A Battle Lost, but a War Won – Paul M. Williams

Bethesda Shalom

Luke 22:31-34

On 3 September 1939, France declared war on Germany following the German invasion of Poland. Between 10 May and 22 June 1940, in a six-week lightning campaign, Germany’s armed forces overran Holland, Belgium, and Luxemburg, humiliating the British and defeating the French. During the fighting, the British, French, and Belgium forces had been pushed back to the French Port of Dunkirk. Hundreds of thousands of allied troops were left stranded on the beaches of Dunkirk, surrounded by massive German armies consisting of many more troops and tanks — it seemed an almost foregone conclusion. Knowing the peril of the moment, on May 24th, 1940, King George VI addressed the British nation, calling for a national day of prayer! On that self-same day, for reasons still unknown, Hitler suddenly and unexpectedly commanded the advancing Panzer tanks to halt, giving the allied forces 3 invaluable days of reprieve. On May 26th, 1940 the nation of Britain went to prayer committing their cause to Almighty God, imploring Him for divine intervention! Millions across the British Isles filed into Churches, and in some quarters, chapels were filled to overflowing. Now what happened next cannot be humanly explained. For the next nine days, some 338,000 troops were evacuated from the port and beaches of Dunkirk right in the face of the Germans! The allied forces may have lost the battle at Dunkirk but they went on to win the war!!

This sermon is an encouragement to those who may have lost battles in this Christian fight. You may have lost a battle, but you have not lost the war! There’s a work that God has for you to do. The time for licking your wounds is over and it’s time again to join the fight.