Battle Belongs
I absolutely love the new song we introduced this past Sunday called Battle Belongs by Phil Wickham. Just as I do with each new song that we sing, I searched for the "why" behind the song. I love knowing the stories and scripture that inspire the songwriters. Learning about how a song was written helps me connect more to the words and melody.
Battle Belongs actually came out of one of the co-writers seeing a tattoo on a friend's arm that said, "I fight on my knees." This tattoo on a man's arm was basically saying I fight my battles while praying to God. Brian Johnson, co-writer and worship leader, called his buddy Phil Wickham and said, "Hey! We need to write a song about this!" Phil was 100% onboard.
Phil grabbed his guitar and came up with the first line of the chorus,
When I fight, I'll fight on my knees, with my hands lifted high.
Powerful words! The song's chorus shows humility and surrender in knowing that we cannot fight our battles alone and displays a posture of praise and faith in the middle of a struggle.
In an interview with a Seattle Christian radio station, Phil said he looked up battles in the Old Testament when writing this song's verses. The battle Jehoshaphat faced in 2 Chronicles 20 was the greatest focus.
In this battle, Jehoshaphat and Judah find out the Moabites and Ammonites with some of the Meunites are coming to fight them. What I love is that Jehoshaphat and Judah's first response to learning people are coming to attack them is to "seek the help of the Lord."
The people prayed and fasted, knowing a fight was about to ensue. And as they made their petition known to God for His help, the Lord told them,
"You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you."
Early in the morning, as they set out to fight an inevitable battle, instead of putting the strongest and mightiest warriors in the front of the people to lead the way to battle, Jehoshaphat sent men singing and praising to the front of the line. They shouted, "Give thanks to the Lord, for His love endures forever."
Just a reminder, they haven't even begun to fight. This is all praise in faith.
But as they praised and journeyed into battle with full faith that God would protect them, the Lord ambushed the enemy. Basically, he made the enemy fight each other until all three enemy armies were utterly defeated.
When Jehoshaphat and the people arrived to fight, they saw that the other armies were totally destroyed.
When Phil and Brian wrote this song, they took this incredible story of faith and trust in God and put it into words with a melody. The people of Judah and Jerusalem knew the battle belonged to God, and He cannot be stopped.
I love the bridge of this song:
Almighty fortress, You go before us,
Nothing can stand against the power of our God.
You shine in the shadow, You win every battle,
Nothing can stand against the power of our God.
As we sing this song together, I hope that it, along with the story of Jehoshaphat, reminds you God is in control. Regardless of how many armies seem to be coming to get you or how impossible the odds may seem, nothing can stand against the power of our God!
Do not be discouraged wherever you are. The battle is not yours. The battle belongs to the Lord.
Go be a blessing,
April Bergez
Worship Leader