Written Sermon · Ophel

WHEN THE MIGHTY MEET THE LORD

Lifting Weary Eyes to the Sufficiency of Jesus Christ

Primary Text: Judges 5:13

“Then he made him that remaineth have dominion over the nobles among the people: the LORD made me have dominion over the mighty.” — Judges 5:13

In This Sermon

• Introduction — When the Heart Grows Weary
• I. BEHOLD THE LORD WHO IS GREATER THAN THE MIGHTY
• II. BEHOLD THE SAVIOUR WHO HAS ACCOMPLISHED OUR REDEMPTION
• III. BEHOLD THE MERCY OF CHRIST IN THE MIDST OF OUR WEAKNESS
• IV. LOOKING UNTO JESUS, LET US WALK IN THE SPIRIT
• Conclusion — Lift Your Eyes to the LORD

Introduction — When the Heart Grows Weary

There are seasons in the Christian life when the greatest discouragement does not come from the circumstances surrounding us, but from the condition of the heart within us. We may have walked with the Lord for many years, become familiar with His Word, and experienced much of His goodness, yet find ourselves troubled by weaknesses we had hoped would no longer characterize our lives. An attitude we thought had been surrendered rises again. A desire we believed had been subdued begins to press upon the heart. Words are spoken that ought never to have been uttered, and in the quietness that follows, we find ourselves grieved that we have once again failed to reflect the character of the Saviour whom we love.

At other times, our discouragement comes through circumstances we cannot change. Responsibilities weigh heavily upon us, relationships become strained, burdens continue longer than we anticipated, and prayers seem to remain unanswered. We know that God is sovereign, yet our thoughts become occupied with the difficulty before us. We know that He is faithful, yet we struggle to understand what He is doing. We know that His grace is sufficient, yet we become painfully conscious of how insufficient we are. The heart can grow weary even while the mind continues to acknowledge what Scripture declares to be true.

It is into such considerations that I would like to bring a statement from the song of Deborah. Following the LORD’s deliverance of Israel from the oppression of Jabin and Sisera, Deborah and Barak sang of what God had accomplished, and in Judges 5:13 we find the words, “the LORD made me have dominion over the mighty.” We must understand those words within their historical setting, for they were not spoken as a promise that every believer will triumph over every earthly difficulty. They were a declaration concerning a particular victory that the LORD had given His people. But in that victory, something of the greatness of God was revealed, and it is that revelation which I desire to place before us.

For twenty years, Israel had lived under severe oppression. Sisera possessed nine hundred chariots of iron, and the people had experienced the consequences of his military strength. Their highways were deserted, their villages had been disrupted, and the ordinary activities of life had been overshadowed by fear. Yet Israel’s distress had begun with its own departure from the LORD. The nation had chosen false gods, and the LORD had given His people into the hand of their enemies. Nevertheless, when they cried unto Him, He raised up the means of their deliverance. He spoke through Deborah, commanded Barak to arise, and accomplished the victory He had promised.

When the battle was over, Deborah did not exalt the strength of Israel. She did not present herself as the one whose wisdom had overcome Sisera. She sang of the LORD who had brought down the mighty. The greatness of the enemy had been real, but it had never diminished the greatness of God.

And perhaps this is where some of us need to begin this morning. We have spent so much time considering the strength of what troubles us, and so much time lamenting the weakness we discover within ourselves, that we have allowed our eyes to settle upon everything except the LORD. Yet the answer to our deepest discouragement is not found in discovering that we are stronger than we thought. It is found in beholding the God who has made Himself known, and whose saving grace has reached its fullness in Jesus Christ.

I. BEHOLD THE LORD WHO IS GREATER THAN THE MIGHTY

When Deborah began her song, she did not immediately describe the defeat of Sisera. She first recalled the majesty of the LORD. In Judges 5:4–5, she spoke of the earth trembling, the heavens dropping water, and the mountains melting before the LORD God of Israel. Her remembrance reached back toward Sinai, where the LORD had manifested His presence to the nation He had redeemed from Egypt. Before she celebrated the defeat of an earthly army, she directed attention toward the God before whom creation itself trembles.

There is something profoundly important in that order. Sisera’s power could be measured in chariots, soldiers, and years of oppression. The LORD’s greatness could not be measured by any of those things. He was not simply a stronger participant in the conflict between Israel and Canaan. He was the sovereign Creator, whose authority extended over the armies of men and the whole created order. The One who had spoken at Sinai had not become less mighty because His people had been living under oppression. Their suffering was real, but it had never placed Him beyond the ability to accomplish His purposes.

When God commanded Barak to gather the men of Zebulun and Naphtali, He declared, “And I will draw unto thee to the river Kishon Sisera, the captain of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his multitude; and I will deliver him into thine hand.” — Judges 4:7 Notice that the promise rested upon what the LORD would do. He did not ask Barak to develop sufficient confidence in his own strength, nor did He suggest that Israel’s victory depended upon possessing weapons equal to those of Sisera. The LORD had spoken concerning the outcome, and His Word was sufficient.

When the appointed time came, the battle unfolded according to His promise. Judges 4:15 records that the LORD discomfited Sisera and all his chariots, and Judges 4:23 declares, “So God subdued on that day Jabin the king of Canaan before the children of Israel.” The victory was not imaginary, nor was the participation of Barak and the people unimportant. But the decisive explanation was that God had accomplished what He said He would do. Deborah could therefore rejoice in the defeat of the mighty without placing her confidence in human might.

Now consider how readily our own hearts lose sight of this truth. When difficulties arise, we naturally begin measuring them according to the resources available to us. We consider what we are able to accomplish, what others may do, and how circumstances might change. There is nothing wrong with giving thoughtful attention to our responsibilities, but there is danger when our consideration of circumstances begins to govern our understanding of God. We can become so impressed with the difficulty before us that we no longer live with a practical awareness of the greatness of the One before whom we stand.

The prophet Isaiah addressed something remarkably similar. Israel was troubled by the thought that its way had been hidden from the LORD, as though its affliction had escaped His attention. Yet Isaiah did not answer that discouragement by promising that the people possessed some undiscovered greatness within themselves. He brought them again before the greatness of God: “Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.” — Isaiah 40:28

Consider what the LORD was revealing. His people might become weary, but He does not. Their understanding might be limited, but His wisdom is beyond searching. They might find themselves unable to see how His purposes would unfold, but their inability to understand did not mean He had ceased to govern. The answer to their discouragement began with a renewed consideration of who God is.

And then comes the wonderful declaration: “He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.” — Isaiah 40:29 The strength of the LORD is not presented as a distant truth that has no bearing upon the weakness of His people. The everlasting God, who neither faints nor grows weary, is the One who sustains those who have no sufficiency in themselves.

We should not turn this into a promise that every difficulty will disappear or that every burden will immediately become light. God may strengthen His people to endure circumstances He does not presently remove. He may teach them patience through long seasons of waiting, or deepen their dependence upon Him through trials they would never have chosen. Yet His sufficiency remains unchanged. His wisdom is not exhausted by our inability to understand, and His power is not diminished by the limitations of our strength.

Perhaps our hearts would find greater rest if we spent less time measuring the greatness of what troubles us and more time considering the greatness of the God who has revealed Himself. We have not been called to deny the reality of our difficulties. We have been called to trust the LORD whose authority is greater than every circumstance and whose faithfulness is established by His own character.

And for the Christian, this confidence rests upon something even greater than the historical deliverance Deborah celebrated. We have been given the fuller revelation of God’s saving purpose in His Son, Jesus Christ, through whom He has accomplished a victory that reaches beyond every temporary earthly deliverance.

II. BEHOLD THE SAVIOUR WHO HAS ACCOMPLISHED OUR REDEMPTION

The victory celebrated in Judges was a wonderful mercy, yet it was not the end of Israel’s troubles. Judges 5:31 tells us that the land had rest forty years, but the opening verse of the next chapter records that the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD. The oppression under Jabin had ended, but the nation’s recurring unfaithfulness remained. Another enemy arose, another season of suffering began, and another deliverer would be needed.

The judges were genuine instruments of God’s mercy, but their victories could not accomplish the inward redemption that sinful humanity required. They could deliver Israel from earthly oppressors, but they could not remove the guilt of sin or give eternal life. They could lead the people into seasons of rest, but they could not secure the final rest that belongs to those whom God redeems through His Son.

And so the unfolding testimony of Scripture brings us to Jesus Christ. When the angel announced His coming, he declared, “and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.” — Matthew 1:21 Here the greatness of God’s redemptive purpose comes into clearer view. The deepest bondage of fallen humanity is not the power of an earthly ruler, but sin itself. It is sin that has separated man from God, brought condemnation, and left him unable to secure his own righteousness. No human deliverer can overcome that condition, and no amount of personal determination can remove the guilt of those who have transgressed God’s holy law.

But God has not left sinners without hope. He sent His beloved Son, who took upon Himself our humanity and lived in perfect obedience to the Father. Jesus Christ knew no sin, yet willingly gave Himself as the sacrifice for sinners. Upon the cross He bore our sins, suffered in our place, and accomplished the redemption we could never purchase. Peter declares, “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.” — 1 Peter 2:24 Here we see not only the sufficiency of Christ’s sacrifice but also its purpose in the lives of those He has redeemed. He bore our sins that we might live unto righteousness. His death was not an accident or the triumph of evil over God’s purposes. It was the very means through which the Lord accomplished redemption.

When He rose again on the third day, His resurrection declared the triumph of the crucified Saviour, whose saving work is sufficient for all who come to God through Him.

We must allow the greatness of that truth to occupy our hearts. The salvation of the believer is not founded upon the quality of his obedience, the strength of his resolve, or the steadiness of his emotions. It rests upon the person and finished work of Jesus Christ. Paul declares, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” — Ephesians 2:8–9 The believer has no righteousness of his own to present as the ground of his acceptance before God. His hope is found in the Saviour who died for him and rose again.

And what a difference this makes when we consider our continuing struggle with sin. If our standing before God depended upon the perfection of our daily obedience, every failure would leave us without hope. But salvation is not the reward of those who have successfully overcome every weakness of the flesh. It is the gracious gift of God to sinners who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ.

Yet the saving work of Christ reaches further than deliverance from condemnation. Those who belong to Him have been brought into a new relationship to sin itself. Romans 6:6 declares, “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.” Paul is explaining what God has accomplished for those who are united to Christ. The believer has not merely received an opportunity to attempt a better life. He has been brought into the life of the risen Saviour, and sin no longer possesses the rightful mastery it once exercised over him.

Then comes the remarkable promise of Romans 6:14: “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.”

Here is where we must distinguish the historical truth of Judges from the promise expressly given to believers in the New Testament. Deborah celebrated the LORD giving dominion over Israel’s mighty oppressors. Paul declares that sin shall not have dominion over those who are under grace. We do not need to make Sisera a symbol of the flesh or transform Deborah’s words into a promise concerning sanctification. The New Testament itself reveals the wonderful truth that belongs to everyone who is in Christ.

And we must understand the promise correctly. Paul does not teach that a Christian will never again experience temptation or commit sin. Neither does he teach that the desires of the flesh disappear immediately upon conversion. The same Scriptures that declare our freedom from sin’s dominion also command us to resist sin, put away the works of the flesh, and walk in the Spirit. But those commands are given to people whose relationship to sin has been changed through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

This should bring profound encouragement to the believer who has become discouraged by his weakness. The continuing presence of temptation does not mean that Christ has failed to redeem him. The painful reality of the struggle does not diminish the sufficiency of the cross. Sin must still be resisted, and every failure must be brought honestly before the LORD, but the believer’s hope rests upon a victory already accomplished by Another.

We are not trying to make Jesus Christ victorious through our efforts at holiness. We are learning to live in obedience to the Saviour who has already conquered sin and death. His grace is the foundation of our salvation, and His grace is also the foundation of our continuing life before God.

III. BEHOLD THE MERCY OF CHRIST IN THE MIDST OF OUR WEAKNESS

There is something particularly painful about discovering that a sinful tendency we have struggled against remains capable of drawing our hearts away from the Lord. We may have confessed it repeatedly, resolved to resist it, and sincerely desired to walk differently. Yet we find ourselves confronted again with the weakness of our flesh. Such experiences can bring a believer into deep sorrow, especially when the sin involves words or conduct that have injured someone we love.

Scripture does not invite us to regard such failures lightly. Sin is always contrary to the character of God, and the believer should never become comfortable with what his Saviour died to redeem him from. But neither does Scripture direct the repentant believer to remain forever occupied with his own failure, as though the greatness of his sin had rendered the grace of Christ insufficient.

Consider Peter. He had walked with the Lord Jesus, heard His teaching, witnessed His miracles, and confessed Him to be the Christ. Yet when the hour of testing came, Peter denied his Lord three times. Luke tells us that the Lord turned and looked upon Peter, and that Peter went out and wept bitterly. We should not minimize the seriousness of what Peter had done. He had denied the very Saviour whom he professed to love, and the grief of that failure was real.

Yet Peter’s failure did not become the final word concerning his life. Following His resurrection, the Lord Jesus graciously dealt with His disciple and entrusted him with responsibility toward His sheep. The account in John 21 reveals something precious about the Saviour’s dealings with a servant who had fallen grievously. Christ did not treat Peter’s denial as insignificant, but neither was His grace exhausted by it.

We must be careful not to conclude that every sinful choice will be without lasting consequences. Scripture gives us no such promise. Some failures leave wounds that require time, humility, repentance, and the rebuilding of trust. Yet those consequences do not alter the sufficiency of Christ’s sacrifice, nor do they mean that a repentant believer must remain at a distance from the Saviour.

Listen to the tenderness and seriousness of the apostle John’s words: “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” — 1 John 2:1

Notice how beautifully the two truths are held together. John’s desire is that believers do not sin. He does not weaken the call to holiness or suggest that grace makes obedience unnecessary. Yet he knows that the believer may sin, and when that happens, he directs attention not toward the supposed sufficiency of human remorse, but toward Jesus Christ the righteous.

What a wonderful expression: “we have an advocate with the Father.” Our Advocate is the sinless Son of God, whose righteousness is perfect and whose sacrifice is sufficient. He is not pleading that sin should be overlooked as though it were harmless. His advocacy rests upon the redemption He has accomplished.

Hebrews 7:25 declares, “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.” The Saviour who died upon the cross is alive forevermore. He has not ceased to be our High Priest, and the salvation He provides does not become uncertain whenever we become painfully aware of our weakness.

Perhaps some believers have begun to approach the Lord as though they must first demonstrate a sufficient period of successful obedience before they may again enjoy fellowship with Him. They know they have sinned, and they are ashamed. Rather than coming honestly before God, they withdraw from prayer, avoid the Scriptures, and allow their discouragement to deepen. Yet the Word of God does not direct the repentant sinner away from Christ. It calls him to come before the One whose mercy and grace are sufficient.

First John 1:9 declares, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Confession is not an attempt to excuse the sin or persuade God that it was less serious than His Word declares. It is agreeing with Him concerning what we have done and turning to Him in the confidence of His mercy. The believer has no need to conceal his sin from the One who already knows his heart and has provided the only sufficient sacrifice for it.

And consider the invitation of Hebrews 4:16: “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” This invitation follows the revelation of Jesus Christ as our great High Priest, who understands our infirmities and was tempted in all points like as we are, yet without sin. His sympathy is not the sympathy of One who excuses our disobedience, but of the holy Saviour who knows our weakness and possesses the grace we need.

Beloved, the throne to which we are invited is a throne of grace. We do not approach it because we have succeeded in making ourselves worthy. We approach through Jesus Christ, whose righteousness and sacrifice are sufficient. And there, in the presence of the God whose holiness we have offended, we are invited to find mercy and grace to help.

What a wonderful Saviour we have. He does not cease to be righteous because we are weak, nor does His holiness become less holy when He shows mercy. His compassion is not indifference toward sin. It is the gracious care of the One who has accomplished everything necessary for our redemption and who continues to intercede for His people.

So when the believer falls, let him not make peace with the sin. Let him confess it, turn from it, make right what ought to be made right, and seek whatever godly help is needed to walk faithfully. But let him not imagine that his hope rests upon his ability to become sufficiently strong before returning to Christ. The very grace that calls him to holiness is the grace that welcomes the repentant heart to the throne of God.

And perhaps this is the truth some weary believers most need to recover. They have spent so much time looking upon their failure that they have almost forgotten to look upon their Saviour. Yet the answer to sin is never less of Christ. We need to behold Him more clearly, trust Him more completely, and walk in the grace that He supplies.

IV. LOOKING UNTO JESUS, LET US WALK IN THE SPIRIT

The mercy of Christ does not leave us where sin has found us. The Saviour who forgives is also the Lord who transforms. His grace does not merely assure the believer that past sins have been forgiven; it teaches him to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world. The Christian life is therefore neither a hopeless struggle to make ourselves acceptable to God nor a careless acceptance of the sins that remain within us. It is a life of faith and obedience, sustained by the gracious working of the Holy Spirit.

Paul declares, “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” — Galatians 5:16 The command is wonderfully direct, yet it places our attention upon the provision God has made for His people. We are not instructed to discover an independent strength sufficient to overcome the flesh. We are called to walk in dependence upon the Spirit who dwells within us.

The following verse reminds us that the conflict is real: “For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other.” — Galatians 5:17 The believer should not be surprised that desires contrary to God’s Word continue to press upon him. The presence of that conflict does not excuse yielding to temptation, but it does help us understand why the Christian life requires continuing watchfulness and dependence upon the Lord.

Romans 8:13 declares, “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.” We must hear the seriousness of Paul’s warning as well as the encouragement of his promise. A life governed by the flesh is the way of death, and Scripture never invites us to regard settled, unrepentant sin as harmless. Yet Paul is not describing the repentant believer’s every failure as though it were identical to a life willingly surrendered to the flesh. He is calling those who belong to Christ to live according to the Spirit.

There is responsibility here. The deeds of the body must be mortified. Sin is not to be entertained, cherished, or defended. But notice that the mortification is accomplished through the Spirit. God does not call His children to holiness while leaving them dependent upon the very flesh whose desires they are commanded to resist.

And this is where the renewing of the mind becomes so important. Romans 12:2 declares, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.” We cannot expect to walk faithfully before God while continually allowing our thoughts and affections to be governed by the values of the world. Our minds must be brought under the authority of His Word, and the truth we learn must be received with humility and obedience.

But I want us to understand that this is far more than learning how to identify sinful behavior. The Word of God reveals the LORD Himself. It teaches us His holiness, mercy, goodness, faithfulness, and righteousness. It brings us before the person and work of Jesus Christ. And as we behold the glory of the Lord, we are being transformed into His image through the working of His Spirit.

Second Corinthians 3:18 declares, “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

There is something beautiful in that relationship. The believer is transformed as he beholds the glory of the Lord. The Word does not merely inform us concerning the commands we are to obey; it reveals the Saviour into whose likeness we are being changed. The Spirit of God uses His truth to renew our minds, direct our affections, and produce the fruit of Christlikeness in our lives.

And perhaps here we should examine a subtle danger. A sincere believer may become so occupied with the progress of his spiritual life that his attention gradually moves away from Christ and settles upon himself. He measures his improvement, remembers his failures, compares his present condition with what he believes it ought to be, and becomes increasingly discouraged by how slowly the work seems to advance.

There is a rightful place for examining ourselves. We must not ignore sin or become indifferent to obedience. But self-examination was never intended to become the center of the Christian life. Our hope does not rest in beholding our own progress. It rests in the Lord who has saved us and who is continuing His work within us.

Hebrews 12:2 directs us toward the proper object of our attention: “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Then verse 3 calls us to consider Him who endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, lest we become wearied and faint in our minds.

How appropriate those words are for the discouraged believer. The writer does not deny the reality of suffering, nor does he promise that perseverance will be effortless. He directs the weary heart toward Jesus Christ. The One who endured the cross is now seated at the right hand of God, and His people are called to continue the race before them with their eyes fixed upon Him.

When we behold Christ, we see more than an example of determination. We see the Saviour who loved us and gave Himself for us, the High Priest who continues to intercede, and the risen Lord whose grace is sufficient for the life He has called us to live. Our obedience flows from our union with Him, our gratitude for His mercies, and the working of His Spirit within us.

This does not mean that the believer will always feel spiritually strong. There may be days when obedience is difficult, when prayer requires deliberate effort, and when the Word exposes failures that bring genuine sorrow. Yet faithfulness is not measured solely by the ease with which we walk. Sometimes the evidence of God’s gracious work is seen in the humbled believer who has fallen, confessed his sin, and returned again to walk in obedience rather than surrendering himself to despair.

And there is a promise that should sustain our hope through every season of spiritual growth. Paul declares, “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” — Philippians 1:6

The work of salvation belongs to God from beginning to end. He has not redeemed His people only to abandon them to their own sufficiency. The One who begins His work will bring it to completion, and the believer’s hope of final Christlikeness rests upon His faithfulness.

John gives us an even more explicit promise concerning that glorious completion: “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” — 1 John 3:2

What an extraordinary encouragement for the believer who grieves over remaining sin. We are already the children of God through faith in Jesus Christ, yet we are not now all that we shall be. The work of sanctification continues throughout this present life, but Scripture directs our hope toward the appearing of Christ, when His people shall be like Him. The believer’s longing for perfect holiness is therefore not an empty desire, nor does its present incompleteness mean that God’s purpose has failed. What He has promised, He will accomplish.

And notice how John continues in verse 3: “And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.” The hope of future Christlikeness does not make present obedience unnecessary. Rather, beholding what God has promised moves His children toward holiness now. We seek to walk in a manner that reflects the Saviour whom we shall one day see.

Therefore, let us not become careless concerning sin, but neither let us become hopeless concerning the grace of God. Let us confess what must be confessed, forsake what must be forsaken, and submit ourselves to the truth He has revealed. Let us pursue reconciliation where we have injured others, put away the habits that feed sinful desires, and remain faithful in prayer, the Word, and the fellowship of God’s people. Yet through it all, let us remember that our confidence is not in the strength of our obedience but in the sufficiency of the Lord whose grace enables us to obey.

We are not called to become independent of Christ as we mature. We are called to know Him more deeply, trust Him more fully, and walk in increasing dependence upon His Spirit.

Conclusion — Lift Your Eyes to the LORD

When Deborah and Barak sang of the LORD’s deliverance, they had much to remember. Israel had lived under the oppression of a mighty enemy. The people had experienced fear, hardship, and the disruption of ordinary life. Yet the LORD had spoken, and the LORD had accomplished His Word. The mighty had fallen, not because Israel possessed some hidden greatness, but because the God of Israel had acted according to His purpose.

And now, as we bring our thoughts toward a close, I would ask you to consider the One who is greater than any earthly deliverer. Jesus Christ has accomplished the salvation that no judge of Israel could secure. He has borne our sins, conquered death, and risen in triumph. He is seated at the Father’s right hand, and His saving work remains sufficient for all who have placed their faith in Him.

Perhaps you are weary today. Your circumstances have not improved as you hoped, and your heart has grown discouraged beneath burdens that seem to have no end. Or perhaps your discouragement lies deeper, in the awareness of how often you have failed to walk as you ought before the Lord. You know His Word, you desire to please Him, and yet you continue to discover attitudes and desires that are contrary to His character.

I would not ask you to regard those things as insignificant. The LORD is holy, and His Word must govern our lives. But I would ask you to remember that your weakness has not diminished the greatness of your Saviour. Your continuing need for grace has not exhausted His mercy. And the struggle you experience does not mean that the redemption He accomplished has become insufficient.

The answer is not to excuse the flesh or surrender to despair. It is to come again before Jesus Christ, confessing what His Word condemns and trusting the grace He has promised. He calls us to walk in the Spirit, to put away sin, and to live in obedience. Yet He has never called us to accomplish that obedience independently of Himself.

Perhaps you have never truly come to Christ for salvation. You may have known the language of Christianity for many years, attended church, and understood much of the Bible, yet never personally rested your hope of forgiveness upon the crucified and risen Saviour. The grace we have been considering is not an encouragement to remain in unbelief. God commands sinners to repent and believe the gospel. Jesus Christ died for our sins and rose again, and all who come to Him through faith receive the forgiveness and life that no human effort can purchase.

But to the believer who is burdened and weary, I would leave this final encouragement. Do not allow your knowledge of your weakness to become greater in your thoughts than your knowledge of the Lord. Do not become so occupied with measuring the strength of the flesh that you forget the power and grace of the Saviour who redeemed you. And do not imagine that because the work of sanctification remains unfinished, the Lord has ceased to work within you.

The God who brought down the mighty in Deborah’s day has revealed His greater saving power through Jesus Christ. His Son has accomplished our redemption, His Spirit dwells within His people, and His Word promises that the work He has begun will be brought to completion.

Isaiah 40:31 declares, “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”

The promise directs our attention toward the LORD upon whom His people wait. Their hope is not in an endless supply of strength originating within themselves, but in the everlasting God who neither faints nor grows weary.

And so, beloved, let us lift our eyes to Him. Let us behold His holiness until sin becomes hateful to us, His mercy until despair gives way to hope, His faithfulness until our hearts learn to rest upon His promises, and His Son until our lives increasingly reflect the character of the One who loved us and gave Himself for us.

For the Christian’s confidence is not that the flesh has become harmless or that the difficulties of this life have ceased. Our confidence is that Jesus Christ is sufficient, His grace is everlasting, and His purposes shall stand.

May we therefore walk before Him with reverence, gratitude, and steadfast faith, resting not in ourselves, but in the Lord who has redeemed us and who will never fail to accomplish His Word.

And may every victory over sin, every step of faithful obedience, and every evidence of His transforming grace return the glory to the One to whom it has always belonged.

To the LORD Jesus Christ be all the glory. Amen.