Don’t Retreat!
In this devotion, discover how to persevere in faith and stand firm in the face of adversity. Dianna Hobbs reminds you that victory belongs to the Lord and retreat is never an option. Trust God’s power to overcome the impossible!
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I think back to when I was in high school. I was small for my age and got bullied a lot. One day, three girls notorious for picking fights decided to gang up on me—what we called getting “jumped”—on my way home. I felt very intimidated as I faced them, but they weren’t going to relent.
I had a choice to make: retreat, which probably wouldn’t have worked because they would have only pursued and caught me, or fight. Every fiber of my being wanted to run away, but I stood my ground. I fought them hard. They knocked me to the ground, but I kept on fighting. By the time it was over, to my shock and amazement, they retreated!
How had I won a three-against-one battle? I certainly wasn’t physically bigger or stronger than all three of those girls. But I refused to quit. The more they attacked, the more I fought back. And while I don’t recommend getting into physical fights with schoolmates, that experience taught me an unforgettable lesson—retreating is no way to win a battle.
Whether it’s a schoolyard bully or your chief adversary, Satan, don't you dare quit. Don't you renege. Don't you waver. Press on and fight!
The Unyielding Spirit of the Spartans
One of my favorite movies off all time is called 300, starring Gerard Butler. Not sure if you’ve heard of it, but it first hit theaters in 2006 and is a fictionalized retelling of the Battle of Thermopylae. The plot centers on King Leonidas of Sparta, who leads 300 Spartan warriors in a heroic but doomed stand against the Persian army of 300,000, led by the “God-King” Xerxes. This iconic battle has become synonymous with bravery, grit, and the refusal to back down, even when defeat seems inevitable.
What stands out most is that the Spartans, despite their ultimate defeat, had no quit in them. In a world that often encourages us to surrender in the face of adversity, their story is a reminder that backing down is not always the most honorable or fruitful option. These warriors, despite facing insurmountable odds, refused to retreat.
In life, when we face challenges that seem impossible and opponents that feel invincible, our natural inclination is to fall back. But recoiling will never lead to victory. We must dig in, stand firm, and fight—no matter how things look. This is the essence of perseverance: refusing to yield ground when opposition appears overwhelming.
Victory Belongs to the Lord
Unlike the Spartans, who were fighting a much stronger opponent in their own strength, as believers, we don't show up to the battle alone.
Come on somebody!
Even when we feel outnumbered, outmatched, or out of our league, we must remember that the battle we face is not ours but the Lord's. When we realize that our strength comes not from within ourselves, but from the One who dwells within us, we can fight with even greater confidence than the Spartans, knowing victory is certain.
“God told me to tell you, ‘The only way you lose is if you quit.’ Fight on, friend. Victory is inevitable!”
Proverbs 21:31 says, "The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the LORD." It’s not about our preparation, strength, or might—victory belongs to God. Furthermore, Psalm 20:7 says, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.” Defeat is never inevitable for us, but victory is, because we have the Lord on our side—even if we are outnumbered by opposing forces.
An Unlikely Triumph
In Judges 6, we see an incredible example of this. The Midianites, with their vast and oppressive army, tormented the much weaker Israelites. Whenever the Israelites planted crops, the Midianites and their allies would invade the land, ruining everything in their path. The Bible says there were so many Midianites, they were like "swarms of locusts," leaving Israel impoverished and crying out to God for deliverance.
But God, who cannot be defeated, took just 300 men. There’s that 300 again! Unlike the Spartans, however, in the biblical account, Israel walked away with victory. Under the leadership of Gideon—who initially felt ill-equipped—the Israelites experienced an unlikely triumph. This uplifting account reminds us that our sufficiency is found in God alone, and He delights in using the weak and the few to overcome the strong and the many.
For a moment, think about how crazy it must have sounded to the Israelites to take only 300 men to fight against the Midianites’ army, which the Bible depicts as being so numerous, they were like a swarm of locusts. However, God will sometimes direct us to do what seems unwise in the moment, but it’s all part of His plan to bring about a mighty harvest of blessings and a major breakthrough!
Listen, what God directs you to do will often go against conventional wisdom. That's why it's important not to be too quick to embrace the advice of well-meaning people, even if it seems like common sense. While their advice may be practical, it may not align with the unique path God has set for you. True wisdom comes from God, and only He knows the plan specifically designed for your life.
Job 12:13 NLT says, “But true wisdom and power are found in God; counsel and understanding are his.”
Our Rallying Cry
Friend, let this be your rallying cry in the face of adversity—even when victory seems to be an impossible outcome: We're not quitting. We're not giving up. We're not stopping. We're not walking away. We won’t be deterred or intimidated. We will fight on. March on. Press on. Pray on. Praise on. For we know that our God is the Warrior who fights on our behalf, the One who goes before us and scatters our enemies.
The enemy hopes to back us into a corner and bully us into silence, but let the enemy know, I won’t be silent. Take this stance: the more ruthless he is with his attacks, the more undignified I’ll be with my praise. I'll let my praises become a weapon, a battle cry that shatters the enemy’s strongholds and advances the Kingdom of God.
I’ll dance like David danced—so hard he embarrassed his wife (2 Samuel 6:14-22). I’ll call on the name of the Lord like Blind Bartimaeus—so loud people told him to be quiet (Mark 10:46-52). I’ll press through the crowd like the woman with the issue of blood—so defiant, she broke protocol to get to the Master (Luke 8:43-48). I’ll pray and travail before the Lord like Hannah—so passionately the priest thought she was drunk (1 Samuel 1:9-28). I’ll do something unconventional like the men who wanted Jesus to heal their paralyzed friend—they were so out-of-the-box, they climbed on the roof, dug a hole, and lowered their friend into the house where Jesus was teaching (Mark 2:2-11).
If you asked the keepers of the status quo what they thought about the folks I just mentioned, they would not approve. They would tell you: David was out of order. Bartimaeus was out of order. The woman with the issue of blood was out of order. Hannah was out of order. The roof-wrecking crew was out of order. So what! Out of order is just another way of saying out of the ordinary.
It was their out-of-the-ordinary, audacious faith, their refusal to be bound by rules, customs, and traditions, that positioned them to receive extraordinary breakthroughs from the hand of God. They had a fight within them that refused to back down. And if you want to see God do extraordinary things, take the advice of this Jesus-loving girl from Buffalo, NY, who has experienced many miracles throughout my lifetime: don't be afraid to break out of the ordinary and step outside the box.
Breaking Protocol
When I was in the hospital after my ministroke, when my left side wasn’t working, I broke hospital protocol by asking for help to get up on a walker. I had no feeling on my left side, and doctors didn’t want me to do anything. I didn’t care. I told my family members standing around my bedside, “Close the door.” And God honored my faith by restoring all my physical abilities within minutes, leaving doctors in tears and in awe.
Listen, I’m here to activate your faith, to coach you into your season of greater. Declare this: I will not give up. I won’t quit. I will not retreat. I will have everything God has for me.
That’s the spirit, friend! For it is the persistent, the tenacious, the ones who refuse to surrender, who inherit the promises of God. As Hebrews 10:36 reminds us, which is the sweetener I’m stirring into your cup of inspiration, "You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised."
As you drink down the contents of your cup, know that it is the will of God for you to defy limited thinking, break through barriers, and pursue your divine destiny at all costs by faith. I feel the Holy Ghost. Speak emphatically and tell yourself, the enemy, and all the adversity staring you in the face, nothing and no one can stop me. The enemy cannot block me. For I am a child of the Most High, a soldier in the army of the Lord, and I will not be deterred from my destiny.
Now, let’s pray.
God, thank You for being our strength and shield in times of battle. We acknowledge that the battles we face are not ours but Yours, and we stand firm in the promise that victory belongs to You. Lord, help us to persevere, even when the odds are stacked against us. Give us the courage to press on and the faith to believe that You are working on our behalf. We declare right now that victory belongs to us! In Jesus’ name, Amen.
If you desire prayer, please allow me, along with my intercessory prayer team, to stand in faith with you for breakthrough. We would be so honored. We have seen God work over and over again. There is power in agreement. Click here to request prayer now.
As always, thanks for reading and until next time... may today's cup of inspiration uplift, encourage, and empower you!
