Surrender: Anchoring Our Faith in God’s Covenant and Sovereignty
There’s a kind of surrender that doesn’t come from weakness or avoidance, but from bold, active faith.
In 2 Chronicles 20, King Jehoshaphat faces a vast and terrifying enemy. The armies of Moab, Ammon, and Mount Seir are coming against Judah. This is a paralyzing fear and discouragement that shatters the souls of the entire nation, for by human standards, this isn’t a fair fight. Jehoshaphat knows it. But instead of preparing his best warriors, he does something unexpected: he gathers the people and calls for fasting and prayer.
He lifts his eyes to YHWH, the covenant-keeping God of Israel, and admits, "We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on You" (v. 12). This is not the helplessness of a leader with no plan; it is the humility of a king who knows his place before the sovereign Elohim, Creator and Ruler over all.
YHWH is the personal name of God, often translated as "LORD" in our English Bibles. It represents God's unchanging, faithful, and relational nature, emphasizing His loving covenant with His people. When Jehoshaphat turns to YHWH, he is calling upon the God who has always been faithful to His promises, the God who binds Himself to His people with love and commitment.
In contrast, Elohim highlights God's sovereignty and supreme power. It is a name that reflects God's role as the Creator of all things, the One who holds the universe in His hands and governs everything that exists. Elohim speaks to God's majesty, omnipotence, and the fact that He is the ultimate authority in all matters, visible and invisible.
Together, these names show us the balance of God's faithful, covenantal love and His all-encompassing, authoritative power. Jehoshaphat acknowledges both God's intimate relationship with His people and His supreme authority over the world, recognizing that the battle belongs to Him alone.
And then the answer comes. It’s not a battle strategy, but a promise:
"Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s [Elohim]. You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord [YHWH] will give you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord [YHWH] will be with you." (2 Chronicles 20:15, 17)
This Is What Active Faith Looks Like
Jehoshaphat doesn’t get to sit this one out. God doesn’t remove the threat. But He reminds them: this battle does not belong to you. You are not the commander—Elohim is. You are His people—YHWH, your faithful God, will go with you.
Active faith isn’t passive. It’s not about standing around and waiting for God to act while we formulate our own backup plans. It’s about turning to YHWH and Elohim first—in prayer, in fasting, in petition, and even lament. We begin not by solving, but by seeking. Not by analyzing, but by adoring. Not by planning, but by praying. Faith moves, but it moves in response to God, not ahead of Him.
Active Surrender Is Not Avoidance
We often imagine surrender as passive—doing nothing, giving up, backing down. But biblical surrender is different. It requires showing up. It requires laying down our illusion of control and stepping forward in obedience anyway. It's not spiritual apathy; it's spiritual courage.
When the people of Judah worshipped, they were not escaping reality. They were confronting it with the only weapon that mattered: faith in Elohim, the God who governs outcomes. Their eyes were on the covenant promises of YHWH, who had never once forsaken His people.
Their surrender was not passive. It was their battle posture.
Faith Isn’t the Absence of Action, It’s Obedient Movement
It’s worth noticing: God doesn’t say, "Stay home and I’ll take care of it." He says, "Go out to face them… Take your position… and watch what I will do."
Sometimes the bravest thing we can do is to stand firm where God tells us to stand even when we don’t know how it ends. Faith isn’t pretending we aren’t afraid. It’s trusting that YHWH’s promises are more real than what we feel.
Faith means moving forward even when the math doesn’t work, when the odds are against you, when the timeline doesn’t make sense because you trust Elohim, the God who is never late and never outmatched.
And true faith begins with a posture of the heart. When we recognize the abundant mercy of YHWH and the sovereignty of Elohim, it humbles us. We begin to see ourselves rightly—limited, dependent, and deeply in need of grace. That awareness invites repentance, not out of shame, but as a response to the mercy and justice of the One who reigns over all.
This is the heart of surrender:
Anxiety for trust.
Striving for rest.
Fear for hope.
Control for peace.
For Those Facing a Battle Right Now
Maybe you're standing at the edge of something that feels impossible. Maybe the army you’re facing is made of insecurity, fear, shame, unforgiveness, bitterness, exhaustion, or the slow drip of hope deferred.
You don’t have to know what to do next. You just need to lift your eyes and take your position—one of faith and repentance:
Take your position in the Word.
Take your position in prayer.
Take your position in obedience.
Take your position in truth.
Take your position in community.
Take your position in worship—even before the victory comes.
And before you rush to fix what feels broken, bring it first to the throne of Elohim. Lift your voice in prayer, petition, or even lament, declaring who He is and whatever your soul needs to say, because active faith begins not with your plans, but with your dependence on Him. The God who hears is also the God who fights.
And then, watch what YHWH, your covenant God, will do. Watch how Elohim, sovereign over all things, moves in ways no enemy can thwart.
The battle may not be yours to win. But it is yours to show up for.
Reflective Questions
What is one area of your life where you’ve been trying to fight in your own strength instead of bringing it first to God in prayer?
How might Elohim be inviting you to take your position in prayer, lament, or repentance before moving forward with plans or solutions?
In what ways is the Spirit prompting you to surrender control and respond in obedience?
How can you more intentionally fix your eyes on YHWH this week—through Scripture, prayer, worship, or community?
What would it look like for you to repent not out of shame, but in response to God’s mercy and sovereignty?
Let your surrender become your strength. Let your faith become your position. And let the Lord fight your battle.