It is no secret that in this Christian life there are many challenges we must conquer. As true followers of Christ we will face several fiery trials, mockeries, persecutions, and even temptations. It is without a doubt, as our Master foretold, a difficult and narrow path we must ascend to attain salvation. However, this has always been the case for God’s people. Several times we are able to read in God’s holy Scriptures of cases where His people were afflicted by their enemies. It is well known that the Israelites were constantly conquered by their adversaries and forced to serve as slaves due to the wickedness that had increased amongst them as a nation. During their tenure as slaves to their enemies, the people of Israel would plead mercy to our God, seeking salvation by His mighty hand, and our Lord would liberate them from their chains. He would do so, but not before reminding them that it was their wickedness that had placed them in those chains in the first place, and warning them to turn away from their lusts of sin. Understanding then that these examples have been left for us to learn from, it is wise to heed to God’s commandments in our times to avoid their fate (1st Corinthians 10:5-11). One must note that there are also examples of victory from God’s people when faced with ominous threats. As mentioned before, God’s people are always targeted by the forces of unrighteousness. King Jehoshaphat encountered such a threat that would have been very disastrous for his kingdom had he not sought God first (2nd Chronicles 20:1-30). This king received word that three of his enemies had aligned themselves to present war against the kingdom of Judah. Although our Lord does tell us that the king feared this threat, he did not cower away from his challenge. Instead, this king “set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah” as means to control the fear stemming from this powerful enemy (2nd Chronicles 20:3). Let us observe how the immediate reaction from this king was to turn to prayer and fasting when news of the impending doom reached his ears. Jehoshaphat was fully aware of how powerful prayer truly is and wisely turned to it to avoid the defeat and total destruction of his people. The king not only prayed himself, but he dictated his kingdom to join him in his plea to God by fasting together as one. He realized that a calamity such as this one required a nation to unite as a means to avoid unrestrained panic amongst his people. When the apostle Paul reminds us of the inevitable war we have “against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” we are to bring forth to our memory this king’s immediate reaction (Ephesians 6:12). Like in the case of king Jehoshaphat, the enormity of the different rulers we must war against is intimidating, but we must not allow the size of our enemies to create panic amongst us as a church. Instead, we are to follow the example of the people of Judah, and join the leaders our God has established in prayer, imploring Him to protect us from our adversaries. In the first century, our brethren were also faced with a dominant enemy in the shape of the Sanhedrin and Roman empire. Luke, the beloved medic, details how after performing a wonderful miracle, Peter and John were arrested by the Sanhedrin and “commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus” (Acts 4:18-22). After the apostles spoke to the church of the events that transpired, the church immediately sought refuge in united prayer (Acts 4:23-31). Once more, the Lord emphasizes the importance of becoming united to overcome the attacks from a powerful enemy. In both instances, our God responds with amazing power, solidifying the faith of His people for seeking Him first. It is admirable how in both events, the leaders of the people lead by their actions and not simply their words. Their courage and bravery in confronting this difficult task stirred the spirit of their people to seek God and not cower away. Their steadfast faith in the power of prayer produced unity and strength in all of those who witnessed their virtue in defying the terrifying odds they found themselves in. Another magnificent lesson we must learn from both of these circumstances is what was taking place before the opposition arrived. In the case of king Jehoshaphat, he was establishing judges in all the cities of Judah and was instructing them as to how they were to righteously judge the people (2nd Chronicles 19:5-11). In the book of Acts, the apostles were on their way to the temple in the hour of prayer when a man that was lame from birth was asking for alms at the entrance. Gazing upon the eyes of the lame man, both Peter and John cured him from his infirmity and as a result of this miracle were able to preach the Gospel to those who witnessed it (Acts 3:1-26). The lesson we are able to take from these parallel events is one that is constantly mentioned in God’s word. When God’s people are working as one and enjoying the fruits of their labor, the enemy will always appear to try and cease them from succeeding. Therefore, we are granted the secret of how to be victorious in these challenges. First, let us work vigorously in the vineyard of the Lord and when our opponent appears to make an attempt to destroy our labor, let us be merry, for this means that we are on our way to receiving the fruits of our labor. Second, let us not fall into a division provoked by a pandemonium introduced by the opponent who seeks to cease our work. Instead, let us follow the example left by Jehoshaphat’s kingdom and our brothers from the first century; let us unite and pray together, asking our Almighty King for deliverance from our enemies. It is wise to realize that in both examples mentioned, the enemy sought to use fear as a weapon in his favor. It cannot be ignored that fear that is not contained can be very dangerous in a war. It shortens the sight of a soldier and provokes too many mistakes. If, as a church, we allow the power and size of Satan’s army overtake us, then he will have the advantage against us. Our faith, which is the source of our power, will wither away and we will turn against one another. Once more, the key to the victory of the kingdom of Judah and the church in the first century is that they were able to withstand their attackers as one single man; perfectly united in prayer. They trusted their leaders, but they also added their strength by standing side by side with them. We do not deny the size or might of the demonic armies we war with everyday, but we must also understand that they will be defeated because God responds to the prayer of a united people who fully depend on Him for victory.
