When God’s Plan Doesn't Make Sense: Strategic Detour or Deceptive War Tactics?

BeTheFire
Oct 10
8 min read

Woman smiling at a small, glowing, green-eyed demon holding a cup in a cozy café. Warm lighting and latte art visible.

The path of a faithful journey often feels anything but straight. We pray for clarity, but are instead met with confusion and questions. We ask for a direct route, but are led down a winding, unfamiliar road. It is in these moments of divine redirection, when our human logic fails, that God is often orchestrating His most brilliant—and deceptive—strategies. What we perceive as a mistake, our enemy interprets as a weakness. The story of the Israelites' exodus from Egypt is the ultimate lesson in this divine warfare. Imagine the scene: a recently freed people, led by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, following their God into the wilderness. Their path seems clear, their freedom secured. But then, as recorded in Exodus 14:1-4, God speaks a command that seems utterly illogical:

"Tell the Israelites to turn back and camp in front of Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, facing Baal-Zephon".

This was a strategic reversal, a backtrack away from progress. To the Israelites, it must have felt like a terrifying, nonsensical detour. I can only imagine the dent in their faith this redirection created. Instead of seeing deliverance, they must have seen darkness returning- a wrong road, a mistake, a fatal direction that, instead of saving their life, it was only moments before their capture and possible slaughter from their enemy would take place at the hands of Pharaoh and his Egyptian army. (Read Exodus 14 by clicking HERE)

Pharaoh, with his carnal, wicked mind, saw exactly what God intended for him to see: vulnerability, confusion.

"For Pharaoh will say of the Israelites, ‘They are wandering aimlessly in the land; the wilderness has shut them in’" (Exodus 14:3).

A person stands on a cracked path in a surreal forest with tree roots forming skull-like shapes under a cloudy sky, evoking mystery.

How often in your trials and valleys have you felt that you were "wandering aimlessly," going in circles, repeating cycles and patterns you were trying to break? We have all had that feeling of our valley or wilderness shutting us in, consuming us, surrounding us with more of its darkness.

But....

God deliberately crafted a confusing situation to bait the enemy. He knew Pharaoh's pride would drive him to chase after a seemingly cornered people, a decision that would lead to his ultimate downfall in the Red Sea. The very confusion that troubled the Israelites’ hearts was the tactical deception that led to their greatest victory.

This powerful biblical account holds profound truth for us today. The confusing detours, the dead ends, and the overwhelming obstacles we face are often not missteps but intentional maneuvers by a strategic God. As the prophet Isaiah reminds us,

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways," declares the Lord. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:8-9).

Our logical, human minds cannot grasp the fullness of His divine strategy. We operate on a carnal level, judging circumstances by what we can see, while God is executing a spiritual warfare plan that we cannot perceive. Our role is not to understand, but to trust. We are called to learn to be still, to listen, and to obey, even when the path feels wrong.

"Be Still and Know That I am God" Psalms 46:10

The command to "be still" in Psalm 46:10 is not an invitation to passive inactivity but a directive toward active surrender. The original Hebrew word, râphâh, is much stronger than a simple request to be quiet; it means to "cease striving," "stop fighting," or to "take your hands off." This understanding reframes the verse as a command to halt the frantic human efforts, anxiety, and obsessive need for control that often dominate our lives. Instead of giving up, we are actively letting go of our own power and relying on a deeper truth: the assurance that God is sovereign and ultimately in control.

Soldier running in a mystical forest with rockets and eerie creatures, lit by a beam from the sky. Intense and surreal atmosphere.

The spiritual life is not lived by sight but by faith, a faith that trusts God and His Word, even when we feel we are headed in the wrong direction. This is the essence of being led by the Spirit rather than our own fleshly intellect. The feeling of being boxed in by the wilderness, of reaching an impassable obstacle, is often the very sign that God is about to perform a miraculous work.

Even Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted (Matthew 4:1; Mark 1:12; Luke 4:1). So, if the Son of God Himself was intentionally guided into a period of desolate testing, you can be certain that your own wilderness seasons are not random. Your trials, though daunting, are part of a divine itinerary, a strategic detour orchestrated for a purpose far beyond your immediate understanding.

2 Corinthians 5:7 says, "For we walk by faith, not by sight."

The Christian's life is governed by faith, which is the absolute confidence in the unseen realities of God's character, promises, and the eternal future. Our ultimate reality is not what our eyes see today (our problems, our lack, our pain, our temporary world); it is the invisible, unbreakable truth of God's Word and promise.

The enemy, like Pharaoh, is always watching, interpreting our struggle as weakness and our confusion as a lack of divine favor. But he is being set up. He is being lured into a position where God can defeat him with overwhelming, undeniable power.

What looks like a moment of surrender is actually a strategic act of divine warfare. When we choose to surrender our logical fears to the seemingly illogical guidance of the Spirit, we are not losing ground; we are setting a trap. Trust that God has a plan. It is a powerful, masterful strategy, designed not to confuse you, but to confound and conquer your enemy.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding."

This is the instruction. It means accepting that your human knowledge and ability to plan are limited. Don't rely on your own logic, cleverness, or control, because you can't see the full picture. Instead, place your faith (your heart's total reliance) in a wisdom greater than your own.

"In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."

This is the result. By consistently recognizing God's presence and direction in every part of your life ("all your ways"), you surrender the chaos of trying to force a perfect outcome. In return, God promises to guide your journey ("make straight your paths"), providing clarity and purpose even when the steps ahead don't logically make sense to you.

Soldier running through a forest, looking fearful, with arrows and monsters around. A beam of light descends from the sky, creating drama.

A historical military example of intentional patterns to deceive is Operation Fortitude prior to the D-Day invasion in World War II. The Allies created an entire fictional army, the First U.S. Army Group (FUSAG), complete with dummy headquarters, inflatable tanks, and carefully managed radio traffic, all to suggest the main invasion force would land at Pas-de-Calais, not Normandy. The German high command, conditioned by this pattern of false indicators, concentrated defensive forces far from the actual landing site, illustrating the success of active deception in warfare. In the modern context, this principle translates directly into competitive strategies in the business and geopolitical arenas. For instance, a corporation might intentionally leak information about a significant investment in a legacy product line (a "dummy replacement" or "feint") to make competitors believe that is their strategic focus, while the company's true, game-changing effort is a highly confidential project in an entirely different, disruptive technology. Thus, the perceived "pattern" of activity serves to misallocate the competitor's resources and attention, paralleling the military imperative to cause an adversary to take actions detrimental to themselves and beneficial to the friendly mission.

Ultimately, this strategic understanding reveals that the divine command to "be still" is not passive advice, but the ultimate act of operational security, for even God Himself employs strategy: He commanded the Israelites to detour and encamp by the sea, a move so baffling to Pharaoh that he concluded, "They are entangled in the land; the wilderness has shut them in" (Exodus 14:3).

Pharaoh saw confusion and weakness; God was setting the trap for his complete deliverance. Therefore, in the high-stakes battle of the spiritual life, we must abandon our futile personal striving and clutch the strategy of surrender, anchoring ourselves entirely in prayer, trusting implicitly in God, His Character, and the leading of the Holy Spirit, for our stillness is merely the perfect concealment for the powerful, tricking-the-enemy delivery God is actively executing on our behalf.

Two people run through a mystical forest dodging fiery arrows. Text reads, "Remember God's Promise... No weapon formed against you will prosper. Believe it."

When you feel overwhelmed, when the circumstances insist that everything is going wrong, and you question "what is going on?"—that is the moment to just stop. If you stand firm in your faith, if your heart is genuinely repentant, and you remain abiding in God's Word, committed to prayer, and cultivating a thankful heart, then your only remaining task is to rest in trusting God.

The enemy will relentlessly torment you with anxiety and doubt until you finally learn the active discipline of the "be still" command. You must remember that our spiritual battle is often a strategic campaign where God's saving power is at work, but the enemy is being deliberately tricked into miscalculation. Don't mistake the detour for the dead end.

"And Moses said to the people, 'Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today... The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace'" (Exodus 14:13–14).

Remember God's promise: 'No weapon formed against you will prosper' (Isaiah 54:17). Believe it. Every arrow, every stone, every challenge is powerless against the greater plan unfolding through your life. You are not lost; you are being strategically positioned for victory.

When your back is against the wall, the way forward is blocked by an impossible sea, and the noise of your pursuers—fear, doubt, anxiety—is deafening, remember this moment at the Red Sea.

Don't let the impossible scenario define your faith.

Even when deliverance seems utterly impossible and you feel completely trapped, your assignment is the same as the Israelites': Stand still and see the salvation of the LORD. Your job is not to figure out the escape route, fight the coming battle, or even silence the noise. Your only job is to hold your peace and trust the promise that the LORD will fight for you.

Today, release the burden of needing to see the solution. Your circumstances may look terrifying, but they are simply the perfect backdrop for God to accomplish a miracle you never could have orchestrated. He will deliver you today.

Warfare prayer: "Almighty God, when I am trapped by overwhelming circumstances, make a way where there is no way. Just as You parted the Red Sea and swallowed the armies of my enemies, I ask You to destroy every obstacle and foe that stands against me. Give me the courage to stand firm and witness Your mighty deliverance. In Jesus's name, amen."

This video explores the art of military deception, including historical examples of feigned attacks and decoys: Deceptive War Tactics Explained in 8 minutes: click here

Operation Fortitude: click here

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All written content, artwork, graphics, and videos are the original creations of Amanda Allen, author of Kingdom Revelations. This article may be freely shared for the glory of God, with proper credit to the original source—the Bible, the Word of God—and acknowledgment of Amanda’s Bible studies. Enjoy and share with purpose!