Who does God fight for?

Terrance Niedziela Jr.

“The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.” — Exodus 14:14 NKJV

I’ve been cussed out by middle schoolers and expected to keep teaching lessons as if nothing happened. I’ve been talked over, ignored, disrespected, and challenged by students—and sometimes their parents—on repeat. More times than I can count, I’ve had to wrestle my anger into submission. On one such day, when I was this close to saying something I couldn’t take back, the Holy Spirit cut through my rage and said, “Let Me handle them.” Then He brought Exodus 14:14 to mind: “The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace” (NKJV).

Understanding God's Ways of Intervention

We love the idea of God fighting for us. We pray and ask Him to step in and change our circumstances—the cancer diagnosis, the lawsuit, the struggling marriage, the wandering child. And often, He moves in powerful ways. But God’s faithfulness does not always look like immediate rescue or visible victory. Sometimes His work is quieter, deeper, and more mysterious than we expect. Scripture shows us that while God is always present and always good, His ways of intervening are not the same in every situation, nor do they always align with our definition of rescue.

In Exodus, God is revealed as One who fights for His people. At the Red Sea, He makes a way for those who trust Him enough to follow, even when the path feels impossible. Pharaoh saw God’s power too, yet chose to resist it. God did not force rescue on a hardened heart.

God's Protection Through Relationships

This reminds us that God’s fighting is not about exclusion, but about relationship. He invites us to trust, to follow, and to place ourselves under His care. His presence is always near, but His protection is experienced most fully when we are willing to walk with Him.

Now that we know who God fights for, let's see who God doesn't fight for.

1. Those not in His kingdom: For those who do not have Jesus as their Lord, they are children of wrath (Ephesians 2). They are dead in their sins and follow the dictates of the prince of the power of the air. People don’t like to hear this. They want to hear that they’re fine just the way they are. But God, in His infinite love, tells us like it is. I can’t go to any of the businesses in the city I live in and say, “I’m here for my paycheck and retirement benefits,” because I don’t work there. We may think it’s silly to do this, but we don’t have a problem doing it in the spiritual.

The Essential Role of Jesus as Lord for Accessing God's Kingdom

If Jesus is not our Lord and Master, we’re not in the kingdom of God and have no right to the benefits of that kingdom. Yes, sometimes God will act on behalf of the sinner. But that is to show His goodness and kindness, so we will believe in our hearts and confess with our mouths that Jesus Christ is Lord and be saved (Romans 10:10). When we do this, we have access to the saving power of the kingdom of God.

2. Those in open rebellion against Him: These are in the body of Christ, know what God commands, and refuse to obey. They love their sin and refuse to change. When life slaps them in the face, they want God to save them. Yet they’ve placed themselves outside of Him, and He will not violate His Word. What we sow, we reap. We sow to the flesh, and we reap corruption (Galatians 5). In the parable of the prodigal son, the younger son didn't receive his father’s intervention until he left his lifestyle of sin, came home, and confessed his sin.

Restoring Our Relationship with God Through Repentance

The same is true in the kingdom of God. If we are in rebellion, we must repent. This means changing our minds about our sin, going to God, and confessing what He says about that sin. Then He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us of all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). We are back in a relationship with Him, and now we can walk through whatever process He leads us through. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve been in this category. 

I've stumbled my way through obeying, and yet, God took care of things. As usual, it wasn’t in the way I expected. A few students were removed from my classes during my tenure. Some I desperately wanted to leave, stayed instead. One year, a former student emailed me to thank me for not giving him the punishment he deserved. God opened his eyes to my kindness, and it changed his heart toward me. 

Trusting Divine Guidance and Forgiveness

For those who have Him as Lord, are striving to walk out the Word of God to the best of their understanding, and confess sin when they need to, they have a Heavenly Father willing to fight for them. Just as He gave instructions to Israel at the Red Sea before He saved them from Pharaoh’s army, He also gives His children instructions. He told me to pray for my students and to emulate Him by showing them kindness so they would repent. He also told me to stop complaining about them, let go of my bitterness, and forgive them. And I did. Thankfully, God fights for me.

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Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Word, Your kindness, and Your mercy. Please help me see myself as You do. Show me where I need to repent and give me the grace to obey You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Your turn: What action step do you need to take in your current situation? Which category do you fit into? Are you outside the kingdom of God? Are you in the kingdom but walking in rebellion? Or are you in the kingdom, striving to obey and grow in your relationship with God? I can guarantee that if you do what God tells you to do, it will end better than you could ever imagine.