#11 - The Battle Belongs to the Lord - Pr. William Lee | August 13, 2026

Let the church of God say amen. Amen. Praise God for the choirs today. They have been a tremendous blessing in each one of our lives today. I'm going to invite you to bow your heads with me as we go to God in prayer. Let's pray together. Eternal Father in heaven, God now as we open up the pages of sacred scripture, God, we know that spiritual things are spiritually discerned. So, God, we do ask now that you would give us the mind of Christ to be able to understand your word this evening. Draw us closer to thee. And oh God, I do ask even now that you will fight our battles on our behalf. For we ask it in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. I'm going to invite you today. Take your Bibles with me and go with me to the Old Testament book of 2 Chronicles. 2 Chronicles chapter number 20. And I'm going to begin the reading beginning at verse number one. 2 Chronicles chapter 20. And I'm going to begin the reading beginning at verse number one. And I'll wait for you to get there. Again, 2 Chronicles chapter 20 and beginning at verse number one. When you have it, would you say amen? The word of the Lord reads, the Bible says, "It came to pass after this, that the children of Moab and the children of Ammon and with them others besides the Ammonites came against Jehoshaphat to battle. And there came some that told Jehoshaphat saying, "There cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea of Syria. And behold, they be as Tamar, which is En-gedi. And Jehoshaphat feared and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout Judah. And Judah gathered themselves together to ask help of the Lord. Even out of all the cities of Judah, they came to seek the Lord. And Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah at Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord before the new court. And he said, "O Lord our God, our fathers, art thou not God in heaven? And ruleth thou not over all the kingdoms of the heathen? And in thy hand is not there power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee? Art thou our God, not our God that thou drivest out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and give it to the seed of Abraham thy friend forever? Verse 8. And they dwelt therein, and have built thee a sanctuary therefore for thy name, saying, "If, when evil cometh upon us, as the sword, or judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we stand before this house, and in thy presence, for thy name is in this house, and cry unto thee in our affliction, then will thou not hear and help? Verse 10. And now behold the children of Ammon, and Moab, and Mount Seir, whom thou would not let Israel invade when they came unto the land of Egypt, but they turned from them and destroyed them not. The Bible says in verse 11, "Behold, I say, how they reward us, and come to cast us out thy possessions, which thou hast given to the inhabitants. Our last verse, verse 12, "O our God, will thou not judge them? For we have no might against this great company that cometh against us. Neither know what we to do, but our eyes are up on thee." Who says amen to God's word? Amen. I want to share tonight for a few moments under the subject entitled "The Battle Belongs to the Lord." The battle belongs to the Lord. Church, I want you to ponder for a few moments this evening the question, what do you do when trouble is all around you? What do you do when you find your face yourself facing some trouble that comes out of nowhere? In second, the Bible says in 2 Chronicles chapter 20 and verse 31, the background to the text today tells us that Jehoshaphat was about 35 years old when he became the king of Judah. He reigned for 25 years as the king. Jehoshaphat could be considered to be one of the good kings of the history of Judah. You see, the Bible says that that he walked with his father Asa, his father, and he departed not from it, from doing that which was right in the sight of the Lord. Jehoshaphat was a spiritual man. He walked with the Lord. He obeyed the commandments of God. But the Bible tells us in 2 Chronicles chapter 20 and verse one that even though Jehoshaphat did everything right, he obeyed and he lived. He lived and he obeyed, but yet the Bible says that out of nowhere comes a mighty army. The Moabites and Mount Ammon and those are Ammonites and those others beside uh the Ammonites came to Jehoshaphat to battle. Uh the Bible says that three kingdoms are trying to bring down Judah. The entire nation of Judah, their backs are against the wall. The scouring report reveals that the enemies were already nearby and Judah was far outpowered than them. But listen to me tonight, church. It does not matter how large your problem is, it matters how big our God is. You see, church, our God is bigger than any trouble that you can ever face. Our God can handle every problem that comes into your life. You see, we've got to tell our big problems how bigger our God is. Who says amen? In 2 Chronicles 20 and verse 3, the Bible says, "And Jehoshaphat feared, and he set himself to seek the Lord. And he proclaimed a fast all throughout Judah. And Judah gathered themselves to ask help of the Lord. Out of all the cities they come and they began to seek the Lord." Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem in the house of the Lord before the court of God. And the Bible says that they began to call upon the name of the Lord. Oh, by now, church, you want to understand, I've said it over and over again this week, that there is power when you call upon the name of God. God begins to move as we pray. Prayer is power. The Bible reminds us here that they began to call upon the name of the Lord. I like this because even medical science today, doctors and those in the medical fields are beginning to recognize what the Bible already says. Listen to me right now. Medical science testifies to what the Bible says. There is power when you pray. A study was done at Harvard University that suggests this, that when a person begins to pray, their blood pressure begins to come down. When you pray, the dopamine and endorphins react in your body and they tell your nerves that it's going to be all right. They did a study of individuals that knew how to pray and those that did not pray. And what they found out was that those that did not pray were those that were always living in worry. They were living in anxiety. They were living trying to face the battles of this life in their own strength, in their own power. But those that began to pray, their bodies began to react and they began to understand that I can be calm, cool, and collective because there was a God in heaven that can handle our problems. I like this because I want you to turn right now. Go with me to second second Samuel. Second Samuel is one of my favorite verses in the Bible. Second Samuel chapter 4. I'm I'm sorry. Second Samuel 22 and verse 4. Second Samuel 22 and verse 4. Look Look at the power of what the word of God says right here. Again, 2 Samuel 22 and verse 4. The Bible says these words. When you have it, say amen. Oh, you're still looking. I'll wait for you. 2 Samuel 22. Write it down right here, verse 4. David says, I will call on the Lord who is worthy to be praised. So shall I be saved from my enemies. When the waves of death compressed me, the floods of ungodly men made me afraid. The sorrows of hell compressed me about. The snares of death prevented me. Verse 7. In my distress, I called upon the name of the Lord and cried to my God. And he did hear my voice out of his temple and my cry did enter into his ears. Oh, church, David says that when I was in distress, I called upon the name of the Lord and my prayer was able to enter into his ears. I'll never forget it. My wife and I were on vacation and we were taking a cruise in the Caribbean. And while we were there in the Caribbean, yours truly got the bright idea that I wanted to go snorkeling in the ocean. Now, mind you, I can swim a little bit, but I'm a little bit more than a little bit, but I'm not an expert swimmer. Nor have I ever gone deep down in the ocean. Uh, my wife and I, and I don't want to embarrass her at all, but as we, amen, as we went snorkeling, my wife is not the best swimmer in the world. We got there, we paid our money, and when we got to the uh the excursion, she looked how far we were going out. And she said, "William, you can go by yourself." I was brave then. I put my snorkeling gear on, and literally, we went out in the middle of the ocean. Now, I didn't even really know what snorkeling was all about. Uh they told us we were going to look at some kind of reefs in the ocean. I WE SWAM ALL THE WAY OUT, and here's where I made a mistake. I turned back, and I looked at the shore. And when I saw my wife, she looked about this big. I said, "I've come too far to turn back now." I put my snorkeling We had our snorkeling gear on, and the instructor said, "All right, now let's go underneath the water." Hear me right now. You have never been afraid until you think you're about to lose your life. I've had the snorkeling gear on. I went under the water, and as I'm under the water with the gear on, somehow, my gear came off of my head. Oh, you can imagine how I'm feeling right now. The gear is off, and to make matters worse, don't judge me, this was the first time I'm swimming in the ocean. I open my eyes, and the salt water comes all in my eyes. I'm in the middle of the ocean, a grown man in the ocean, and I begin to throw both hands in the air. Now, listen, you can look prideful if you want to, but when you're about to die, you don't care what nobody else has to say. I threw my hands in the air screaming, screaming, and calling, "Somebody help me. Help me. Help me." And all of a sudden, a little boy walked or swam over and said, "Sir, are this is this your gear?" I grabbed that gear, put it on my head, and swam as fast as I could back to the sea. I was done. So, the reality is is that every last one of us will face trouble in our lives. There will be times in your life when it feels like you're drowning. Like the troubles of this world are taking over in your life. There are times when it will feel like the devil is having his way. But, I like what the Bible says tonight that when Jehoshaphat was facing a triple threat of all of these armies, the Bible says that Jehoshaphat called a prayer meeting. Jehoshaphat began to seek the Lord in prayer. And he reminds God of the promises of God. Church, can I tell you tonight that we need to remind God of his promises. Not because God has forgotten his word, but his promises are yay and amen. His promises are, "I will never leave you, nor forsake you." His promises are that he is a friend that sticks closer than a brother. His promises are that though you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, God says, "I will be with you." In 2 Chronicles chapter 20 and verse 6, now, the Bible says these words again. He recites, "O Lord our God our fathers, are not thou God in heaven? Does not rule over the kingdoms of the heathen? And in thy hand is not their power and might so that we will not be able to stand. For the next several verses, all the way through verse 12, he reminds God of his word. But now, the Bible says this words now in verse 12. He says, "Oh our God, will thou not judge them? For we have no might against this great company that cometh upon us. Neither know what we to do. Here it is. But our eyes are upon thee." Church, we need to keep our eyes upon Jesus. One of the favorite hymns of the church is turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in his beautiful face, and the things of this world will go strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace. Jehoshaphat declares, "God, we don't know what to do, but our eyes are upon you." Sickness may come your way. Unemployment may come your way. Spiritual problems may come in and out of your eye your life, but your eyes must be stayed upon God. 2 Chronicles 20:13 says, "And all Judah stood before the Lord. They stood with their little ones, their wives, and their children. They came together in unity to call upon the name of God. Hear me right now, church. God has put this word in my mouth tonight to declare to you in Nairobi and all throughout Kenya and the world. We are absolutely sure that God's word is true. We know that God has called and commissioned us as a Seventh-day Adventist Church to proclaim the last day message to an end-time world. Come on, say amen. God has raised up a generation to be able to proclaim the word of God, but hear me tonight. We must be sure and certain that the enemy is going to try to divide God's church. In these last days, the devil is going to do everything he can to wreak havoc in the church of God. Ellen White says that it would appear as if the church is about to fall. But can I tell you tonight that this is God's remnant church. This church is going to stand all the way to the time of Jesus Christ's return. There are some that say you must leave the church or or this is not God's church, join some remnant of a remnant. Why would I leave the church and go to Babylon? I'm not going to Babylon for God to call us out of Babylon. This is God's last day church. Come on, say amen. And here it is tonight. Ellen White says this, she says these words, that we must be careful to have unity in the household of faith. She says, "Press together. Press together. Press together. Where there is unity, there is power." We need to press together as God's last day church like never before. Hear me right now. There ought not be schisms in the house of God. Do not let there be divisions among brethren. Do not allow for grudges and backbiting and lying in the household of God. We must come together, be on one accord, and love one another in these last days. Jesus says that a house divided itself it cannot stand. And all Judah stood before the Lord with their little ones, their wives, their children. They called a prayer meeting. And in 20 verse 14 now, the Bible says, "And the spirit of the Lord in the midst of the congregation came upon them." Look at it one more time. Bible says, "And he says, 'Hearken all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou King Jehoshaphat, thus saith the Lord unto you.'" Here's your word tonight. "Be not afraid, nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude. For the battle is not yours, but God's." Can I tell you tonight, church, you can Look at me tonight. Can I tell you, this battle that we're living in right now, this is not your battle, it's God's battle. Whatever we're facing, God can bring us out. There is no trouble that God cannot satisfy. There is no problem that God cannot do amazing in our lives. The battle belongs to God. The last days belong unto the Lord. Who says, "Amen?" Uh the Bible says in verse 17 and 18, I love this tonight. Oh God, give me strength to preach the last part of this right here. The Bible says, "God says, 'And Jehaziel Who Who was Jehaziel? Jehaziel was a Levite. He He was a member of the choir. The spirit of God fell upon one man, and one man declares what God says. And he says, "You shall not need to fight in this battle. Set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, oh Judah and Jerusalem. Fear not, nor be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord will be with you." Ah, the Lord will be with you. And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground. And all of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the Lord worshipping the Lord. And when the crisis arrives in our lives, we've got to learn how to worship the Lord. Church, worship is not just a Sabbath activity. I was with our young people today, our young university students today. One of the lessons that we wanted to give them today is that what's most important in every last one of our lives is that you know God for yourself. You ought to know what you believe in. You ought to know God as your Lord and personal savior. And if you don't know God, God is calling you to know him even right now. The Bible says that as they are sitting there in fear that the Bible says that all of a sudden the word comes that you do not need to fight. Help me out tonight. Turn to your neighbor and say, "Neighbor, you don't need to fight tonight." Come on, say, "Neighbor, you do not need to fight." You don't need to fight. Oh, you didn't turn to somebody and say, "You don't need to fight." Somebody say, "Why?" Exodus 15:4. Come on, go there real quick. Exodus 15:4. My time is running, but I don't want you to miss this. Exodus 15:4. Why do you not need to fight? Hear what God is and what God will do. Exodus 14:4. Why do I not need to fight? Pharaoh's chariots and his host, he cast them into the sea and the Bible says his chosen of also Israel drowned in the Red Sea. If you go before that though, it will tell you this, that God is a man of war, the Lord is his name. That was the main text. I want you to say that the Lord is a man of war, the Lord will fight for you. In other words, I get excited about this because sometimes we're trying to fight people in our own power. We're we're trying to get even with somebody. Thank you so much. Exodus 15:3. The Lord is a man of war, the Lord is his name. The Lord is a man of what everybody? War, the Lord is his name. In other words, God knows how to fight your battles. He knows how to talk to your boss before you get there. He knows how to intercede on your behalf and sometimes you don't have to say a word. All you have to do is walk in the power of God and God will fight your battles for you. He's a man of war. God will fight for you on your behalf. There have been so many times in our lives where God has fought battles that we don't even know about. And God is always victorious every step of the way. Here it is, verse 18, they bowed their heads and they began to worship. Look at the text as we go forward tonight. And the Levites, the children of the Korites, and the children of the Korites said to the said stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel with a loud voice on high. I bet you didn't notice this. Every now and then, you must lift your voice to God and say, "God, it's me. It's me. It's me, oh Lord. I'm standing in the need of prayer." Every now and then, you've got to lift your voice before God and SHOUT UNTO GOD, "GOD, PLEASE HELP me right now." And God comes to our rescue. Verse 20 says, "They rose up early in the morning." You know the story. And they went before the wilderness of Tekoa. And as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, "Hear me, oh Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, believe in the Lord your God, and he shall establish be established before his prophets. So shall you prosper." Church, when you walk with the Lord in the light of his way, what a glory he sheds our way. While we do his good will, he abides with us still if we will trust and obey. The Bible says, "Believe in the Lord your God, so he shall establish before his prophets, and you shall prosper." And when they consulted together with the people, here's the power of God's word tonight. The Bible says the armies are coming against Judah. Judah is small. Judah is the remnant. Judah does not have guns, and knives, and weapons. But the weapon that God has given Judah is the weapon of praise. Oh, the Bible says that as they go forth, he consulted with the people. Isn't this a powerful God? He appointed the singers unto the Lord, that they should should praise the beautiness of holiness. And they went out before the army and to say, "Praise the Lord for his mercy endureth forever." They were quoting from Psalms, and as they're quoting from Psalms, I believe it's 136, they were saying that his praise endureth forever. Can I tell you tonight, friends of God, there is power in your praise. There is power when we lift up the name of God in your homes. There ought to be praise in worship in your homes. When you wake up in the morning, you ought to be praising God. God, thank you for another day. The army is coming against them, but they set up a praise and worship team, a choir to go before the army. And as the choir begins to go before them, they are singing the songs of Zion. And the Bible says these words. Watch this. The Bible says, verse 22, when they began to sing and praise God, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, which were come up against Judah, and they were smitten. For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir utterly to slay and to destroy them. And when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, everyone helped to destroy another. You missed it. The Bible says that Judah is simply standing there. Can you see it tonight? as a choir. The choir is standing there, and the enemy is coming their way. And the choir now begins to open their mouths and say, "Oh Lord, thou endureth forever." And the more they praise, the praise confused the enemy. Oh, the enemy is coming against them, but now the enemy turns against one another, and the enemy begins to slay each other. They're confused because the church is singing and praising and worshipping God, and now the enemy cannot have power because there is praise, there is power in your praise. There's power in our worship. That's why the Bible says that God inhabits the praises of his children. That word inhabit is the Hebrew word yashab, which to means that God will sit down in the middle of your worship. If you want God to show up, begin to worship God. Can I tell you tonight what real worship really is? Worship is bowing down before God. Is realizing that you have no power and you do not have the strength. Church, hear me tonight. Every last one of us are facing or will face some real trouble in our lives. As trouble is coming our way, worship is not just coming to church on Sabbath. No, worship it takes your mind, your heart, and your body. Worship in the Greek word is proskuneo, and it means to bow down before God with your head down to the ground, your arms extended, and the word proskuneo, it means to blow kisses at the one you love. In other words, it's you saying, "God, you've been so good. God, I thank you for all you've done. God, if you don't do anything for me, God, you've already done enough." And the more we worship God, the more God will fight our battles. God fights for us, and we don't have to fight one another. We don't have to fight even the enemy. God can deal with every enemy that is coming our way. Can I give you the good news of the story tonight? That as the enemy began to fight each other, the Bible says that all of them, this is so prophetic, that all of them, the Moabites, the Ammonites, and those beyond Mount Seir, they killed one another. Watch me tonight, and then they left because they're all dead, their spoils of war are on the ground. The gold, the silver, the chariots are all left on the ground. Oh, so you know what the children of God did? They walked over. Amen. Amen. And they picked up the spoils of war. Not to wear them, but now God has blessed them with all the spoils, and the Bible says it literally takes them three to four days to pick up all the spoils of the war. Because when God fights for you, he'll make sure that you're the only one standing in the end. God will fight for you. But hear me tonight, the only way that God can fight for you is if you know God for yourself. You see, church, camp meeting is a wonderful opportunity to recommit yourselves to God. For many of us, we get so busy throughout the week from from Sabbath, we rest, and then Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, we are all running, trying to get a dollar, trying to make a living, trying to do everything that we need to do. And God says, "I gave you camp meeting because I wanted you to come aside. I wanted you to get to know me a little bit better. I wanted you to start praying more and believing that the prayers in these boxes can be answered." Tonight, church, my message is so clear that right now God is calling you. Because he wants you to walk with him better than you've ever walked before. When I was drowning in that ocean in the Caribbean, I didn't have time to play games and get real sanctimonious and holy. I didn't have time to say, "Oh, thou sovereign omnipotent, I'm my present God of heaven and earth, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." No. When I was a sinking in my sin, huh? I said, "God, save me." And that little boy ran over. "Here, sir." And when I got Hear me. When I received what I needed, I got back to safety. Right now, I am absolutely clear that there are people right now under the sound of my voice worshipping online and worshipping in the sanctuary that's also sinking in sin and in trouble. You've been sinking and trying to figure out how am I going to get out of I'm what I'm in right now, and you've caused it upon yourself. How am I going to to make it and go forward when all of camp meeting is over and I go back to the hustle and bustle of life? How am I going to make it? And God says tonight, you will make it if you seek me with your whole heart. You will make it if you surrender to me because God says, "Whatever problem you are facing, I can fight your battles. I can move in ways that nobody else can move, but you must worship me." Church of the living God, tonight, the message is simple. Will you come back to God? Will you worship God in spirit and in truth? I believe right now that there are individuals who are saying, "Yes, God. I need you to fight some battles that I can't face." Can we be honest right now? Are you facing something that's too big for you? Are you facing a challenge that's way too large? The good news is God never told you to carry the burden. God says in 1 Peter 5:8, "Cast all your cares upon me, for I care for you." He does not want you walking around carrying your burdens. He does not want you walking around trying to figure everything out. God says, "Turn to me, and I will fight for you. I'll show you that there's nothing too hard. Nothing too hard. God will fight your battles. And all you have to do, watch me All you have to do is stand still. See the salvation of the Lord. When the children of Israel were facing the Red Sea. It says as Moses stepped in that the Red Sea began to part. And they walked over on dry land. How did they get over? They walked over. Somebody tonight needs to begin a brand new walking journey with God. So God can fight for you. Are you ready tonight? Are you ready for God to fight your battles? Are you ready for God to restore the things that the enemy has tried to break? I'm telling you tonight, God will fight. I get so passionate about this. I'm done. But I'm I get so because I know how God is. And I know sometimes we try to fight in our own strength. But here's what I learned. Thank you, Holy Ghost. Here we come. Here's what I learned. When somebody is about to drown, do you know how to save a drowning somebody? Do you know how to do it? Here it is. I'll tell you. If Because here's the thing. If you go in into the waters and try to grab a drowning person, most times the drowning person will grab you and cause you to drown as well. Because they're fighting. They're all They're They're They're out of their mind. Oh, help me. Help me. And they will help you to sink. But to save a drowning man, they will tell you you have to hit them in the chest. Give them a good hit. Poof. And when you hit them, they'll lose their strength. And now you can take them to safety because they have been hit. Sometimes what God is doing is allowing us to get hit so that we can give up and say, "God, I don't want to drown anymore. You can take me to safety. You can lead me and guide me and guide me and lead me. I am a living witness that when you serve God, he'll fight your battles. He'll take full control of your life and the rest of your life will be the best of your life because God can fight. I want to invite you tonight for those that want to make a decision for Jesus Christ and say, "Lord, I'm tired. I've been fighting in my own strength. I know that we don't say this as Adventists, but it's okay tonight. Let's be honest. My home needs help. My marriage needs some help. My children are not inside of the ark of safety. That very prayer I put in the box, "God, I need help." And it was when the children of Judah cried to God and said, "WE DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. WE DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. BUT GOD, THE ONLY THING WE can do is keep our eyes upon you." Church, look to Jesus. Because here is the Bible says, when you look to Jesus, you shall live. I want to ask you to make a bold move right now. In the few moments that we have, if you need God to fight for you right now, because you have no strength, you don't know how it's going to work out, but God brought me all the way from Alabama, United States to tell you tonight it's going to work out for God's glory and for your good. But you must surrender. If you here right now, I want you to please come and join me and these pastors at the altar, because we want to pray for you. We want to seal your decision tonight in the name of Jesus. If you have a battle that you're facing and you need God's strength and God's grace, if you want to surrender your life to Christ right now, I want to invite you on the authority of Jesus. Don't sit there and try to do it your own self. All of us have something, but tonight you want to say, "God, I need you to give me the grace to stand as you fight." If that's you tonight, God's arms are open wide and he's waiting on you to say yes to him. Will you come now? Will you come someone? Will you come now? Will you come and allow God to have his way? The singers are going to sing and we're going to pray and believe God right now. But the only way that God can do it is if you trust God and allow God to fight for you even right now. We're going to sing this song as he's playing that same song where where he's playing is your chance to get up and come down right now. Our time is still good. Please come now. If that's you, here you come. I see you. God bless you right now. God bless you. There's somebody else right now that you want to surrender to God. You want God to hear your prayers and God to fight those battles that you cannot fight. I'm going to invite you my brother and my sister, my young people tonight. God will fight for you if you simply say yes to Jesus. I'm going to invite you in the authority of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Why don't you rise even now and begin to walk? And as you walk, God is about to move. Just start walking. That's all. Just start walking. Praise God. Hallelujah. Let's sing this song tonight, church. Let's sing it tonight. And as you start walking, let's believe God to do the impossible.