ENGAGING THE ENEMY

1. Introduction

Deuteronomy 2:3 “You have compassed this mountain long enough – turn yourself northward”.

· “Mountain”       = Place of personal defeat/failure or an era of immaturity/childishness.

= Whatever resists God’s purpose and plan in your life

· vs 24-25          = Call to rise up in season of warfare to advance purposes of God.

· Must be willing to face issues in personal life, relationships that resists change.

· Don’t keep going around the ‘mountain” – change.

2. The Call to Warfare: “No Growth without Struggle”

Vs 24-25 Rise up – take your journey – begin to possess, contend in battle.

· Sihon – represents the demonic realm that resists and opposes God’s purposes.

i. Sihon = “to wipe out, to be stormy, one who rages like a storm.

ii. Amenie = “One that dwells in the high places (Eph.6:11-12)

iii. Hesbon = “Device, reasoning, something fabricated”.

· Our battle is against unseen spiritual forces that exert pressure from the spiritual world.

· Spiritual forces through strategies and devices to hold people in bondage.

· 2 Corinthians 10:4 – The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God.

i. “Not carnal” = not temporal, weak, dependent on human strength.

ii. “Mighty through God” = powerful, capable, possible, full of miracle power of God.

iii. “Pull down/cast down” = 2500 = demolition, destruction, pull down with violence.

{Stronghold = 3794        = castle, fortified position

                                       =mindset full of despair, no hope for change

{Imagine = 3054             = Reasonings, opinions

{High Thing = 5312        = something elevated, a barrier

All of these refer to mindsets and thoughts that resist the personal knowledge of God.

· “Take capture” = 163 = to make a captive or a prisoner of war.

rt = to lead away captive at the point of a spear.

· The mind is a place of battle where the future of your life is decided.

· Whatever controls your thoughts directs the way you live your life.

· A militant attitude and aggressive action are needed to bring change.

· This is your warfare – you are responsible for your thoughts.

Examples; fear;  rejection;  victim;  anger etc.

Deuteronomy 2:24-26 “Notice the direction God gives His people”.

· “Rise up”                     = 6965 – to arise, stir up, decree => New Mentality

· “Take your journey”    = 5265 – to pull up the tent pins => Let go the old

   ways

· “Possess”                    = 3423 – to occupy by driving out previous tenants

· “Contend in Battle”      = 1624 – to stir up, provoke to anger by engaging in

   conflict with the enemy.

3. The Strategy of Warfare – “Engaging the Enemy”

Three essentials for victory in spiritual warfare.

· Position =

Your placement where you can stand – battle foregone conclusion

Must know where you stand with God and stand up in it.

Accepted, forgiveness, redeemed (Eph 1:6) Not condemned (Rom.8:1)

· Perspective =

How you can see the situations, your point of view – Above!

Must see it from point of victory already won, enemy defeated

V24 “I have given into your hand – I will put the dread of you”

· Posture =

Your “attitude”, how can you approach any resistance to God’s best.

Assertive, resistant, aggressive, determined

Mt. 11:12 Kingdom of heaven advances with assertive force

James 4:7 “Humble self under the hand of God – resist the Devil and he will flee!”

Flee = 5343 = to run away, to shun, to vanish.

4. Practical Strategy for Breakthrough

i)    Personal Evaluation:

· Face the areas of sin or childishness and admit it exists.

· May need feedback from those close to you.

· Take personal ownership – this is your responsibility.

Key Question:  What issue are you struggling with or avoiding?  Identify how long has this pattern been operating in your life?

ii)   Commit to Change:

· There is no change without personal commitment.

· Rise up and totally reject “this mountain” = “Zero tolerance”

Key Question:     What negative affect if allow it to remain?

                              How would your life change for the better if addressed it?

iii)   Spiritual Warfare:

· Jer.1:8-10 “I put my word in your mouth” – Root out, pull down, destroy, throw down.

· Fasting (Is.58:6) Helps unlock and expose issues, increase sensitivity.

· Reject sin/immaturity e.g. repentance, forgiveness, grieving.

· Resist the spirits (Ja 4:7) – they are specific individual spirits.

· Confess the Word of God (Heb. 10:23) = homologeo = speak same thing.

- speak out strongly what God says to be true - Decree

- e.g. job 22:28 Decree = to cut down, exclude, decide, legislate.

                iv)    Renew Your Thinking:

· Meditate – roll over truth in mind, embrace, imagine

· Capture all wrong thoughts quickly - First frame

Key Question:     How usually think? Respond? What change needed?

v)   Accountability

· Who could help you keep your commitment?