Intro: We face difficult battles all the time. We worry, fret, plan, and execute plans, etc. all the time. Just how do we need to fight battles? I have four simple things I want to apply to them tonight:

• Be on His side, He will help you fight 

Exo 14:14 The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace. 

2 Chr 32:8 With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the LORD our God to help us, and to fight our battles. And the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah. 

• Be on the "front line" - be where God can use you (well)
• Be willing to fight His battles
• Be useable - get off KP duty and get into the battle

• Fight for godly things - David was a fighter -1 Samuel 17:45 

1 Sam 17:45 Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. 

• Fight against evil things - Don't just fight
• Believe the cause and look for His help - 2 Kings 6:17 

2 Ki 6:17 And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.

1 Tim. 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

13 I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession;

14 That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: 

• Cast off darkness and put on light - Ro. 13:11, 12 

11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. 

12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. 

• Wholly "suit up" for God (get close to Him) - Eph 6:11

 Eph 6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

• He will help us - We are on the right side - Ro. 8:35-37 

Rom 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 

• We can overcome through faith - 1 Jn. 5:4 

1 John 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 

• He has promised…we must but BELIEVE! 

Is. 49: 5 And now, saith the LORD that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and my God shall be my strength.
6 And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.
7 Thus saith the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers, Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the LORD that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee.
8 Thus saith the LORD, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages;
9 That thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Show yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places.
10 They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them.
11 And I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted.
12 Behold, these shall come from far: and, lo, these from the north and from the west; and these from the land of Sinim.

Are you fighting God's battles ?
Are you fighting on the right side?
Are you involved?
Are you defending the faith?
Are you enlisted?
Are you His soldier?

Gary Marcum - East 38th Street Free Will Baptist Church - 081300pm