“Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be established; believe his prophets, and you will succeed.” And when he had taken counsel with the people, he appointed those who were to sing to the Lord and praise him in holy attire, as they went before the army, and say, ‘Give thanks to the Lord, for his steadfast love endures forever.’ And when they began to sing and praise, the Lord set an ambush” (2 Chron. 20:20-22).
The “Greatest” Showman
Muhammad Ali always knew how to make a statement. In 1977, as Ali entered the arena to fight Earnie Shavers, he displayed a new level of showmanship by playing the theme song of that summer’s biggest blockbuster — John Williams’ “Main Title” music from Star Wars.
Nowadays, it’s common for fighters to enter accompanied by their favorite fight song. And it’s not just in boxing. You might still remember your high school or college team’s fight song. And, of course, armies have long known the power of marching music, with its pulsing drums and loud trumpets meant to intimidate the enemy and propel your soldiers forward.
Singing is a defiant act of hope and resilience in the face of evil.
Battle Hymns
This week, you’ll face trials and temptations—attacks from our enemy. How do you stand? I want to add a surprising tactic to your spiritual battle plans: singing.
This weekend, we hosted our annual Spring Sing. What an uplifting night! But singing isn’t just a pleasant way to spend a Spring evening. It’s one of the ways we stay alive in this fight against darkness, a defiant act of hope and resilience in the face of evil.
As we survey the history of God’s people, we see that God has always wanted his people to take their worship music into battle with them. It reminds us that we don’t stand in our feeble strength. We employ the might of the Lord our God (Eph. 6:10)! Consider the example of King Jehoshaphat, who filled the frontlines of his army with singers instead of soldiers.
Moses, Jehoshaphat, and Jesus
The report came to Jehoshaphat, “A great multitude is coming against you,” so he “was afraid and set his face to seek the Lord” (2 Chron. 20:2-3). He called all Judah together and prayed for help, declaring himself “powerless against this great horde,” then closing his prayer with words every saint should memorize: “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you” (2 Chron. 20:12).
“We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you” (2 Chron. 20:12).
God’s Spirit inspired a Levite to encourage Judah with words echoing Moses at the Red Sea, “Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God’s… You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf” (2 Chron. 20:15; cf. Exod. 14:13,14).
So Jehoshaphat sent singers “before the army” singing, “Give thanks to the Lord, for his steadfast love endures forever” (2 Chron. 20:21). As they sang, the enemy armies destroyed themselves (2 Chron. 20:22-25).
We sometimes sing about the Song of Moses and the Lamb (Rev. 15:3), but have you considered what the Song of Moses (Exod. 15) was about? Like the victorious saints in John’s Revelation, Moses and the Israelites sang about God, the warrior, bringing a victory with his extraordinary deeds (Exod. 15:1-3; Rev. 15:3-4).
Just Jesus and his friends, singing unaccompanied as he prepared for the excruciating test that would save the world.
Centuries after the Exodus, Jesus spent part of his last night on earth remembering those events in the Passover (Mark 14:12, 16). After that supper, he went to the garden, trial, and cross to bring about our deliverance. But before he did, he sang a hymn with his friends (Mark 14:26), probably from Psalms 113-118. Just Jesus and his friends, singing unaccompanied as he prepared for the excruciating test that would save the world.
Singing in the Christian Life
What a strange picture Paul and Silas make! Unjustly imprisoned after “they had inflicted many blows on them” the jailer secured their feet in stocks (Acts 16:23-24). Roman stocks had multiple footholes to contort and cramp prisoners, which could only add to the pain of their bruised, bloodied bodies after the day’s flogging. I can hardly imagine a more miserable situation. And yet, what did the other prisoners hear coming from the innermost cell at midnight? Two men singing hymns in the night (Acts 16:25)!
God’s mighty work comes after two of his servants seem utterly powerless, restrained, and defeated. And that’s just the circumstance that lets God take center stage.
You may have heard the rest of the story, where an earthquake unbars the doors, and all the prisoners’ shackles miraculously unfasten (Acts 16:26). The jailer asks, “What must I do to be saved?” and — receiving the truth in faith — “immediately he and all his family were baptized” (Acts 16:30-33).
God’s mighty work comes after two of his servants seem utterly powerless, restrained, and defeated. And that’s just the circumstance that lets God take center stage. They couldn’t do anything but sing and pray, but what trust those simple, a cappella hymns displayed!
What seems harmless and feeble lets faith flip the script.
That’s the secret strength of singing as spiritual warfare. What seems harmless and feeble lets faith flip the script. Whereas we want to DO something, singing seems to accomplish nothing. In the same way that Joshua marching around Jericho was mightier than laying siege, a hymn lets us declare our trust in God. In the same way, Gideon limiting his force to 300 was mightier than mustering a mighty army, singing is taking a stand. Making melody amid trials and temptations lets us say, “We don’t know what to do, but our eyes are on you” (2 Chron. 20:12).
So we sing ANTICIPATING the trial — like Jesus in the upper room (Mark 14:26). And we sing AFTER the victory, like the Israelites at the Red Sea (Exod. 15). But don’t forget to sing AMID the struggle, like Jehoshaphat’s frontline singers (2 Chron. 20) and Paul and Silas in prison (Acts 16:25).