El Gibbor--The Lord Is A Mighty Warrior

While wondering what to write on this Independence Day, 2012,  I remembered a series of cards given out at a Bible study last year.  Each card had a Hebrew name used in reference to God in the Old Testament plus various scripture references.  One of the names is El Gibbor--The Lord is a mighty warrior.  "How appropriate", I thought since independence and freedom are often the result of a war, a battle, or a conflict of some kind.  That is especially true of the freedom that was won in a very bloody battle, the battle fought on a cross and won by the death and resurrection of the Son of God. In Christ we have been given victory and freedom.

Whether we are aware of it or not, we are constantly in the middle of some sort of battle with myriad enemies who are all under the command of one commander, Satan himself. That's the bad news, but here is the good news, the daily headline, the proclamation we can shout from the housetop, "The war has been won.  The victory is the Lord's. Freedom reigns."

Here are just a few scriptures to meditate on this July 4th.

Exodus 15:3   The Lord is a warrior; the Lord is his name.

Exodus 14:14  The Lord will fight for you; you need only be still.

Jeremiah 1:19  They will fight against you, but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you declares the Lord.

Jeremiah 20:11 But the Lord is with me like a mighty warrior; so my persecutors will stumble and not prevail.

Zephaniah 3:17a  The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save.

II Chronicles 20:17  You will not have to fight this battle, take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem.  Do not be discouraged; do not be afraid.  Go out and face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.

Praise God.  The battle belongs to the Lord.