How can we avoid defeat?

2 Chronicles 13:18So Judah defeated Israel on that occasion because they trusted in the Lord, the God of their ancestors.

Psalm 22:5They cried out to you and were saved. They trusted in you and were never disgraced.

Psalm 25:1-3O Lord, I give my life to you. I trust in you, my God! Do not let me be disgraced, or let my enemies rejoice in my defeat. No one who trusts in you will ever be disgraced, but disgrace comes to those who try to deceive others.

Psalm 31:1-4O Lord, I have come to you for protection; don’t let me be disgraced. Save me, for you do what is right. Turn your ear to listen to me; rescue me quickly. Be my rock of protection, a fortress where I will be safe. You are my rock and my fortress. For the honor of your name, lead me out of this danger. Pull me from the trap my enemies set for me, for I find protection in you alone.

Psalm 71:1-3O Lord, I have come to you for protection; don’t let me be disgraced. Save me and rescue me, for you do what is right. Turn your ear to listen to me, and set me free. Be my rock of safety where I can always hide. Give the order to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress.

Psalm 112:6-8Such people will not be overcome by evil. Those who are righteous will be long remembered. They do not fear bad news; they confidently trust the Lord to care for them. They are confident and fearless and can face their foes triumphantly.

Psalm 125:1Those who trust in the Lord are as secure as Mount Zion; they will not be defeated but will endure forever.

Isaiah 26:3You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!

We are to trust in God, which means we have confident hope that he will fight for us and help us overcome. And in the end, we will achieve the greatest victory of all when he gives eternal life to those who trust in him.

Deuteronomy 28:13If you listen to these commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today, and if you carefully obey them, the Lord will make you the head and not the tail, and you will always be on top and never at the bottom.

Joshua 7:3-12When they returned, they told Joshua, “There’s no need for all of us to go up there; it won’t take more than two or three thousand men to attack Ai. Since there are so few of them, don’t make all our people struggle to go up there.” . . . but they were soundly defeated. . . . Then Joshua cried out, “Oh, Sovereign Lord, why did you bring us across the Jordan River if you are going to let the Amorites kill us?” . . . But the Lord said to Joshua, “Get up! . . . Israel has sinned and broken my covenant! They have stolen some of the things that I commanded must be set apart for me. . . . That is why the Israelites are running from their enemies in defeat.”

We are to consult God, listen for his direction, and obey his instructions, for he is true wisdom.

Romans 13:12The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armor of right living.

Ephesians 6:10-18A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. . . . Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.

1 Thessalonians 5:8Let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation.

1 John 5:4-5Every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.

We must be dressed in the full armor of God—always prepared for battle. Victorious warriors don’t put on their armor while running to battle; they are prepared before the battle starts.

2 Chronicles 26:16When he had become powerful, he also became proud, which led to his downfall. He sinned against the Lord his God by entering the sanctuary of the Lord’s Temple and personally burning incense on the incense altar.

Psalm 106:36They worshiped their idols, which led to their downfall.

Proverbs 19:3People ruin their lives by their own foolishness and then are angry at the Lord.

1 Timothy 6:9People who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction.

James 3:16Wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.

We should rid ourselves of sin, Satan’s weapon to defeat our souls.

Proverbs 18:7The mouths of fools are their ruin; they trap themselves with their lips.

Proverbs 26:28A lying tongue hates its victims, and flattering words cause ruin.

Ecclesiastes 10:12Wise words bring approval, but fools are destroyed by their own words.

We should guard our tongues, for our words have the power to bring ruin to ourselves and others.

Proverbs 24:6So don’t go to war without wise guidance; victory depends on having many advisers.

We should seek godly counsel, for victory depends on wisdom. Foolishness never leads to victorious living.

Ecclesiastes 4:12A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.

We gain strength from fellowship with other Christians, for they can watch our back when we are under attack and lift us up when we fall.