“Little ones to him belong; they are weak, but he is strong.” Almost everything we need to know about the spiritual life is packed into that little phrase. Physically fragile and spiritually frail believers belong to One who is strong. Our enemies—the devil, the world, and our flesh—are no match for the mighty Lord God (Rev. 18:8).

These same ideas are embedded in an even shorter phrase found almost 250 times in Scripture: Yahweh Sabaoth, which is usually translated “Lord of hosts.”

Here’s the problem: we might overlook this title of God because its English translation doesn’t awe like its Hebrew original. To us, a “host” can be a “multitude” or can describe an entertainer. But in Hebrew, “host” is far more majestic.

1. The Lord of hosts is the God of armies. The divine title regularly appears in battle settings. David didn’t drive out the invading Philistines alone; the “Lord of hosts” gave the victory (2 Sam. 5:10; 6:2). “The King of glory” is “the Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle . . . the Lord of hosts” (Ps. 24:8, 10). God is a warrior who commands heaven’s armies against our most vicious foes.
2. The Lord of hosts is the God of angels. Angels who surround the exalted Lord call to each other, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” (Isa. 6:3). Angels will flank Jesus when He comes to earth in the Father’s glory (Matt. 16:27). In the meantime, they are ministering spirits whom God deploys to help His children (Heb. 1:14).
3. The Lord of hosts is God Almighty. A Greek translation of the Old Testament emphasizes the might of Yahweh Sabaoth, the all-powerful One.