While streaming music recently a Christian song came up that caught my attention. Perhaps it was by design because the band repeated a phrase out of the Bible over and over again. The musicians increased their volume, heightened their intensity and accelerated the tempo as they melodically chanted “God is for us.” As I listened, I was reminded of a quote from a movie (one of the all-time greats), The Princess Bride. In it is a man that frequently uses the word “inconceivable.” After hearing its repeated use, another character turns toward him and says, “I don’t think that word means what you think it means.”
The “God is for us” phrase originates in Romans 8:31 which reads, “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” In any context the idea that the almighty, sovereign God of all creation would be “for us” is astonishing. What’s more, the sentiment is not exclusive to Romans 8.
Numbers 14:9, “…the LORD is with us; do not fear them.”
Psalm 118:6, “The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”
1 John 4:4, “Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”
It is supremely important to remember that YAHWEH is with you, that He is on your side and that He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. However, equally as important (or maybe more) is recognizing the primary context in which that truth is communicated.
Numbers 14 records the reaction of Israel to the report brought back by the unfaithful spies. All of them except Joshua and Caleb warned that going into battle with “giant” Canaanites was too dangerous. They were prepared to kill Moses and Aaron for delivering God’s command to enter a land filled with those that hated God and His people. Joshua and Caleb said to the congregation, “Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us. Their protection is removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them.”
In Psalm 118 the author is in distress because he is surrounded by enemy nations that hate the Lord and His people. It is in this context that the psalmist declares, “The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”
1 John 4 instructs Christians how to be wise in a world filled with false prophets and false spirits that hate the Lord and His people. Verse four is a reminder that, as you are surrounded by the spirit of the antichrist, “you are from God and have overcome them, for He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”
In each of these there is a physical component to a spiritual reality. You are physically surrounded by by people that are spiritual children of the devil. You live in a world that hates God and hates His people. The Evil One would like nothing more than to destroy the children of God, but the Adversary is not able to accomplish that because the Lord is with you, He is on your side and He that is in you is greater than those antichrists.
With that backdrop consider Romans 8. The section that begins “If God is for us, who can be against us” closes with “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written ‘For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.’”
Is it good to remember that God is “for us”? Absolutely! But remember that His “for us” promise does not prevent tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger or sword. His “for us” promise is not that you will avoid hardship, but that nothing shall separate you from the love of Christ when it takes place.
Don’t declare He is for you in hopes of getting a hall pass during your scheduled class on hardship. As you enter the prayer closet ask God to forgive you for small and selfish thinking. Ask God to give you courage because you know with confidence that He is “for you” as you endure tribulation and distress. It is in this context of being for you that it says in Romans 8:37, “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him Who loved you.” More than conquerors in tribulation? Yes! Because God is for us!