How should we respond to defeat? - Defeat - TouchPoints

1 Kings 8:33-34If your people Israel are defeated by their enemies because they have sinned against you, and if they turn to you and acknowledge your name and pray to you here in this Temple, then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel and return them to this land you gave their ancestors.

If defeat is a result of our sin, we should turn to God in repentance and trust.

2 Corinthians 1:8-10We think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead. And he did rescue us from mortal danger, and he will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us.

When we experience defeat, we can either focus on ourselves and our problems, or we can learn to rely on God. When you trust God to help you, you will overcome defeat.

Psalm 25:2-3I 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.

We should let God’s loving presence replace our feelings of shame.

Ephesians 6:18Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.

We should be consistent and persistent in prayer, because it is through prayer that we resist the attacks of the enemy.

2 Corinthians 4:16That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day.

We should strive for daily spiritual renewal.

2 Corinthians 4:8-9We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.

We should persevere, for victory is the fruit of persistence.

Joshua 8:1Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid or discouraged. Take all your fighting men and attack Ai, for I have given you the king of Ai, his people, his town, and his land.”

We should obey God without fear of failure; if God is on our side, how can we ultimately fail?