Then Elisha prayed and said, ‘O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.’ So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
2 Kings 6:17
Elisha’s servant woke up to find an enemy army surrounding them. He panicked, seeing only their problem with no way out. But Elisha prayed for God to open his servant’s eyes, and suddenly he saw what had been there all along—an army of angels with horses and chariots of fire surrounding and protecting them. God’s army was far greater than any earthly threat they faced.
What This Teaches Us
This verse reveals a powerful spiritual reality: if our eyes could only see the armies of angels all around us, we’d have a completely different perspective on our problems. Of course we feel all alone on the battlefield—all we see is ourselves.
We see our debt, our unemployment, our foreclosure, the mockers, the haters, the betrayers, the war of enemies. We can see our problems clearly in the bank statements, on the Internet, or those on the phone with us right now telling us all the things we’ve done wrong.
But unseen by us, fighting in another realm, is the army of God. Those angels battle the demons and their weapons of temptation, depression, doubt, guilt, and pessimism. They put up barriers when needed and prevent any more harm from happening to us.
If we saw them, we’d be like, “Oh, bring it on, world!” We can still say that, but we’ll have to accept that fact by faith, not sight. The spiritual battle is real, and God’s forces protecting you are far greater than any problem you face.
How to Apply This in Daily Life
When you feel overwhelmed and outnumbered by your problems, pray Elisha’s prayer: “Lord, open my eyes to see what’s really happening.” Ask God to give you spiritual vision to perceive His protection and presence around you, even when circumstances look dire.
Practice viewing your struggles through the lens of faith rather than sight alone. When you look at your bank statement, remember God’s provision is greater. When you face opposition, remember God’s army is defending you. When you feel alone, remember you’re surrounded by divine protection.
Don’t let what you can see with your physical eyes determine what you believe about your situation. The visible problems are real, but the invisible help is more real and more powerful. Train yourself to acknowledge both the problem and God’s greater presence surrounding it.
Start each difficult day by reminding yourself that God’s army is fighting on your behalf in the spiritual realm. This doesn’t mean problems will vanish instantly, but it will change how you face them—with faith and courage instead of fear and despair.
Reflection Questions
- What “armies” are you currently seeing that make you feel surrounded and afraid? What problems seem overwhelming right now?
- Do you believe by faith that God has spiritual forces protecting and fighting for you, even though you can’t see them?
- How would your perspective on your current struggles change if you could see God’s army of angels surrounding you?
- In what practical ways can you choose faith over sight today when facing your problems?
Prayer For Guidance and Strength
Heavenly Father, like Elisha’s servant, I often only see the problems surrounding me. I see my debts, my struggles, my enemies, and all the things going wrong in my life. I feel alone and outnumbered on the battlefield. Lord, I pray the prayer of Elisha: open my eyes that I may see.
Help me to see by faith what I cannot see with my physical eyes—that Your army surrounds me, that angels are fighting on my behalf, that I am protected by forces far greater than any problem I face. When I look at my circumstances and feel overwhelmed, remind me that the spiritual reality is greater than what I can see.
Thank You that even now, in the unseen realm, Your angels are battling the forces of temptation, depression, doubt, guilt, and pessimism that try to destroy me. Thank You for putting up barriers to protect me and prevent further harm. Give me the faith to say “bring it on, world!” because I know You are with me and for me.
Help me to live today with eyes of faith, not just physical sight. Let this truth transform my fear into courage and my despair into hope. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
