No More Gloves, Let God do the Fighting

It is an undeniable fact that the enemy uses people to attack people.  We are maliciously misrepresented, backstabbed, cheated, or attacked without cause and it doesn’t feel good.  The devil creates these situations to tempt us to jump into the boxing ring and go toe to toe with the one that has wronged us. However, despite our innocence and the strong desire we may have to defend ourselves, God says wait, be still, don’t move, I’ve got this.

Now here is the reality, the battles we encounter in this life have absolutely nothing to do with us.  The conflict is between God and Satan and unfortunately we are caught in the crossfire.  Yet in the face of such fierce conflict there is good news.  The odds are not against us; in fact the deck is stacked in our favor.

You see, when we choose to team up with Christ we have an unfair advantage.  It’s like being attacked by the neighborhood bully and calling on your big brother, who just happens to be the heavy weight champion of the universe to fight for you.  He’s so awesome that he has not, cannot and will not be beaten and your victory is guaranteed.

Yet too often we forfeit our advantage by putting on our boxing gloves and jumping into the ring.  Failing to realize that no tongue lashing, vindictive scheme, words of defense, or creative tactics we load into our defense arsenal can ever compare to what God can do for us.  This is why we are given this instruction in Proverbs 20:22, “Do not say, ‘I will repay evil’; wait for the Lord, and he will deliver you.” The key here is waiting.  So often we want to be vindicated immediately, at least I do.  But the reality is God’s vindication often takes time and we must patiently wait for Him to fight our battles. This is something King David experienced firsthand.

Prior to becoming king, David did nothing but serve King Saul faithfully, however the enemy came into Saul’s spirit and took control causing him to seek David’s life.  David was soon thrust into battle, an innocent victim under attack by the enemy.

Now, physically David was well capable of fighting this battle.  He was a mighty warrior possessing the military skill necessary to put an end to Saul’s foolishness forever.  Yet, humility and total reliance upon God caused David to believe that in due time God would make his enemies his footstool, Psalms 110:1.  Thus, when faced with the perfect opportunity to put on his boxing gloves and give Saul a deadly uppercut, David resisted and continued to wait on the Lord.  This was no easy wait.  It is estimated that he had to endure eight long years of being hunted down by King Saul.

It must have been difficult for David to patiently wait outside of the boxing ring refusing to take the matter into his own hands.  But it was well worth the wait.  God handled the situation in His way and His time, all the while building David’s spiritual muscles and developing his character.

Admittedly it’s not easy to humble ourselves and allow God to fight our battles, but if we do our victory is guaranteed.  When we are hasty and unwisely decide to put on our boxing gloves and attempt to fight our own battles, we unnecessarily subject ourselves to the cuts and bruises that come from combat.  When will we realize that it’s simply not worth the fight?

What are your thoughts or experiences regarding this topic?  Have you experienced victory in staying outside of the boxing ring?  Please submit your comments below and be blessed.