The
message I have for tonight is different from my other messages. The
message tonight is a call to battle against the enemy. I am separating
this into two parts so that it won’t be that long and you listen at your
own pace.
All
through the ages, God has done miracles of power to vanquish and confuse
the enemy. God is not weaker today! GOD WANTS TO DO THEM TODAY.
And
He wants to use HIS people to be part them. We who are sick and
suffering can still wage war on the enemy. In fact, if we learn to do
this and affect world events, we can then learn to do this against
sickness, suffering, and evil.
1
Samuel 7:10 Now Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, and the
Philistines drew near to battle against Israel. But the LORD thundered
with a great thunder on that day against the Philistines and confused
them, so that they were routed before Israel.
Samuel gave an offering and God confused the enemy.
Look at this scripture: Exodus 17:9-12And Moses said to Joshua, Choose us out men and
go out, fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill
with the rod of God in my hand. 10So Joshua did as Moses said and
fought with Amalek; and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the hilltop.
11When Moses held
up his hand, Israel prevailed; and when he lowered his hand, Amalek
prevailed.
12But Moses'
hands were heavy and grew weary. So [the other men] took a stone and put
it under him and he sat on it. Then Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one
on one side and one on the other side; so his hands were steady until
the going down of the sun
When Moses help up his hands the battle was
won. When he lowered them, the battles was lost. He didn’t have the
strength to do it alone, so Aaron and Hur held his hands up and they had
complete victory.
We
who love God have power to effect the outcome of world events. Nations
and their leaders rage, but God has other plans. And, we His children
are the ones to pray for for the enemy to be confused.
The
battle in Iraq, the raging of the leaders of the world--all this can be
effected by our prayer and fasting.
And, while we're on the topic--the same thing applies to our own lives.
The enemy comes against us in so many ways, but we have the power to
vanquish the enemy.
Whether it is the world situation, or our own lives, we have the power
and the responsibility to cause confusion and defeat in the enemy camp.
Remember, we do not war against flesh and blood enemies. There are
spiritual powers behind every battle.
Ephesians 6:12 For we
wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against
powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against
spiritual wickedness in high places
As
believers, we are the only people in the world who can really fight the
battle spiritually.
Matthew 16:19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the
kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be
bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be
loosed in heaven.
IN SCRIPTURE, THE GATES REPRESENT THE SEAT OF AUTHORITY
Proverbs
31:23 Her husband is known in the
gates, when he sits among the elders of the land.
Jesus is saying that the powers of darkness shall not prevail against
us!! But we cannot just wait to have the victory come to us. We must go
on the offensive!! Gates don’t attack—they are stationary. We are the
ones who are supposed to attack; that is why Jesus said that the Gates
of Hell would not prevail against us.
Matthew
11:12 And from the days of John the
Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the
violent take it by force.
VIOLENT: FORCEFUL; ENERGETIC! HOW ARE WE GOING TO DO IT?
Look back at Matthew 16:19
"And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatever you
bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatever you shall loose on
earth shall be loosed in heaven."
IN ORDER TO DO THIS WE MUST IDENTIFY THE ENEMY! THE ENEMY IS NOT
PEOPLE—IT’S SPIRITUAL FORCES.
Ephesians 6:12 For we our struggle is not against flesh and
blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world
forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in
the heavenly places.
I am closing the first part of the message here and will continue on
part two which I will post in a few minutes.
