The Israelites are commanded to not be afraid when they face an enemy in battle. In fact, they are told that anyone who is afraid should go home and not fight.

Deuteronomy 20:3-4 “Do not fear or panic or be in dread of [the enemy], for the Lord your God is he who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.”

We’re not to fear or dread or panic because God is with us and fights for us and fights against our enemies and gives us the victory.

He can’t give us the victory unless He has it to give.  It’s His victory.

To receive the victory, we need to be there. We need to not run away in fear. We need to not run around in a panic making deals with the enemy, compromising our position because we’re afraid to take a stand.

The Israelites get themselves into trouble when they don’t completely destroy the enemy within their midst. It becomes a snare to them and leads them into idolatry.

When we panic, when we respond in fear, we run away from God. Faith runs to God. When we let fear control our actions, we’re running away from God. We’re running away from victory. And, if we’re running away from God, we’re running in the opposite direction, meaning we’re running to the enemy. We’re headed right for his trap.

Praise God that He’s also the One who frees us from the enemy’s nets that try to entangle us.

We have to walk with God all the time, spend time in His Word, have His name on our lips, have Him in our thoughts because we’re acknowledging Him in all our ways; then our reaction, when the enemy rises up against us, is to not fear but to call on the name of Jesus and rejoice in our ever-present help.

You don’t even have to fight. He fights. He won the victory for you. It’s actually already finished. He’s already won. Run to Him and let Him hand you the victory.

Rest safely in His arms while the war rages around you. Sleep in peace like Jesus on the boat, while the disciples feared for their lives. There was no real danger. God’s good will was always going to win the day.

Let faith, not fear, drive you and let faith cause you to run to the secret place and find rest, joy, peace, and victory.