“With him is only an arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people relied on the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.
— 2 Chronicles 32:8
These stirring words of encouragement were spoken by King Hezekiah of Judah at a moment of genuine crisis. The threat of invasion from Assyria, led by King Sennacherib, was looming large. And so, as Hezekiah rallied his people and prepared them for war, these were the words he chose to speak over them.
Upon closer inspection, we notice that these words bear a striking resemblance to what a young David once declared to the giant Goliath of Gath. And like David’s words, they contain two powerful and distinct observations.
The Enemy Has an Arm of Flesh
First, King Hezekiah honestly acknowledges what the enemy possesses. He says that with the king of Assyria, there is only an arm of flesh. This was Hezekiah’s summary of all the military power, weaponry, and manpower that Sennacherib was bringing against Jerusalem. He is not being naive or dismissive about the threat. He is looking at it squarely and accurately — and naming it for what it is.
This is important for us as believers as well. When we are faced with attacks from the enemy, we must first honestly acknowledge that the enemy does have real power. The great Reformers identified three enemies that constantly attack the Christian — the world, the flesh, and the devil.
On one side, the world — meaning the world’s values, systems, and ways — will always stand against the believer. John writes in 1 John 2:15-16:
Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.
— 1 John 2:15-16
On another side, the flesh — the remnants of our old life — contends against the believer from within. Paul describes this plainly in Galatians:
Walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another.
— Galatians 5:16-17
Paul calls it in Romans 7 this body of death — the one that attacks our conscience, causing us to do the very things we do not want to do, and to fail to do the very things we long to do.
And then there is the devil. Peter writes:
Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
— 1 Peter 5:8
King Hezekiah was right to acknowledge that the king of Assyria was ready and coming. In the same way, it is vital for us as believers to understand that we have real enemies who are actively looking to devour us. These three — the world, the flesh, and the devil — are constantly hunting us down.
But With Us Is the LORD Our God
However, Hezekiah does not stop at naming the enemy. After noting that Sennacherib only has an arm of flesh, he uses that very point to argue that this should not be a cause of fear — because with us is the LORD our God.
That is an extraordinarily powerful statement. As one commentator has rightly observed, whatever side the Lord is on is the winning side — regardless of the size or might of the opposing force. Just as David came against Goliath in the name of the God of Israel, so Hezekiah declares that the Lord God stands on their side.
And Hezekiah goes further still. He explains precisely why it matters that the Lord is with them — because the Lord will help them and fight their battles. The reason Hezekiah and his army need not fear the Assyrian threat is not grounded in the size of their army or the skill of their soldiers. It is grounded in the simple and magnificent fact that the Lord Himself is the one who will fight.
The same truth holds for the believer facing the world, the flesh, and the devil. It is not we who fight — it is the Lord our God who fights our battles for us. When we feel at our weakest, when we feel overwhelmed and under full assault from the enemy, our first thought must always be that the Lord our God is with us and is fighting on our behalf.
John captures this beautifully in his first epistle:
You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.
— 1 John 4:4
Strengthened by His Words
The text tells us that after Hezekiah delivered these words, the people were strengthened and took courage. And in the same way, we too are strengthened as we are reminded of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has already triumphed on our behalf. He declared to His disciples:
These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.
— John 16:33
Let us then listen carefully to the Holy Spirit within us. Let us attend to the words of our great General — our Lord Jesus Christ — who declares to us that He has overcome, that the Lord is on our side, and that it is on this unshakeable basis that we too can take courage and be strengthened.
Amen.
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