Preacher: Pasteur Merlin Ngolo
When you hear the phrase “be still,” what comes to mind? As we hear words, generally, they create images and interpretations in our mind. We instinctively assign meanings, connotations, and definitions based on our preconceived notions that have been shaped by our experiences. So sometimes what we think God is saying is not what He truly means. “Being still” often brings to mind calmness, inactivity, and waiting. But is this what God really means in Scripture?
In Exodus 14:14, God commands the Israelites to “be still” as He fights for them. The command “be still” in Hebrew is “hāraš” signifying being ploughed, a deliberate act of cultivation and preparation, challenging our view that “stillness” in God is passive. To us, the only labor expected to enter God’s rest, in order to be still, is to allow His Word to plough the soil of our soul (see Hebrews 4:11).
God’s Word is more than sermons or scriptures. The embodied Word of God is Jesus Christ: the full expression and fulfilment of the Word (see Revelation 19:3). Stillness is only guaranteed because Christ won the victory for us! By His Word, God established and conquered all on our behalf. The battle is not to win anything further but to protect the inheritance of our victory in Christ. Stillness is therefore a statement of war to the enemy!
We no longer have to fight offensively! Instead, God equips us with the spiritual armour (see Ephesians 6:10–17), and our job is to defend the victory God has in Christ. Our souls become a battleground, not only in conflict with the devil but with God as well, who seeks to conquer our resistance, stubbornness, and self-reliance. A quieted soul (like a weaned child in Psalms 131:2) is necessary for only then can we be fully used as His weapons to fight the battles we face.
While our spirit rests in God, our soul is constantly engaged in conflict, torn between the desires of the flesh and that of the Spirit. “Let God” is not a suggestion; it is an instruction. Cooperation with God is the best course of action in the ongoing conflict. In Exodus 14:15, after Moses instructed the Israelites to be still, God commanded them to move forward first—even as they faced an impassable body of water. They had to trust Him to move forward. This is a call for us to deeply trust and surrender ourselves to God’s will.
As Jeremiah 51:20 puts it, we are His “hammer and weapon of war,” but before we be used in this capacity, we must allow God to conquer our inner turmoil. One of the most powerful defensive (and even offensive) weapons God has given us is prayer. It is the unspoken weapon, a throwing spear, that safeguards our victory (see Ephesians 6:18). Through prayer, we give God the legal permit to intervene in our lives. This is how we engage in spiritual warfare—by letting God fight for us while we remain in a state of stillness.
Since God cares for you, He is intentional about fighting for you (see 1 Peter 5:7). But He first wants to conquer your soul so that you can fully trust Him. Relinquish your control and trust fully in Him; do not wait for convenience to surrender your plans, fears, and battles to Him. Be still and allow God to fight for you, letting go and letting Him take control, knowing that He has already won the victory!
