I. Introduction
A. The Lost Battalion
B. Background on the Passage (2 Kings 6:15-19)
II. The Battle Belongs to the Lord
A. Fear Not in Your
1. We can face life’s challenges because we serve the One whose power gives us the courage to overcome our .
a. We’ve concentrated a lot on the Lord’s role in this spiritual warfare because that is the strength we are told to rely on for victory, not our own.
b. In this scene, the servant was only thinking in terms of his abilities to face the enemy. If we view life in this way, we will always feel surrounded by issues that overwhelm us.
c. We want to defend our Dothan and begin to take matters into our own hands.
d. Eph 6:10-13
2. Fear narrows our vision; it causes us to see the problem instead of God’s .
B. Open Up Your
1. We must believe that God is of what He promises.
a. When we focus on the enemy’s strength, we become blinded to God’s power.
b. Elisha does not pray for deliverance. Elisha prays that God will open the eyes of his servant to see what God is doing.
c. We often size up our enemies using strictly human perceptions (e.g., Goliath).
2. There are times we focus so much on conquering the enemy that we miss the opportunity to see what God is capable of; we steal His thunder.
a. If God is for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31
b. …we walk by faith, not by sight…2 Corinthians 5:7
3. Konkel observes, “The mighty army of the Arameans surrounding the city is no match for one man of God surrounded by the chariots of Yahweh’s army.”
C. Offer Up When Possible
1. One of the most effective ways to defeat our earthly enemies is to turn them into .
a. In a strange turn of events, Elisha commands Israel’s king to feed the Syrian army, not destroy them.
b. The Lord offered mercy to the servant by granting him a glimpse of a glorious sight. He then offered mercy to the Syrians.
c. When the king asks if he should smite the Syrians, he is told no. These are the Lord’s captives, not the king’s prisoners.
d. Elisha instructs the King to set bread and water before the Syrian soldiers and send them to their master.
e. When this happens, the soldiers leave and then the Syrian King does not come again to fight the Israelites.
2. It’s not always possible to turn enemies into allies. In such circumstances, we must still strive for peace, as much as it is within our power.
a. Proverbs 25:21-22 (see also Romans 12:20) If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink, for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you.
b. Romans 12:14-21
3. Benjamin Franklin wrote, “Doing an injury puts you below your enemy; revenging one makes you but even with him; forgiving it sets you above him.”
III. Conclusion
A. Surrounded but Not Lost
1. The story of the Lost Battalion is a little misleading.
2. They knew exactly where they were and what it would take to survive.
3. When fear blinds us, let’s open our eyes in faith to see God’s power.
4. We don’t fight alone—God is with us.
5. Whatever battle you face, remember: “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”
B. Invitation