Trained for Battle-Who and What Are We Really Fighting?

 

TRAINED FOR BATTLE — But Who and What Are We Really Fighting?

Sister Mary Ann Wray

TRAINED FOR BATTLE — But Who and What Are We Really Fighting?

Sister Mary Ann Wray

Psalm 144:1 says:

“Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight.” — Psalm 144:1 KJV

David was literally a warrior before He was King and remained a warrior thereafter. 

War and fighting were not merely metaphors. It was a reality. In Psalm 144, David was praising God as the One who had trained and equipped him for battle and led him to victory time after time.

For Christians under the New Covenant, this becomes a metaphor for a spiritual reality we face, especially in seasons of transition and when the Lord is moving you forward in growth and maturity for ministry.

Paul captures what we as ministers of the New Covenant are truly fighting and how we address these spiritual “confrontations…”

“For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.”

Getting to the place of “punishing every disobedience” through confronting lying spirits and powers of darkness that have held people’s mind, thoughts and imaginations, with the truth of God’s Word, takes commitment, consecration and walking in obedience to the Word of God faithfully. 

How can we possibly topple principalities’ influences in people’s minds without such commitment? This is where and how the Holy Spirit disciplines us and teaches us how to “fight.”

2 Timothy 2:3–4 (ESV) says…

“Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him.”

So, the spiritual application of Psalm 144 changes under the New Covenant because our warfare is not against flesh and blood (Ephesians 6:12), “the weapons of our warfare are not carnal” (2 Corinthians 10:4) and we have received the Holy Spirit who leads and guides us into all truth! 1 John 2.

We can apply David's words this way:  God trains His people for the battles He calls them to face. He teaches our “hands to war” by equipping us to stand in truth, resist temptation, confront deception, endure trials, pray, exercise discernment, use Scripture rightly, walk in agape love and remain faithful when opposition comes. 

We aren't fighting people, even though it may seem that way at times; we're learning how to stand spiritually when our faith is challenged and men oppose or reject how God is using us to propagate the gospel as mere jars of clay with weaknesses of our own. We must never forget that!

 “It’s not by might, it’s not by power, but it’s by my Spirit says the Lord!” Zechariah 4: 6

And there's another part that is important to note: David gives God the glory and credit for his ability to fight and overcome the enemy. He doesn't say, “Look how powerful and skilled I am at what I do.” He says essentially, “God trained me for battle and I give Him all the praise!”

That's a good perspective to keep. It helps combat spiritual pride. Whatever strength, wisdom, discernment, endurance, or ability we've developed through years of walking with God—we didn't get there by ourselves.

Ephesians 6:10–11 also captures the application of Psalm 144: 1 well: “Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God…”

In summary we could look at Psalm 144: 1 this way as New Covenant believers:

“As David depended upon God to train and equip him for physical battle, Christians depend upon the Lord to train and equip us for spiritual battle—not against people, but against sin, deception, temptation, and the spiritual forces of darkness.”

Shalom! Sister Mary Ann Wray