Daily Devotions
Saturday, March 16, 2019
Isaiah 63:5 (NKJV) I looked, but there was no one to help, And I wondered That there was no one to uphold; Therefore My own arm brought salvation for Me.
He Fought the Battle Alone
Christ, our Hero, stood alone to fight all our enemies. There was no one to help or stand beside Him. When the great battle began, His closest disciples forsook Him and fled. We too have forsaken Him. We were too busy enjoying the pleasures of sin to help. We were asleep in indifference. Nor COULD we help, even in the slightest. Jesus was fighting great enemies against which we were powerless. He was fighting Satan and the host of demons. He was battling against a world of sin and rebellion. He was fighting against death and the torments of hell. Such are the enemies He slew for us single-handedly. Not only did we retreat and leave Jesus to fight the battle alone, we gave up the fight and joined the enemy! Yet Jesus stood up to fight and win the battle.
 
During the season of Lent, we watch the replay of each battle. We watch blow by blow and marvel at the mighty power of our Hero. We look on with mournful repentance that still to this day we so often continue to go over to the losing side, against our Hero. We watch in sorrow that we had forsaken Him so. Such treachery is seldom displayed by a coward on the battlefield, yet we have done it again and again. At the same time we watch with tears of joy, because we have seen this battle many times over and know that the victory has already been won. We marvel with astonished reassurance that, despite our rebellion and treachery, Jesus chose to fight this battle to rescue us. We watch with somber but triumphant pleasure as we see our Hero deliver the death-blow to our enemies, returning risen and victorious over all! And now, though He fought the battle alone, He shares the spoils with us all--bliss and glory forever. What a Hero we have! 
 
-- From the Lutheran Spokesman 
 
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