Only Interested in Total Victory

“And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.” (Ex 14:13 AV)

The people of God were understandably fearful.  They had just left Egypt and Moses led them to a place that appeared to be a trap.  They had the Red Sea to their east and the Egyptian army to their west.  They were pinned in.  The people expressed to Moses this is what they feared.  They feared being consumed by the Egyptian army in the wilderness.  They wanted to turn and go back, serving the Egyptians in severe bondage, rather than risk death in the wilderness.  I can understand their anxiety.  But God had a plan all along.  Even though defeat looked like a real possibility, God intended more than partial victory.  He intended full and complete victory.  No victory is worth it unless it is complete and total victory.

For an enemy to cease being and enemy, he must be completely defeated.  In watching several documentaries on World War II, one is struck by the resolve of the Japanese people to fight.  It was in their culture to fight, regardless of the outcome.  When it was clear the United States was gaining the advantage and, over time, would win the war, this did not stop their fighting.  Years later, somewhere upwards of thirty years later, there were still Japanese soldiers hold up in bunkers defending islands that were surrendered decades ago.  Their resolve to fight, win or lose, gave way to the doctrine of the kamikaze.  The pilot whose goal was to smash is bomb laden plane into an Allied ship, causing maximum destruction.  When Japan lost the islands around them, they were preparing to enlist every able bodies adult, male of female, to die for their nation.  A six-million-person army would have been the first defense against an Allied invasion.  The United States was well aware of this culture of war and imperialism.  We knew the only way to hand Japan was to totally defeat them.  Unconditional surrender was the only solution.  This required the first and only deployment of nuclear weapons the world would ever know.  The loss of life was incalculable.  It was extremely unfortunate it took a massive loss of life to end a war, but if it dragged on, it meant the loss of life to Allied forces into the millions.  If Japan was not totally defeated, they would take the time and rise again.

The LORD is not interested in giving us partial victories.  These victories over the world, the devil, and the flesh need to be complete so the enemy cannot rise again.  This means we are placed in positions of trust and risk.  This means we are forced to face our enemies and allow the LORD to fight for us.  This means we take no prisoners.  This means the desire for the sin or temptation will never be a temptation again.  This means that whatever we held dear that caused us to fall is rooted out and removed.  No doubt fear raised in the hearts of those looking back at the advancing Egyptian armies.  It looked like they were doomed.  God put them in that stressful situation for the express purpose of destroying and enemy so thoroughly, there would be no possibility he would rise again.  Sure, it meant fear.  Sure, it meant uncertainty.  Sure, it may have even raised some unrealistic solutions and irrational desires.  Total victory is not without cost and stress.  But Total victory is what the LORD is after.  He is not after a truce.  He is not satisfied with the 38^th parallel.  He is not after a treaty.  He is after total and unconditional surrender.  This, and only this, is the victory guaranteed to the child of God!