Who is On Your Side?

Psalms 124:1-8
(1) A Song of Ascents. Of David. If it had not been the LORD who was on our side-- let Israel now say--
(2) if it had not been the LORD who was on our side when people rose up against us,
(3) then they would have swallowed us up alive, when their anger was kindled against us;
(4) then the flood would have swept us away, the torrent would have gone over us;
(5) then over us would have gone the raging waters.
(6) Blessed be the LORD, who has not given us as prey to their teeth!
(7) We have escaped like a bird from the snare of the fowlers; the snare is broken, and we have escaped!
(8) Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.

Today the nation of Israel always seems to be hanging by a thread. By all accounts it should not exist. It is relatively small. It's neighbors believe that its very existence is an abomination. Of course, it helps that it has the United States and our military to back it up. It also helps that we sell them our best warplanes. Nevertheless, it is still something of a miracle that they are there.

It was even more pronounced when they first took this land after their sojourn in the desert. They were a ragtag group of nomads who had no formal training in war. Yet they were able to conquer this land. How was this possible? The LORD won the battle for them.

Later, their very existence was only secured by the LORD. It doesn't take long when you read Kings to see what happened when they took their eyes off of Him. He withdrew His protection and sent in the Gentile nations to punish them for their idolatry.

I think the battle is the same for us today as Christians. Here in America we don't have to worry too much about being physically attacked by our foes, though that does sometimes happen. Rather, we need to worry about supernatural attacks from the enemy. I think of the second verse of the great hymn "A Mighty Fortress is Our God":

Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing;
Were not the right man on our side, the man of God’s own choosing.
You ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He,
The Lord of Hosts His name, from age to age the same,
And He must win the battle.

He must win the battle. This is slightly unusual language to our ears, but I take it to mean that there is no other possible outcome than His victory. It isn't "He must win the battle or else" in the sense of a football team saying, "we need a first down here or we will lose the game." No, I take this to mean that He must win the battle in the sense that a rock must fall to the ground if it has no external support. It is just the way things are.

Do you have the right man on your side? If so, are you living like He must win the battle?