Romans 8:31
31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

A lot of times we hear this verse quoted in almost a warlike way–“if you’re not for us, then you’re against us, and since God is on our side, you won’t win.” But this is not meant to be a war chant, especially when considered within the context of the preceding paragraph:

28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

Verse 31, then, is meant ultimately as encouragement to believers who still struggle, wondering whether they’re really important to God. Paul asserts that most certainly they are important to God, that they were called, predestined to be part of His Kingdom, and that God is always working for their good even while other human beings may scheme to tear them down. The same is true for us modern-day believers.

Now, God “always working for our good” doesn’t mean that our human-designed plans will always go flawlessly, that we’ll win every game we play, or that we’ll have all our heart’s desires fulfilled. But God will be there to support us when tragedies come, when sorrow creeps in or when betrayal strikes, orchestrating a far grander plan in which all believers will be glorified in the end.