Daily Devotional

"Captain America: The First Avenger" is a classic for me. I mean who wouldn't love an underdog story of a scrawny kid who gets superpowers and fights for our country? There's a scene early on in the movie, before the Captain's transformation, where he (Steve Rogers) stands up to a rude and disrespectful moviegoer only to get beat up in the process. Before things get really out of hand Steve's best friend Bucky Barnes steps in to rescue him.

Once the bully flees with his tail tucked between his legs, Bucky says to Steve, "Sometimes I think you like getting punched." Implying this probably isn't the first time Steve has been beaten up. In fact, it likely happened quite often. For us, it can be discouraging to feel like we aren't making any progress, in our lives. And while God has promised us victory in Jesus, we struggle to survive the fight! So, how do we move from losing our battles to winning our battles? We fight in the name of Jehovah Nissi, the Lord our Banner.

So in the story, King Amalek and the Amalekites wanted to fight the Israelites. Moses went to Joshua and told him to round up warriors and go take care of Amalek. Moses then went to the top of the hill with the staff of God in his hands. When Moses raised his hands Joshua and Co. were winning. Yet, when Moses’ hands fell, they were getting beat. This image of God being lifted high was the source of victory. This symbolic and miraculous moment resulted in Moses calling God Jehovah Nissi, or, the Lord is my banner. The banner was on display for all to see — symbolizing a rallying point for the people to fight under, a reminder of who it was they fought with, and a proclamation of victory under the banner of God. As believers, we must rally under the banner of God and experience true victory in His presence!

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.