365 Days of the Great Names of God, Day 106: God of Battle

God of Battle

"All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.” (1 Samuel 17:47 NIV)

How can Yahweh-Shalom (The Lord is Peace) prescribe a season of war?

How can the Spirit of Life say there is a time to kill?

Of so many possible answers to these questions, I'll offer two from my simple perspective:

1)We are not supposed to be able to fully understand a holy God with our human minds. But this should be thrilling and praise-inspiring, not frustrating and muting. "The point is not to completely understand God but to worship Him. Let the very fact that you cannot know Him fully lead you to praise Him for His infinteness and grandeur" (Francis Chan).

2)We all have wars against enemies of our souls we need to wage and sins and idols we need to put to death. We fight these battles and inflict these deadly wounds with spiritual swords and spears sharpened by the God of Battle Himself. 

Sometimes, we war against our own natures.
Sometimes, we know we have to kill a habit that's hurting our relationship with God and others. 
Sometimes, we war against injustice on behalf of the weak and defenseless.
Sometimes, we need to kill our vain imaginations when they lead us along dark paths.

We do this killing and this warring in the right way when we borrow the spirit of a shepherd boy who took on a giant but well understood the victory he gained would not belong to him: "The LORD owns this war, and he will hand all of you over to us" (1 Samuel 17:47 CEB).

"When your enemy presses in hard, do not fear.
The battle belongs to the Lord.
Take courage my friend, your redemption is near.
The battle belongs to the Lord.
We sing glory, honor,
Power and strength to the Lord.
We sing glory, honor,
Power and strength to the Lord."

("The Battle Belongs to the Lord;" John Michael Talbot; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M60Fr-GA9Mk.)