Wednesday: The Lord Will Fight for You
Daily Lesson for Wednesday 22nd of October 2025
According to Exodus 14:13-14,25, what was God’s original and ideal plan concerning the involvement of the Israelites in warfare?
In that moment of crisis, when the people of Israel were forced into a physical impasse, “Moses answered the people, ‘Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today.
Image © Jeff Preston at Goodsalt.com
The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still’ ” (Exodus 14:13-14, NIV). According to the biblical narrative, even the Egyptians themselves understood that reality: “ ‘Let us flee from the face of Israel, for the Lord fights for them against the Egyptians’ ” (Exodus 14:25, NKJV).
God’s miraculous intervention for the helpless Israelites, untrained in military skills, becomes the pattern. The Exodus constituted the model, the paradigm, for God’s intervention on behalf of Israel. Here, not only is the battle fought by Yahweh, but Israel is required not to fight (Exodus 14:14). God is the warrior; the initiative belongs to Him. He establishes the strategy, defines the means, and conducts the campaign. If Yahweh does not fight for Israel, they have no possibility of success.
Ellen G. White interprets this as an expression of the fact that God “did not design that they should gain the land of promise by warfare, but through submission and unqualified obedience to his commands.”—Ellen G. White, Signs of the Times, September 2, 1880. As in their deliverance from Egypt, God would fight their battles for them. All they had to do was stand still and witness His mighty intervention.
History demonstrates that whenever Israel had sufficient trust in God, they did not need to fight (see 2 Kings 19:1-37, 2 Chronicles 32:1-33, Isaiah 37:1-38).
In God’s ideal plan, the Israelites never needed to fight for themselves. It was a consequence of their unbelief, expressed after the Exodus, that God permitted them to have a part in the war conducted against the Canaanites. In the same way, they did not need to raise a single sword against the Egyptians during the Exodus; it would have never been necessary for them to fight in conquering Canaan (Deuteronomy 7:17-19).
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“If the children of Israel had not murmured against the Lord, He would not have suffered their enemies to make war with them.”—Ellen G. White, The Story of Redemption, p. 134. How might murmurs impact our lives today? |
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It is worth adding a bit of context to the scriptural quote today:
The Israelites were in a sandwich situation; the Egyptians on one side and the Red Sea on the other. The only realistic human options they had were to run for it, or turn and fight. Neither of those options made any sense. God performed a miracle to save them.
Some of us take the view that faced with the dilemma of being between a rock and a hard place today, we should stand still do nothing and the Lord will provide. I don’t think that is what God intended. I know of several people with that attitude and ultimately either other people have to make decisions for them, or they are faced with the unpleasant consequences of inaction.
For Christians who believe that God has an active part in our lives, “waiting on the Lord”, typically means asking for his guidance to develop a strategy. That may mean becoming better informed, seeking advice from wise people, or realistically evaluating your situation.
I have mentioned before, the story of one of my students. He was a theology student who was doing a computer programming subject with me as an elective. He was questioning his call to be a minister and wanted a sign from the Lord that he had been called. It turned out in my class that he was a very good computer programmer. In one of our conversations about his calling, I remarked that “If God has called you to be a computer programmer, Heaven forbid that you stoop to being a preacher!” My outburst got to him and he took up computer programming as a career. Twenty years later he turned up at the door of my office. He was back at Avondale as a theology student, He said, “I am sure of my calling as a minister now!” And he went on to become a valued minister in the church.
God’s leading is not always miraculous or instant. Sometimes his path is slow and as gentle as a summer breeze. Part of his plan is to develop maturity. If you have a good relationship with Him, you will know that He is on your side.
You wrote:
I couldn't avoid noting this and cannot agree more. "Waiting on the Lord" to many or too many times, may be deemed as staying still, idle, passive or none commital, but on the contrary, there is a lot of moving parts in this as it involves verbs like believing, faith and trusting - which makes us partcipative. But that's a lot of English, what I mean to suggest, we should be functional missionaries approaching each situation from a point of undestanding but with "hope for good" for our targetted mission. Just that "good" thought begins the "holding our peace" trusting God will take up the fight for His mission.
Sin is an opportunity destroyer! God promised the Israelites effortless victory. It was not God’s plan that they were to win by military prowess. He had promised to go before them and drive their enemies, and settle them in “a land flowing with milk and honey” (Exodus 3:8; Deuteronomy 7:1–2). God wanted to give them victory as a gift of grace. Unfortunately, sin (unbelief, murmuring, rebellion, idolatry and disobedience) brought punishment and robbed them divine opportunities. Sin blocks our destiny and denies us our blessings. We end up fighting battles which we were never meant to fight. While sin destroys opportunities, grace restores possibilities. Through Christ Jesus, the human race has regained the opportunities that were lost at the Garden of Eden. No matter how sin frustrates God’s plan, He is a Mighty Warrior.
Sin is the ultimate saboteur of divine opportunities and blessing. It robs people of divine rest, delays destiny, and turns gifts into struggles. But obedience preserves opportunity, and repentance recovers it. That is why Jesus came to give us life to its fullness. For so long we have fought battles that Jesus has already won. It is time we remained still and see the victory of the Lord.
"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33, NIV).
I think, the aspect of "gift" needs to be considered more. Right from the beginning, the promised land was supposed to be a gift of God (Genesis 12:7) with the whole world to be involved (Genesis 12:1-3).
At Kadesh Barnea, the border of the promised land, Moses said, the Lord has given us this land. (Deuteronomy 1:20). The Israelites were encouraged to go up to take possession, as the God of their fathers has told them (Deuteronomy 1:21). Instead of accepting this gift, entering the promised land, all of them came up with the idea to investigate this gift by spies bringing back a report first. Even Moses sided with the majority (Deuteronomy 1:22-23). The outcome was open rebellion (Deueronomy 1:26-28).
After the rebells were told the consequenses (Deuteronomy 1:35-36), they deceided to go up now and fight the Amorites. They girded on their weapons of war to obey God`s command now (Deuteronomy 1:41). God had not commanded to take up arms. They were to go up unarmed leaving it up to God protecting them (Deuteronomy 1:21).
The promised land as a gift of God would be accepted with empty hands (Genesis 12:1-3; 7), with the whole world participating in that Abrahamic Promise. God reveales himself in Christ Jesus as a giving God (John 3:16).
Winfried Stolpmann
I find Exodus 14:14 particularly encouraging: "The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace" (NKJV). This verse has become a source of inspiration for me, especially when encouraging our youth and young adults. Despite having recently experienced God's deliverance and guidance, the Israelites were consumed by fear and doubt. In this moment, Moses' words offer a powerful reminder of God's character and promise. The Lord is a Warrior who fights on behalf of His people, and His presence brings peace and stillness (Isaiah 43:2; Psalm 46:10). Moses' own experience in Exodus 33-34 highlights the significance of God's presence. Without God's presence, we become troubled and desperate (Deuteronomy 31:6-8). God fights the bigger battles for us as He goes ahead of us (Micah 2:13; Psalm 68:7).
Today, God still fights for us, but perhaps as a new generation, our battles have shifted to new fronts. Identity crisis, Gen Z, Gen α, AI and other cyber technology - this too needs God to fight for us. Nevertheless, we can still hold our peace and trust in God to fight for us. The Apostle Paul's experience in Athens serves as a powerful reminder. In the city of philosophers, where Epicurean and Stoic thinkers dominated, Paul faced a new kind of challenge (Acts 17:16-34). This city, considered the birthplace of the atheist movement, presented a unique opportunity for Paul to share his message. Despite the unfamiliar terrain, Paul held his peace and trusted in God's strategy, and God brought about a breakthrough, converting a few, including Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris, along with others (Acts 17:33-34). Just as God was with Paul, He remains with us today, fighting for us on new fronts.
(Acts 17:17). Still! There is a way - God fights for us; we hold our peace, witness His marvelous works, and exalt His name.
Thank you, Stanley for sharing Acts 17:16-34. The apostle Paul spent some time to learn about the
challenges he might experience in Athens by becoming familiar with whom they worship. He used the inscription on the tomb of the unknown god as an entering wedge to reveal the God of Heaven and earth who created all things, but who was unknown to them. May the Holy Spirit remind us often how to relate to those around who haven't come to KNOW Him as their God, CREATOR OF HEAVEN AND EARTH, the sea and the fountains of water and the ONE who can create a new heart within us and renew a right spirit within us.
"I sing mighty power of the God" -
Murmuring is an extraordinary malady of ordinary magnitude that has spiritual consequences far greater than we often realize. It is a slow, subtle rebellion that masks itself as frustration or complaint, but at its root, it is a lack of trust in God’s character and promises. As the Israelites were murmuring in the wilderness after witnessing miracle upon miracle like their freedom from Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea, bitter waters made sweet—they still allowed discontent to take root (Exodus 15:24; 16:2). Their grumbling was not just against Moses, but against God Himself (Exodus 16:8). Murmuring spreads like a virus through hearts and homes, churches and communities, until faith is smothered and joy is choked out. When we murmur, we are essentially saying, “God, I don’t believe You will take care of me.” And yet, Scripture calls us to remember: “Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in a crooked and twisted generation” (Philippians 2:14-15).
But here is the unchanging truth: Even in our murmuring, God is still faithful, and He fights for those who belong to Him. When the Israelites stood trapped between the Red Sea and Pharaoh’s army, panic and murmuring rose—but Moses answered with heaven’s perspective: “The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still” (Exodus 14:14). Even when we are weak in faith, God remains strong in mercy. He doesn’t abandon His people, even when they doubt. He steps in, defends, provides, and leads. The battle is not ours to win through worry or complaint—it is His to conquer by His power. So instead of murmuring against what we see, we must anchor our hearts in what God has promised. As Paul wrote, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31). Let murmuring be replaced with trust, and may our voices rise not in complaint, but in confident hope that our God will fight for us.
I think you may mean an "ordinary malady of extraordinary magnitude"?
It is difficult for me not to try my way! This Lesson strikes me right in the core of my personality, so I can meditate and let the Lord fight my battles. There are several fights that I should resign from. Perhaps retract, pray, and wait on the Lord: He will solve every detail according to His power and will.
Amen! We are taught to fight for what we want rather than to wait on the Lord.
Thank you! You've truly connected to the message of the time. God bless you!
In Exodus 14:13–14, 25, God revealed His ideal plan for His people that He alone would fight their battles, while they remained still and trusted in Him. The Israelites were not called to rely on their strength, weapons, or strategies, but to rest in God’s power and presence. Their victory depended entirely on their faith and obedience, not on human effort.
This same divine principle applies to our spiritual lives today. The human mind is like a fresh water lake it must be continually refreshed by the inflow of God’s Word and presence. When we stop feeding our minds with His truth, the pressures and distractions of life like the heat of the sun cause the “fresh water” of spiritual clarity to evaporate, leaving our hearts dry and salty with self-reliance and worry.
Just as Israel’s safety depended on trusting God to fight for them, our peace and purity depend on allowing God’s Word to renew and fight for our minds. Through continuous communion with Scripture and prayer, the Holy Spirit keeps our thoughts fresh, cleansed, and aligned with heaven.
When we study the Word and behold Christ, we are reminded that the battles of life temptations, fears, and trials are not ours to win by human power. “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Our part is to keep the mind open to the “feeder rivers” of divine truth, so that Christ’s memory, presence, and likeness are maintained within us.
So then, how do we deal with the Apostle Paul's counsel in Romans 13:1-4 where he very clearly states that God ordained "The Power of the Sword?" Paul says there also that, "Rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil." And also that, "...he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil." So, I would say that, yes, God would work in behalf of Israel in a mighty way. But God also gave them "The Power of the Sword," to do what the Apostle Paul indicates in those verses of the Book of Romans, and gave Israel Military Power too, for that same purpose.
Don't you think military and government are different? Looking at the context, Paul is talking about government punishing people. The government in Israel had the same power - the death sentence was implemented for various crimes. That is not what the lesson is talking about. It's talking about war against other nations.
Luke 22:41-43 - “And He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, where He knelt down and prayed, ‘Father, if You are willing, take this cup from Me. Yet not My will, but Yours be done.’” Then an angel from heaven appeared to Him and strengthened Him ...“
Isaiah 55:8-9 – “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.”
If we want the Lord to fight for us, being ‘still’ in difficult circumstances is giving us time to hear Him giving advice and direction. Contemplating, using the framework of Christian conduct, provides solutions to many issues. But seeking guidance from the Holy Spirit, requesting of Him to show us God’s Will, is essential. We trust His Will not to be arbitrary, but rather the ‘right/best’ way forward. Ultimately, for moving forward, we seek His blessing – Prov.3:6; Acts 20:22-23.
I am a little late to the table with my comment.
When God offers to fight your battles, let him. Doing so makes life so much easier and peaceful.
The people of Israel could have entered Caanan forty years earlier had they taken God at His word instead of thinking that they were not strong enough. Of course they weren't, except when God fought for them.(Zech. 4:6) They clearly forgot Who had been protecting, directing, and providing for them. The plagues, the parting of the Red Sea, and the drowning of Pharoah's army, all should have proved to them that their God was Almighty. Even the Caanites were terrified of them coming through their neighborhood.
Of course we don't have that problem, or do we?
We don't need to tell God how big the "giants" are in our lives. We need to tell those "giants" how big our God is.
I recently took on a project that was way bigger than me. In fact, at first I had some anxiety and uncertainty about doing it. But I have learned, and still am learning that God doesn't give us the spirit of fear. (2 Tim 2:1) I claimed God’s strength (Philippians 4:13) and wisdom (James 1:5), in prayer. Suddenly, I felt calm and confident, even empowered. I had ideas on how to proceed popping into my mind every step of the way. The project was completed safely and all glory goes to God. Did everything go swimmingly all the way through? No, of course not. But even when things went wrong I didn't lose my mind or my peace.
The devil will use the favorite tool in his toolbox, fear, to get you from experiencing the the power of God to use you, yes, you! Present company not excluded. God has commanded us not to fear. (Isaiah 41:10)
Keep your shields up and your phasers set to stun. You think about that as you listen to this song.
The Battle Belongs to The Lord, Maranatha Promise Band
Waiting on the Lord truly requires spiritual discernment—knowing when to act and when to stand still. Jacob’s encounter with Esau (Genesis 32–33) shows a balance between faith and action. He prayed earnestly for God’s help, but he also prepared wisely—sending gifts ahead and dividing his camp for safety. His trust in God didn’t make him passive; it guided his actions.
Ezra, however, took a different approach (Ezra 8:21–23). Having publicly declared his faith in God’s protection, he felt it would dishonor that testimony to seek an armed escort from the king. His decision to rely solely on prayer and fasting was an act of pure faith, rooted in confidence that God would defend them.
Both examples reveal that waiting on the Lord is not a one-size-fits-all posture. It depends on the situation, the prompting of the Spirit, and the measure of faith God calls us to exercise in that moment. True waiting involves both trusting and discerning—doing what God enables us to do, and surrendering the outcome entirely to Him.
I don't know if I agree that Jacob's example is a good one of a balance between faith and action. His gifts actually didn't accomplish anything. They just show him trying to solve his problem on his own, as he always had. It was only when he struggled with the Angel of the Lord that he actually succeeded. God worked on Esau's heart. It wasn't anything Jacob did. Jacob himself needed to surrender to God.
A better contrasting example would actually be Nehemiah who accepted the kings support.
Each situation and person is different. God will bless if we are connected to Him. We need His leading but ultimately different people will react in different ways and I think that is okay.
Did Jousha have less trust and or faith than other patriarchs, I don't believe so? Yes He made one mistake(he did not seek the Lord before making decision on Gibeonites), yet in his future just because he took the men of valor into battle instead of standing in peace and letting the Lord chase them out with hornets does not mean he did not follow the Lord after that mistake, which as you remember the Lord turned into a blessing for His people. Just the same he sought the Lord after that mistake before battle and found that each time the Lord went before him to pave straight the way, yes, he trusted the Lord. Proverbs 3:5-6. Our Lord made an unskilled military against a skilled strong wicked people win each time. What a marvelous God we serve. In our reading the lessons we find of Gods marvelous works. Joshua 10:40. "As the Lord instructed."