1 Samuel 17:46-47 (ESV)
⁴⁶ This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, ⁴⁷ and that all this assembly may know that the LORD saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the LORD’S, and he will give you into our hand.”

David easily defeated the Philistine giant. There are several reasons why, but the main one was acknowledged by David in the passage above. He knew that the battle belonged to the LORD. This is the key to our victory against the devil as well. We must understand that the war in which we are engaged belongs to God. Understanding this will accomplish at least 3 things.

• It will stop us from relying too much on ourselves.

We simply cannot beat the devil by ourselves. If you try to do so, you will be as frustrated as the man that Paul described in Romans 7:14-25. Paul was describing himself, not as a Christian, but back when he was under the Law of Moses. The Law of Moses demanded reliance on self. Paul accused the Jews of doing this.

Romans 10:3 (ESV)
³ For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.

Do not make this same mistake. Instead, while being mindful of your responsibility to obey God’s Word, in the end, realize that it is the grace of God that will see you through and give you the victory you desire (Ephesian 2:8-9). Since the battle belongs to the Lord, He has given us all the tools we need to overcome Satan and sin. He has given us His Word to direct us, prayer to guide us, and, most importantly, an Advocate to make intercession for us when we fall. When we use the tools that God has given us, we are allowing Him to be in control of the battle and victory will be assured.

• It will remind us to trust in the Lord.

David knew that God would give him victory. He trusted God because He had previously delivered him from a lion and a bear (1 Samuel 17:37). Like David, we can trust in the Lord too be-cause He has previously delivered us. He delivered us from the devil when we obeyed the gospel, setting us free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2). Why would we ever doubt that God will continue to deliver us? We must trust that He will give us the strength to overcome any obstacle (1 Corinthians 10:13). His track record proves His will.

• It will give us hope when the battle gets tough.

When we constantly remember that the battle belongs to the Lord, we will not quit when the going gets tough. We know that we are not alone no matter what the devil throws at us. The sin that dominates this world can be overwhelming at times. Still, like Paul before us, we must continue to fight the good fight (2 Timothy 4:7). After all, we are not fighting by ourselves; indeed, the fight is not ours alone, but the battle belongs to the Lord.

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.