, gives us what? Who gives us the victory. This battle is not one that can be won by the strength of the flesh, by the might of armies, or weapons.

Of man's design. It is a battle that can only be fought and be won. Eternally and each day. By the might and the power of God, of the one who created us. The forces that are arrayed against us are grave.

They seek to keep man hostage from sin, in sin, and separated from his creator. But you and I, who are in Christ Jesus, already have the victory. We can have victory over sin and Satan. By the power of the Holy Spirit who lives inside of us and one day, we will vanquish our enemy altogether. And forever.

Reverence Revelation twelve eleven. Says this, and they what? And they overcame him. They overcame Satan and sin and death, the devil. They overcame him, the antichrist.

They overcame him by the what? By the blood of the lamb. The blood of the lamb, Jesus Christ, who died on the cross for our sins. They overcame him by the blood of the lamb and by the word of their testimony and they love not their lives. Unto the death.

Satan is a defeated foe. He doesn't know it. You and I do. But this battle belongs to who? This battle belongs to the Lord.

We only win when we fight God's way and when we let God fight for us. In second Chronicles chapter 20, we read about a battle that took place long ago in Israel. Now, this battle was also with enemies that were not flesh and blood but it was also a battle with enemies who were flesh and blood and this victory was won. However, the same way is our victory can be won today. Over the enemy that we face over sin and Satan and hell.

And that is through the power of God and Jesus Christ. Let's begin reading here just the first couple of verses. It came to pass after this also that the children of Moab and the children of Ammon with them other besides the Ammonites came against Jehoshaphat to battle. Then there came some that told Jehoshaphat saying, there cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea on this side Syria and behold they be in Hazazon Tamar which is in Gedi. So, Jehoshaphat is the king of Judah, okay?

The southern part of Israel, the Southern Kingdom. And Jehoshaphat is described in scripture as a good king. A king who walked in the waves of his father or ancestor, David. He was not a perfect king. We also, if you study Jehoshaphat, would learn some things about him that would concern you and things that are not to be followed.

Sadly, we can find that about every king of Israel except the one who is yet to reign in Jerusalem and that is Jesus Christ, our perfect savior. But Jehoshaphat was faced with a crisis and so first of all, this morning, we see the crisis, the circumstances in which Jehoshaphat and Judah find themselves. The armies of Moab, Ammon, and Edom have gathered themselves together. These armies have joined forces. To attack Judah.

Now Judah by comparison does not is no match for these large people groups. Armies numbering in the hundreds of thousands if not millions. And in order to defeat Judah once and for all and this what amounts to basically a rebellion of sorts Moab, Ammon, and Edom, they have combined forces. They are enemies in many ways but you've heard the saying the was it the I can't say it right now. The enemy, the friend, anyway, I get mixed up.

Thank you, Nathan. What is it? The enemy of the enemy is my friend. That's right And so they said, hey, you're my enemy but you're the enemy. We're we're we're going to fight a common enemy, okay?

And so they gathered together their forces against Judah and it didn't look good. Didn't look good. Somebody came to Jehoshaphat and say, oh no, this is this has happened. We are in we are in trouble. By the way, the Moabites, the Ammonites, the Edomites were not Canaanites.

Moab and Ammon are descended from Lot. The Edomites are descended from Esau, Jacob's brother. When Israel came into the land, God forbade them to conquer and destroy these people groups because they weren't Canaanites. They were relatives of a sort but the Moabites, Ammonites, and Edomites though they had been defeated by David were now rising up against Judah and they will continue to be a thorn in Israel's side for quite a while. And so the king is in a predicament.

What does the king do? Well, first of all, we see the predicament or the crisis. Number two, this morning, we see that the king chose what? He chose wisely. The king chose victory instead of defeat because the king chose God and turned in faith to God for help.

Look if you would in verse three. Jehoshaphat feared. I think I would have been afraid too, don't you? Jehoshaphat feared and set himself to seek who? To seek the Lord.

Now, there are number of things Jehoshaphat could have done. He could have feared and got in his chariot and cowardly run away. They're not going to get me. He could have tried to raise a larger army. He could have tried more diplomacy.

He could have sought out allies of his own. Could've gone with the same saying there. Philosophy, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. But that's not what Jehoshaphat did. He didn't run to another country for help.

He didn't try to raise a bigger army. He didn't say, well, we'll just try diplomacy one more time. No. He didn't run scared. He ran to who?

He ran to God. That's what he chose to do. He did the wise thing. He sought after the Lord and it says here in verse three, he proclaimed a fast throughout all and Judah gathered themselves together to ask help of the Lord. Even out of all the cities of Judah, they came to seek the Lord.

He led the people to God. Isn't that what not what we are supposed to do? As God's representatives, as the ambassadors of Jesus Christ, we are to lead people to seek after who? To seek after the Lord. As we choose to seek after the Lord.

In Isaiah fifty five six, it says, seek you the Lord while he may be found. Call you upon him while he is near. Isaiah was a prophet who sought the Lord and who challenged the people of his day to do the same. To seek God for help. To seek God.

For mercy to seek God humbly, and to seek God for victory. His fear, Jehoshaphat drove him to God instead of away from God. You know, hardships are going to do one of two things. Hardships are either going to drive you to God or they're going to drive you away from God. It is our choice which they do, which we choose.

In some cases, kings of Israel chose the opposite. In this case, Jehovah, Jehoshaphat chose wisely. When we are faced with ill health, when we are faced with financial crisis, when we are faced with family problems, we have a choice to make. Are we going to run to God? Are we going to run away from God?

Are we going to meet the challenge God's way? Are we going to meet it our way? I seems like I've been mentioning Joseph a lot recently but I always think of Joseph. Joseph thrown in a pit, left for dead by his brothers. Well, they changed their mind.

They decided to sell him as a slave instead. Here he is in a foreign land as a young man. He sold at a slave auction. The Potiphar becomes his slave. He's falsely accused by Potiphar's wife.

He's thrown in prison. All along, scripture indicates that Joseph never ran from God. He always ran to God. He wasn't perfect, certainly not. But he was a man of faith.

And when problems came, he sought the Lord. So should we. He not only sought the Lord, Jehoshaphat did but he stood for the Lord. Look if you would in verse five and Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and in Jerusalem in the house of the Lord before the new court and said, oh Lord God of our fathers, we'll come back to that in verse six in a minute but Jehoshaphat sought the Lord and he stood before the people for the Lord. His standing signified his certain resolve.

His standing signified that he was taking the responsibility as king. And he was taking that responsibility to God. He was standing for the Lord. He was standing in the courtyard of the temple. The place where they worshiped the Lord.

Ezekiel 22 verse 30. If you look on the screen, it says, and I sought for a man among them. That should make up the hedge, that should what? Stand in the gap. Before me for the land that I should not destroy it.

But I found none. In Jehoshaphat's day, God found one. His name was King Jehoshaphat and when the enemy was about to pounce and Judah was about to be overrun by the enemy. Jehoshaphat, the king stood and he stood in the gap. For the Lord.

And he pointed people to the power of God God found one that day Few generations from now, God will find another one. His name is King Josiah He will stand in the gap But after King Josiah in the days of Ezekiel, there was no leader in Israel. Willing to take that stand. And Israel was overrun. Because of their sin, because they had abandoned their God and God warned them back in Deuteronomy.

If you turn to idols, I will curse you rather than bless you. But this day, there was one who stood. One who stood before his God and his people. In doing so, he led them in a great revival resulting in a tremendous victory as we will see in a moment. My wife played operatory this morning.

Stand up. Stand up for Jesus. We sang the chorus up here. Dare to stand. It is our day.

It is our time. For our church, for our family, for our nation. To stand up. For Jesus. Because if we who know Jesus do not stand up for him.

Who will? Who will? In this day, that person was Jehoshaphat and in verse 13, if you look at verse 13, you'll see this, that when Jehoshaphat stood, others stood with him. Verse 13, in all Judah, stood before the Lord with their little ones, their wives, and their children. Often people just need to see that they are not what?

They are not alone. There are a lot of Christians even today that feel alone. They need to know that they are not alone. They need to know and they need to see that there are Christians who have a backbone. That there are Christians who are willing to stand.

That there are Christians who have their priorities right and their faith right. They're willing to stand for the truth. And to stand for the Lord and if we will stand, many of them might stand with us. In Judah's day, in the days of Jehoshaphat, he stood. Israel was inspired by him and they stood with him.

Don't succumb to the idea Christian that you are powerless. As a Christian, you are powerful. Powerful when you take a stand for the Lord. Powerful when you seek his face for help and assistance. Because greater is he that's in us.

Than he that's in the world. We are powerful. When we go to the Lord and we're powerful when we stand for him. Next, we see that he sought the Lord. He stood for the Lord and he prayed sincerely before the Lord.

Verse six, Jehoshaphat said, oh Lord God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven and rule us not thou over all the kingdoms of the hidden and in thine hand, there is not a power and might so that none is able to withstand thee. Art not thou our God who did strive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend forever and they dwelt therein and have built thee a sanctuary temple therein for thy name saying, if when evil cometh upon us as the sword, judgement, or pestilence, or famine, we stand before this house and in thy presence, for thy name is in this house, and cry unto thee in our affliction then, thou will hear and help and now behold the children of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir, that would be the Edomites, whom thou wouldest not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them and destroyed them not. Behold, I say, how they reward us to come to cast us out of thy possession which thou hast given us to inherit.

Oh our God, wilt thou not judge them? For we have no might against this great company that cometh against us. Neither know we want to do but our eyes are upon thee and all Judah stood before the Lord with their children, their wives. Their little ones, their wives, and their children. What did Jehoshaphat do?

Well, he went to the Lord in earnest prayer. He he didn't give them a pep talk. Now, pep talks are nice. Especially if you're, you know, football team. He didn't speak of their great might He didn't tell them what they did and what they were capable of.

Instead, he went to God and told God praise God for what he did and is capable of. He didn't call for the people to go to arms. And he didn't bemoan their plight. Instead, he humbly took his plea. And his people to God in prayer.

In second Chronicles seven fourteen, This verse being written at a time preceding the reign of Jehoshaphat. God writes, if my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways. Then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin. And will heal their land. Jehoshaphat must have heard that verse.

Jehoshaphat knew that God and he knew that he would hear. And so he called out to him. He humbled himself. And he sought him in prayer with his people. And God as you will see will give them a great deliverance.

He addressed God as the sovereign one. Some kings don't care to do that because they fancy themselves. The sovereign one. But not Jehoshaphat. He addressed God as the sovereign one.

He rehearsed before the Lord God's covenant with his people. He reminded God of the building to his glory which they had built. He reminded God of the prohibition which God had made, had placed upon Israel, not allowing them to destroy the people of Edom and Ammon and Moab when they came in the land. He now begged for God's intervention to defend his people against those who had rewarded their mercy with treachery. You know, does that ever happen in the world today?

Do people ever reward mercy with treachery? Sad to say, it still happens. It seems like you do something for your neighbor or friend and you do it for, you do many things for them and all it takes is just one little thing and your friend becomes your what? Friend becomes your enemy and they forget everything you've done for them. You know what's really sad?

Is humanity has treated our God that way. Look what God has done for us. He's given us this world. He's given us life and breath. He gave us his son and yet the same world so many times turns their back upon their creator.

They will not receive is forgiveness by his grace. They reject his son. They mock his word born more every day. How sad that is but that was not Jehoshaphat and that should not be us. No, our enemies may turn or our friends may turn upon us as Judas did upon Jesus but God is still what?

God is still on our side. He begged for God's intervention and he made plain to the Lord their faith and their other dependence upon his mercy. As he claimed the promises of God, he pleaded the case of his people and he threw himself upon God's mercy. Take time sometime today or this week. Read Nehemiah chapter one.

And read about the prayer of Nehemiah. Guess what? It is very similar to the prayer of Jehoshaphat in some ways. Read if you would in the book of Daniel, Daniel's prayer for Israel. I forget which chapter that is but you will find that it's very similar.

In each case, they go to the sovereign one and they go to the one who created them and made them and who did wonderful things for them and they remind him of his promise. And they cast themselves upon his mercy. And so we see Jehoshaphat's circumstance, crisis that he faced, and we see his choice of going to the Lord and then we see God's defense. Of his people. Did God come to the Jehoshaphat's aid?

Oh, yes. He did. Look if you would in verse 14. It begins with an answer. Now, God's answer to our prayers doesn't always come audibly.

God's answer are to our prayers doesn't always come immediately but God does answer the prayers of those who humble themselves and seek his face. In this case, the answer came immediately. Look if you would in verse 14. As soon as Jehoshaphat was done praying, it says, then upon Jehaziel, the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jael, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, came the spirit of the Lord in the midst of the congregation. Upon Jehazel came the spirit of the Lord and he said, hearken you all Judah, you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou King Jehoshaphat, thus saith the Lord unto you.

Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude for the battle is not yours but God's. Tomorrow, go you down against them. Behold, they come up by the Cliff Of Ziz and you shall find them at the end of the brook before the Wilderness Of Jeruel. You shall not need to fight in this battle. Wow.

You shall not need this big army. God said, you shall not, you won't need to fight in this battle. Set yourselves, stand you still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, oh Judah and Jerusalem. Fear not nor be dismayed tomorrow. Go out against them for the Lord will be with you.

The answer came. God says, ask and it shall be given unto you. Seek and you shall find. Knock and it shall be open unto you. If when we face a crisis in life, whether it be a spiritual crisis, whether it be a financial crisis, whether it be an emotional crisis, whether it be a physical crisis, whether it be a a family crisis.

If among the other things that we are doing and there's sometimes there are other things that need to be done but among those things, if we will turn our face and our hearts toward God for help. And we will call on him. He will answer. And right away, Jehoshaphat got his answer. Now, the victory wasn't won yet but God's promise was given.

You know, the victory against Satan hasn't been fulfilled, completed as yet. The battle against sin hasn't been finished as yet because we still battle it. But the victory is assured and the victory is ours in Jesus Christ. For when he died on that cross and rose again, Satan became a defeated foe and our victory in Jesus is what? We have whose promise?

We have God's promise. He said, he that cometh to me, I will in those lies cast out. He said, my sheep hear my voice, they come unto me and I give them what? Eternal life and they shall never I have God's promise I am saved by his power. My enemy is defeated foe because Christ took away any hope of his victory when he rose again from that tomb Jehoshaphat and all Israel could know right then and there.

The battle was already over essentially. For God had promised them victory. Don't be afraid. Dear due to multitudes that are against you or overwhelming obstacles. The battle is not yours but the battle is God's.

He has heard your prayer. And he has made the battle his reminds me of first Samuel 17 going back just a few pages. I think I have the reference up here. No, I don't. There it is.

First Samuel seventeen forty five to 47. You may not know what's in first Samuel 17 but you might recognize two people's names. Their names are David and Goliath. And David said to the Philistine that is Goliath, thou comest to me with a sword and with a spear and with a shield. Now, he's a formidable foe.

He has great weapons. He's huge. He's scary. David says, you come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a shield but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts. The God of the armies of Israel whom thou hast defied.

I come to you in the name of the Lord of what? Hosts, the armies of heaven. You have a sword? You have a shield? I have the armies of heaven on my side, okay?

Verse 46, David said, this day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand and I will smite thee and take thine head from thee and I will give the carcasses of the host of the Philistines this day and of the fowls of the air and of the wild beasts of the field that all the earth may know that there is a god in Israel and all this assembly shall know that the Lord save it not with sword and spear for the battle is the Lord's and he will give you into our hands. Now, if you didn't know David, if you didn't know the context, you might think, boy, this kid is cocky. But he isn't. His confidence is not in David. His confidence is in God and he had good reason to say those things to the Philistines.

Because he knew God was on his side. He had good reason to be confident in the Lord. So do we because in this battle that we fight, in this war we're engaged in. God is on our side. Don't be afraid.

The battle is the Lord's Go to the place of battle and watch the Lord's deliverance. Don't fear, don't be dismayed. Joshua one nine. Have not I commanded thee. Be strong and of a good courage.

Be not afraid neither be thou dismayed. For the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. We will always win when we let God fight. Our battles for us. When we leave God out, we lose.

Walk in the spirit and he will not fulfill the what? The lust of the flesh. Don't listen to the spirit and the word of God. And you will suffer So, we see that Jehoshaphat got his answer and we see that all Judah responded with faith and obedience and praise because they believed the answer. When God gives us an answer, when God tells us in his word, his promise, we need to what?

We need to listen. We not, we need to believe it. Because God is faithful. They bowed down and they worshiped God. They praised the name of the Lord.

They gathered the next day where God told them to to watch the enemies of Israel. Defeated. Jehoshaphat appointed singers that went before the army and sang praise of the beauty of God's holiness. And then what happened? Look in verse 22.

Verse 22 and when they began to sing, to praise the Lord, to praise. The Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir which were come against Judah and they were smitten. For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir utterly to slay and destroy them and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, everyone helped to destroy another. And when Judah came toward the the watchtower in the wilderness, they looked unto the multitude and behold, they were there were dead bodies fallen to the earth. And none.

Escaped. So, Israel gathered, they sang praises to God. The battle went down. When they got to where they could see what had happened in the valley, all their enemies were dead. They turned upon one another.

This wasn't the first time this happened. There were several times that God did this for Israel. For Gideon, for Joshua, and these people turned upon one another and they defeated themselves. And the inhabitants of Judah didn't have to raise one finger. God defeated their enemy.

You who know Christ will stand in heaven someday. We're not, we will not be there because of our works. But because of what Jesus did for us. When we get victory in our life over sins, and waits, struggles we cannot claim that for ourselves for the victory is the Lord's. Israel plundered their enemies and they praised their God and in verse 29, it says, and the fear of the Lord was on all the kingdoms of those countries when they had heard that the Lord fought against the enemies of Israel.

So, the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet for his God gave him rest round about. When we trust the Lord in our struggles, in our trials, to get victory over our sin, when we come to him, he will give us victory and on the other side of victory is what? And one day, we know who know Christ as savior, we will have an eternal rest. At his side. And how wonderful a place that is.

And how wonderful a time that will be. You can have victory over sin and death and hell. Victory over the circumstances of life but only through faith. In Jesus Christ. Any other victory without him will fall short.

It is short lived. The greatest victory of all can only be won in him. For whatsoever, is born of God overcometh the world. This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world?

But he that believeth that Jesus is the son of God. Have you received Christ by faith as your Lord and savior? You will not defeat sin and Satan on your terms. We can only win that victory on God's terms. Jesus is the only way, the only truth, and the only life that brings salvation to the lost sinner and victory to the redeemed.

Will you trust him today? If you're trying to defeat him in your own strength, you will lose. You will lose this battle. And you will lose it forever. Choose the winning side.

And Christian, are you living by faith as a child of God? Following God's, following Jehoshaphat's example, taking a stand, seeking his face in the midst of trial. In prayer, surrendering to God in faith, praising his name. Trusting in his promise. Let's pray.

Dear heavenly father, we thank you Lord for your word today. We thank you for the privilege serving you. We thank you Lord that if we will wait, rest, trust, come before you and seek your face. We will mount up with wings as eagles. Sin cannot hold us down.

The victory is ours in Jesus Christ. Our circumstances cannot hold us back. Our adversaries cannot stand before us and Satan will not have the victory Lord, thank you for the victory that is ours in Jesus Christ. We pray Lord if there's one here today that's never come humbly before you in faith and cried out in repentance for you to save them. Give them victory.

Lord, I pray they do that today as we give this hymn of invitation that they would come and I pray Lord for we who know you as savior. That as we face the daily battles and struggles and trials of life, that we would remember who has given us the victory, that we would remember that there is victory in Jesus Christ. That we with confidence in the Lord would seek your face. That you would give us victory over that sin. That you would give us victory over that trial.

That would give us rest and peace in Jesus Christ, our savior. In Jesus name, we do pray. Amen.