Faith Audio Arsenal | Battle List | We Do NOT Give Up!

This weekend, I got hit with one of those stretches where you start wondering, “Okay, what exactly is going on here?”Within about twenty-four hours, I discovered that a job opportunity I had been excited about — one that looked like an incredible answer to prayer — was actually an elaborate scam.I learned that a friend’s father had died.And then another friend and her husband barely escaped when their home burned down — taking with it forty years of memories.It was one thing after another.And yes, I found myself thinking about spiritual warfare.But I also found myself thinking about something else.Faith does not mean we don’t get hit.Scripture never promised us that.In fact, Paul says almost exactly the opposite in 2 Corinthians 4.He says we can be afflicted.Perplexed.Persecuted.Struck down.Those things are real.But then he gives us the other half.Not crushed.Not despairing.Not abandoned.Not destroyed.And then, in verse 16, he says:“Therefore we do not give up.”That stopped me.Because maybe faith isn’t proven by how successfully we avoid the battle.Maybe sometimes faith is proven by what remains after the battle reaches us.Can I still say God is faithful when the answer I thought He gave me disappears?Can I still trust Him while I’m grieving?Can I still see His hand when I’m standing in the ashes of something I thought would always be there?And can I remember what He’s already done when I can’t yet see what He’s doing now?I’ve been calling those memories my Ebenezers — the places where I can look backward and say, “God met me there.”And I’ve got too many of them now to believe He’s going to abandon me here.So this episode — and the song that came out of it — isn’t about pretending the battle doesn’t hurt.It does.It’s about deciding who gets the final word.Afflicted?Yes.Crushed?No.Perplexed?Absolutely.Despairing?No.Struck down?Maybe.Destroyed?Not today.Because God is still faithful.And therefore...we do not give up.Lyrics:WE DO NOT GIVE UPInspired by 2 Corinthians 4:8–9, 16–18 and Ephesians 6:13[Intro — low, restrained]We felt the hit.We heard the news.We watched the plans fall through.But we know the God who brought us here.And we know what He can do.[Verse 1]Thought I saw the road unfolding,Thought the door was opening wide.Then the truth came through the shadows,And exposed what hid inside.But my hope was never anchoredTo a promise made by men.I’ve seen too many EbenezersTo believe He’ll fail me now.[Pre-Chorus]The battle doesn’t mean He’s gone.The fire doesn’t mean we’ve lost.We don’t measure His faithfulnessBy what the battle costs.[Chorus]Afflicted — but not crushed!Perplexed — but not despairing!Persecuted — not abandoned!Struck down — NOT DESTROYED!We may bend.We may bleed.We may grieve what we have lost.But Jesus Christ is still our Lord.WE DO NOT GIVE UP![Verse 2]Some are standing in the ashes,Where a lifetime stood before.Some are waking to an empty chair,And footsteps heard no more.Some are staring at the wreckageOf the future they had planned.But the God who held us yesterdayIs holding us where we stand.[Pre-Chorus]The battle doesn’t mean He’s gone.The darkness doesn’t own the night.We don’t need to see the endingTo know Who wins the fight.[Chorus]Afflicted — but not crushed!Perplexed — but not despairing!Persecuted — not abandoned!Struck down — NOT DESTROYED!We may bend.We may bleed.We may grieve what we have lost.But Jesus Christ is still our Lord.WE DO NOT GIVE UP![Bridge — building]You can shake what can be shaken.You can take what will not last.But you cannot take His promise.You cannot change His faithfulness.The Lord who held me yesterdayIs holding me today.I’ve seen too many EbenezersTo turn and walk away.[Breakdown — military cadence]When the armor feels heavy—STAND.When the answer hasn’t come—STAND.When the smoke has filled the sky—STAND.When you’re asking God, “Why?”—STAND.When you’ve done everything you know to do—STAND.[Spoken — Ephesians 6:13]“Having prepared everything...”STAND.[Final Chorus — full force]AFFLICTED!NOT CRUSHED!PERPLEXED!NOT DESPAIRING!PERSECUTED!NOT ABANDONED!STRUCK DOWN!NOT DESTROYED!We are pressed —BUT WE STILL PRAISE!We are wounded —BUT WE STILL TRUST!We are grieving —BUT WE STILL KNOW!OUR GOD HAS NOT ABANDONED US!What we see is temporary!What He promised is eternal!So let the whole battlefield hear us:WE.DO.NOT.GIVE.UP![Outro — music drops, single voice]Yesterday...He was faithful.Today...He is faithful.Tomorrow...He will still be faithful.[quiet]We do not give up. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit scbailey.substack.com/subscribe