A Devotional on Exodus 14:14: Letting God Fight the Battles You Can’t Win
365 Mental Health Devotional Challenge: Day 76
Affiliate Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend resources I’ve personally vetted and believe will support your healing journey.
[Click HERE for the full post!]
Devotional
Exodus 14:14
“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
Mental Health Insight – In the field of psychology, the goal of building courage is achieved through the act of Habitualization. When our brain sends out anxious thoughts or intimidating intrusive thoughts, our body has the desire to run, fight, or hide. Building courage in these moments actually requires one to sit still. Letting our brain know that we are still safe despite feeling uncomfortable allows the brain to develop courage about the situation. Fighting against performing a “safety behavior” (like panicking, obsessing, or fleeing) and sitting still helps tell the brain “I can sit through this and still be okay”. The anxiety naturally begins to drop, this is habituation. Therefore, courage is the willingness to sit through the discomfort of the “spike” while waiting for the “drop,” trusting that your nervous system will regulate itself.
Faith Connection – We often think courage is the act of moving forward, but really it can be the act of not running away. When we “be still” we are welcoming God into our uncertainty. Through a biblical worldview, courage is the “holy habituation”, where one stays put even when every nerve in your body tells you to panic. It is the belief that if you remain still, the “Lord will fight for you.” So instead of fighting these battles on your own, be still and allow the Holy Father to make the way for you.
Reflection Question: What would it look like to “be still” for just two minutes during that spike today?
Prayer: Lord, thank You that I do not have to manufacture my own courage. When fear rises up within me, give me the grace to simply stand my ground. Help me to trust that as I remain still, You are already moving on my behalf. Amen.
Book Recommendations
“The Anxious Christian” by Rhett Smith: Written by a therapist, this book explores how anxiety can actually be a catalyst for spiritual growth and how to sit with fear rather than running from it.
“Daring Greatly” by Brené Brown: Learn the courage to be vulnerable and the psychological strength found in “showing up” when you can’t control the outcome.
Want To Further Your Mental Health Journey? You can actually start reading the many book recommendations on this blog for FREE in the next 60 seconds. Grab a [Free 30-Day Kindle Unlimited Trial here] or [Get 3 months of Audible for just $0.99/mo] to unlock this title and thousands of other mental health tools, instantly on your phone or tablet. (Note: Kindle Unlimited selection varies over time; check the product page for current eligibility.)
Closing Thoughts
You have completed Day 76 out of 365 Days of our 2026 Mental Health Devotional Challenge. I hope you are getting excited for the spring season. Keep up the great work and don’t forget to leave a comment below. You never know who you might encourage.
Don’t forget to leave a comment and subscribe!
Think Like Christ Mental Health
Disclaimer
I am not your therapist. The information provided in this blog post, including book recommendations and mental health insights, is for educational and informational purposes only. Interacting with this content, including leaving comments or sending direct messages, does not create a therapist-client relationship and does not guarantee a response. It does not constitute a therapist-client relationship, nor is it intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified mental health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health condition. Never disregard professional advice or delay seeking it because of something you have read here.
Love this! It’s something the church definitely needs to talk about more! Learning to sit still at his feet 💗, even when the chaos is surrounding us.
Such a great post! My Pastor recently did a sermon on this and I’d never heard it talked about before. It definitely needs to be talked about more!
Thank you for this my anxiety is through the roof. I need to remember to give it to God
Something I’m still learning is that just bc my life isn’t busy, or that I’m a quit person with little socialization, doesn’t mean I’m still. I think it’s easy for us to come up with reason to. Or be, when truth is we are afraid of stillness for so may different reasons. This is a good reminder that courage looks different in every season and everyone.
I learned a lot because I’ve never heard of this before and I love the verse that God will fight for you, we only need to be still. I have it highlighted in my Bible and have used it a lot in the past. We are currently talking about getting our courage from God in the Bible and how Moses has to get his courage from God. God equips us with what we need, I love the saying : God doesn’t call upon the equipped, he equips the called.