In It to Win It

Posted on April 29, 2020 by Catey Stover in Freedom Fighters

Those who built on the wall, and those who carried burdens, loaded themselves so that with one hand they worked at construction, and with the other held a weapon. Nehemiah 4:17

There’s an old saying, “lose the battle win the war”. As Christians, I don’t think that applies. The war is already won, and the “Battle belongs to the Lord”. Where do we fit in?  I sometimes have a hard time separating the work of God and my responsibility. Keeping the truth of God’s sovereignty at the forefront of my mind I must determine when to act and when to sit. This is where reading the Bible becomes paramount. When the Scriptures are properly handled, the character and attributes of God are made known. The work of the Holy Spirit is to discern what God wants us to do and not to do.

This understanding of the two, God’s word, and God’s Spirit coming together is how we should walk. There is no battle that God wants us to lose, “In it to Win it” is how we live our lives. The problem is winning doesn’t always look like winning. The Bible teaches that losing is sometimes the path to victory. So, losing becomes winning. “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it” Matthew 16:25 is what losing to win looks like.

I like the picture that is cast in the 4^th chapter of Nehemiah, “So it was, from that time on, that half of my servants worked at construction, while the other half held the spears, the shields, the bows, and wore armor; and the leaders were behind all the house of Judah”. God’s sovereignty with God’s provision, Faith with works, “So that with one hand they worked at construction, and with the other held a weapon”. When the battle gets intense the call to action must be swift. I trust God, I just don’t trust myself. To have precautions to win the battle I must lose my self-confidence and rely on God’s word and God’s people. Not paralyzed by fear, able to conduct my daily responsibilities, and having put on the full armor of God, I’m protected against the wiles of the enemy. Too often I’ve coward to the battle and excepted defeat, with the right ammunition and my mindset on things above the battle can be won. Amen!

Written by Rob Russomano: Rob Russomano is married to Terri and serves with her as full-time staff members. He is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy and is available as a speaker of the grace of God with a message of Hope for church events. You can reach him at rrussomano@americaskeswick.org

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Think About This: “Your prayer for someone may or may not change them, but it always changes YOU.” ― Craig Groeschel

The Daily Bible Reading: Esther 5-9| You can download our 2020 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here. 

This Week’s Verse to Memorize: In mercy and truth
Atonement is provided for iniquity;
And by the fear of the Lord one departs from evil.

⁷ When a man’s ways please the Lord,
He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. –Proverbs 16:6-7

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the doctrinal and theological views held by America’s Keswick.