The Arm of Flesh and the Arm of God Text: 2 Chronicles 32:1-8
Introduction: The Inescapable Test
There is a recurring pattern in Scripture, and it is a pattern that plays out in the life of every believer and every faithful church. The pattern is this: faithfulness, followed by a severe trial. Reformation is followed by assault. Revival is followed by invasion. We see it in the life of our Lord; after the glorious affirmation from heaven at His baptism, He is immediately driven into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And we see it here, starkly, in the life of Hezekiah. The text begins with a phrase that should arrest our attention: "After these acts of faithfulness..."
What acts of faithfulness? Hezekiah had just led Judah in one of the most sweeping and glorious reformations in its history. He reopened and cleansed the Temple, reinstituted the Passover, smashed the idols, and called the people back to covenant fidelity. He did everything right. He was, as the kids say, on fire for the Lord. And what is his reward? What follows this great return to God? "Sennacherib king of Assyria came and invaded Judah." The most terrifying military machine on the planet shows up on his doorstep, breathing threats and slaughter.
This is not a divine oversight. It is a divine appointment. God does not test our faith to discover its strength; He already knows. He tests our faith to display its strength, both to us and to the watching world, angelic and human. The world believes that might makes right, that the big battalions always win, that history is written by the victors with the sharpest swords and heaviest chariots. God arranges these historical showdowns to demonstrate, publicly and unequivocally, that this is not the case. He delights in pitting the "arm of flesh" against the arm of God, precisely because the contest is so lopsided as to be laughable. This is not just a historical account of an ancient siege; it is a paradigm for all spiritual warfare. It teaches us how to think, how to act, and how to speak when the world's Sennacheribs come breathing down our necks.
The Text
After these acts of faithfulness Sennacherib king of Assyria came and invaded Judah and encamped against the fortified cities, and thought to break into them for himself. Then Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come and that he had set his face to make war on Jerusalem, and he took counsel with his commanders and his warriors to stop up the supply of water from the springs which were outside the city, and they helped him. So many people gathered and stopped up all the springs and the stream which flowed in the midst of the land, saying, “Why should the kings of Assyria come and find abundant water?” And he strengthened himself and rebuilt all the wall that had been broken down and erected towers on it, and built another outside wall and strengthened the Millo in the city of David, and made weapons and shields in great number. He also put military commanders over the people and gathered them to him in the square at the city gate, and spoke to their hearts, saying, “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be dismayed because of the king of Assyria nor because of all the multitude that is with him; for the one with us is greater than the one with him. With him is only an arm of flesh, but with us is Yahweh our God to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people were sustained by the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.
(2 Chronicles 32:1-8 LSB)
The Threat and the Response (vv. 1-2)
The crisis arrives without preamble.
"After these acts of faithfulness Sennacherib king of Assyria came and invaded Judah and encamped against the fortified cities, and thought to break into them for himself. Then Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come and that he had set his face to make war on Jerusalem." (2 Chronicles 32:1-2)
Sennacherib was the undisputed superpower of his day. The Assyrian army was a marvel of brutal efficiency, known for its siege engines, its psychological warfare, and its utter ruthlessness. To have Sennacherib set his face toward your capital city was the ancient equivalent of seeing a mushroom cloud on the horizon. This was an existential threat. This was not a border skirmish; this was an invasion aimed at total conquest.
Notice the enemy's intention: he "thought to break into them for himself." This is the mindset of every worldly tyrant. He sees what God has blessed, and he wants it for himself. He sees a faithful people, a prosperous land, a well-ordered city, and his covetousness is inflamed. The world cannot stand to see a people blessed by God and not try to devour them. This is the enmity God placed between the seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman in the garden. Faithfulness does not earn you a pass from conflict; it guarantees it.
Hezekiah's response is immediate. He "saw" the reality of the situation. He did not stick his head in the sand. He did not spiritualize the problem away. He recognized a clear and present danger. True faith is not blind; it is clear-eyed. It looks at the facts, however grim, without flinching, because it knows that the facts are never the final word.
Faith That Works (vv. 3-6)
What follows is a master class in the relationship between faith and works. Hezekiah's trust in God does not lead to passivity; it fuels a flurry of vigorous, practical activity.
"and he took counsel with his commanders and his warriors to stop up the supply of water... rebuilt all the wall... erected towers... built another outside wall... strengthened the Millo... and made weapons and shields in great number. He also put military commanders over the people..." (2 Chronicles 32:3-6 LSB)
Some might look at this and see a man hedging his bets. They might see a lack of faith. "If you really trusted God, Hezekiah, you'd just sit back and pray." This is a pietistic lie that has paralyzed many a Christian. The Bible knows nothing of this sacred/secular divide. Faith and works are not enemies; they are allies. Faith is the engine; works are the wheels. As James would later put it, faith without works is dead. Hezekiah's faith was manifestly alive.
Hezekiah's actions are both strategic and symbolic. First, he cuts off the water supply to the invading army. This is shrewd military strategy. An army cannot function without water. But it is also a theological statement. The people say, "Why should the kings of Assyria come and find abundant water?" They are asserting that the blessings of this land, the water that flows from its springs, belong to Yahweh and His people, not to pagan invaders. They are exercising dominion.
Second, he rebuilds the city's defenses. He repairs the broken walls, builds new towers, and adds an outer wall. This is hard, dusty, practical work. It is the work of engineering, logistics, and manual labor. And it is all an act of faith. He is preparing for battle, trusting that God will bless his preparations. The proverb says, "The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord" (Proverbs 21:31). You are responsible to prepare the horse. God is responsible for the victory. Hezekiah is not trusting in his walls; he is trusting in the God who makes walls stand.
Third, he manufactures weapons and shields "in great number." He is not planning for a token resistance. He is preparing for total war. He arms the people. This is a picture of a church militant. We are not called to be a passive, defenseless flock, but a disciplined, well-armed army. Our weapons may not be forged of iron and bronze, but they are "mighty in God for pulling down strongholds" (2 Corinthians 10:4). Hezekiah's actions rebuke any form of Christianity that equates faith with inaction. True faith rolls up its sleeves and gets to work.
The Courage of the Covenant (vv. 7-8)
Having made all the practical preparations, Hezekiah now addresses the heart of the matter. He gathers the people and speaks to their souls.
"Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be dismayed because of the king of Assyria nor because of all the multitude that is with him; for the one with us is greater than the one with him." (2 Chronicles 32:7 LSB)
This is the central task of godly leadership in a time of crisis: to speak courage into the hearts of the people. And notice where this courage comes from. It is not based on positive thinking or self-esteem. It is based on a simple, glorious, theological calculation. It is a matter of spiritual arithmetic. "The one with us is greater than the one with him." This is the same logic Elisha used when his servant was terrified by the surrounding Syrian army: "Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them" (2 Kings 6:16). The battle is never decided by what we can see, but by the unseen realities of God's kingdom.
Hezekiah then draws the fundamental distinction, the ultimate antithesis that governs all of reality.
"With him is only an arm of flesh, but with us is Yahweh our God to help us and to fight our battles." (2 Chronicles 32:8 LSB)
This is the worldview war in a single sentence. On one side, you have the "arm of flesh." This represents everything the world trusts in: military might, political power, economic strength, technological superiority, sheer numbers. It is impressive. It is intimidating. It is what makes the headlines. But it is only flesh. It is mortal, finite, and ultimately weak. It is the arm that will one day wither and turn to dust.
On the other side, you have "Yahweh our God." This is the covenant name of God. This is the God who keeps His promises. This is the God who brought Israel out of Egypt, who parted the Red Sea, who toppled Jericho. He is with us. And He is with us for two specific purposes: "to help us and to fight our battles." God does not call us to fight alone. He fights alongside us, and more than that, He fights for us. Our job is to stand; His job is to strike the decisive blow.
The effect of this word is immediate and profound: "And the people were sustained by the words of Hezekiah king of Judah." The Hebrew word for "sustained" means to lean on, to find support, to rest upon. The people took the weight of their fear and anxiety and placed it squarely on the truth of Hezekiah's words. This is how faith comes: by hearing the word of God (Romans 10:17). Words create worlds. The lying words of the enemy create a world of fear and despair. The true words of God's servant create a world of courage and hope.
Conclusion: The Unchanging Battle
This story is our story. The church in the secular West is facing its own Sennacherib. He has set his face against us. He comes with the full might of the cultural establishment, the media, the academy, the government, and the corporate world. He encamps against our cities. He mocks our God. He threatens to break us for himself.
And what must our response be? It must be the response of Hezekiah. First, we must engage in practical faithfulness. We must stop up the water supply of the enemy by refusing to fund or participate in his godless enterprises. We must rebuild the broken walls of our families and churches through disciplined instruction and worship. We must strengthen the Millo, the citadel of our hearts, with sound doctrine. We must forge the weapons and shields of apologetics, of catechism, of robust Christian education, so that our children are prepared for the fight.
But all of this practical work will be for nothing if it is not animated by a rugged, courageous, articulate faith. We must have leaders who will stand in the public square and speak to the hearts of the people. We must constantly be reminded of the fundamental spiritual arithmetic. No matter how vast the enemy's multitude appears, the One with us is infinitely greater.
They have only the arm of flesh. They have their propaganda, their legislation, their intimidation, their mobs. But it is all just flesh. It is loud, it is proud, but it is dying. We have Yahweh our God to help us and to fight our battles. This is not a contest between two equal powers. This is a contest between the creature and the Creator, between the arm of flesh and the arm of the Almighty. And the outcome has never been in doubt. Therefore, be strong and courageous. Do not fear. And you will find yourselves, like the people of Judah, sustained by the unchanging Word of our King.