25 January 2008
1. Introduction:
· 2 Kings 6:16-17 - “Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he might see”.
· We are Kingdom enforcers. The judgments on Calvary are for all evil forces.
· Overwhelming circumstances: “Don’t be afraid”, “fear not, for I am with you”. If God is for us, who can be against us?
· T.V. news – to get perspective for us today, thus create fear but we are here to win strongly.
· Pray – get heaven’s perspective. Get to high ground. The winner takes the higher ground. See the move of God, there is more angels for us than demons against us. Get God’s perspective on things, open your spiritual eyes.
· God entrusts us with a mission. Go and change communities, nations, one person at a time. Represent God.
· We are engaged in spiritual conflict – commissioned to disciple nations.
· The war is unseen but real – not against people but for people.
· In the church people get a vision of what they could be and called to be. Now we need to get together as an army.
· You are enlisted by Jesus Christ Himself as a soldier; this puts you against the kingdom of darkness.
· What is at stake? (1) Your personal freedom – you stand up, or go back to bondage, a
place of defeat. Live a life of vitality, make a stand, claim it, walk in
it. Advance.
(2) Promises of God concerning marriage, family, finances,
breakthrough. Promises God has for your life, promises you need to
get by arising and taking it.
(3) The welfare of our community – salvation of precious people. The
church is responsible for changes and influence in our communities.
· The Battle is to advance the Kingdom of God – we are enlisted to an army.
· We need our spiritual eyes opened – so we can see and engage the supernatural realm of heaven.
· Elijah overpowered the invisible demonic powers by the manifest presence of God.
· Elijah’s mission – to impact and change a nation.
2. You are an Enlisted Soldier:
· 2 Timothy 21-4 - “Endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ”.
a) Chosen to be a Soldier:
· Chosen = 4758 = stratalogeo = to enlist in the army, to gather as a warrior, to engage the support and services of a person for a great cause, to be strategically placed.
· When you were born again you became an ambassador for the Kingdom of God – a soldier.
b) 6 Positions a Soldier can take – by choice:
· Traitor – one who violates loyalty to king and country, yields up what was entrusted to him and gives it to the enemy. E.g. Luke 6:16 - Judas – an Apostle but also a traitor.
How? – a kiss of friendship, not fulfilled his mandate.
Traitors in war get shot.
Traitors get overtaken by demons.
· Deserter – one who abandons his military post with no intention of returning, he just goes away from his post e.g. no prayer, not involved.
· AWOL - one who leaves his post, place of responsibility without permission or explanation. Absent without leave. Just gone and not involved and engaged with Jesus Christ. Let’s not be absent without leave.
· Wounded – one wounded in battle, needing support, healing and care. Don’t live in the past, or on wounds, get healed and go back to battle. The church must be a healing community.
· Recruit – a new believer. Just got saved. Get trained within the local church, prayer is a good source of training.
· Present and engaged - one who has entered the military campaign and is involved in the battle, directly involved in the conflict.
Present = connected to God and what He is doing.
Engage = fresh goal setting, fresh challenges. Who will I reach out to? Grow and increase. What will I do?
· Which one are you?
c) 5 Challenges to Enlisted Soldiers:
i) Prayer and Intimacy – crucial to win.
· Verse 1 - “Be strong in the grace that is in Jesus Christ”.
· Strong = 1743 = endunamoo – endued with the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit vitality. Prayer energizes your spirit.
· We become strong in the Lord through prayer and intimacy with the Holy Spirit – Isaiah 40:31
· Good Soldier = Mighty Warrior of God. Agree with what God says even if you don’t feel like it. Stir your spirit up. Wake up and passionately pursue what God has for you. Mighty man of velour to rise up and exploit.
· Pray until you get a breakthrough.
ii) Militant Attitude:
· Verse 3 - “Endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ”.
· Soldier = 4757 = a warrior, one in a military formation as part of a campaign.
· Endure hardship = 4777 = to face difficulties, pressures, conflicts with a positive attitude.
· Difficulties, lack of comfort, and risk are all part of a soldiers life. Soldiers endure hardship, they don’t sleep in, they don’t sit on comfy couches – ‘Christian couch potatoes’. Do something, break out of this. Have a positive faith attitude.
· Militant attitude needed = vigorously active in advancing a military cause.
= fighting attitude, wiling to engage.
· 1 Peter 4:1-2 - “Arm yourself with the same mind”. A militant attitude, stop sinning and doing your own thing, say ‘yes’ to God. Don’t compromise.
· To win = have the endorsement of God.
· Arm = to equip with weapons.
· Same mind = to have the same attitude, way of thinking as Jesus Christ i.e. say ‘no’ to sin, say ‘yes’ to God.
· Jesus season of prayer and fasting brought great victory and release of power.
iii) Present and Engaged:
· Verse 4 - “engage in warfare’.
· War = 4754 = to serve in a military campaign, to execute the apostolic mandate = Apostolic campaign. Bring breakthrough in the community with warfare.
· The Apostolic mandate = all believers are sent to community to transform it. We are called to a military crusade.
iv) Simplify Lifestyle:
· Verse 4 - “Entangles himself with the affairs of life”.
· Don’t get caught up in things that drain energy, time and money wasters.
· Entangle = 1707 = to become entwined, to braid, to twist together.
· Simplify your lifestyle so you can fulfill what God has called you to do. Have a destiny, an inheritance that’s eternal. Focus on things that’s important and less complicated.
v) Christ Centered Life:
· Verse 4 - “That he may please him who called him to be a soldier”
· Please = change priorities, centre of life so bring pleasure to God and Jesus Christ. Change the way you live your life. Live a life that pleases God.
· Who are you seeking to please?
1. Yourself? - a life to please self
2. People? - live to please others, can’t serve the Lord, a politically correct life.
3. God Himself? - live a life that trust God, be excited about it.
3. Keys to Victory in War:
a) Example1: Victory over Amalek:
· Exodus 17:8-15 - Moses’ hand held up and Joshua won the battle.
· Amalek = warlike, dweller in the valley, grandson of Esau who sold his birthright, inheritance. Amalek – all fleshly nature.
· Timing = launched attack after Israel received water from the rock – Holy Spirit anointing.
· God required Israel to fight – Note: Galatians 5:17 – “flesh wars against the spirit”.
· Keys:
i) Faith – Depending upon God – submitted to His authority and leadership. Trusting and leaning on the Lord. Verse 15 - “The Lord is my Banner”.
Banner = military standard, the ensign of the sovereign ruler
= to lift up so as to be seen from afar = flag with name and logos.
Banners indicated the presence of a King, the rally point of battle.
Battle fought under His Name, Authority as His representative. Surrender to the Lord and His purposes. I have submitted and listed with the army of the Lord. Yielded and obeying to Him. Do something. Joshua got involved. He got up and engaged.
What banner do you fly?
1) Pirate flag = take! 2) Confederated flag = independent
ii) Obedience – action and willingness to take action and engage.
Verse 9-10 - Choose men – go out and fight! Obedience is evidence of faith.
iii) Intercessory Prayer – Powerful Holy Spirit Prayer.
Verse 11-12 - When Moses held up his hand (with the rod of God) Israel prevailed. Moses’ intercessory prayer.
The battle was won through prayer – strong prevailing prayer.
Can’t get victory without building a strong prayer life. Engage with Him, hear what God has to say and speak it.
Luke 18:1 - “Men ought to pray and not to faint”.
iv) Word of God – Sword of the Spirit = Rhema = the word God is giving you.
Verse 13 - Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.
Sword = Word of God. Ephesians 6:17 - “The sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God”.
You must speak the Word of God - “God is saying!” Out of your mouth – speak it, do something, declare, proclaim God’s Word.
People get picked on using God’s Word but it does open up hearts and influence individuals.
b) Example 2: Dead Sea Scrolls – ‘Book of War’ – Ephesians 6:16-17:
· How spiritual battles were fought. Banners for each tribe.
(1) Raise the Banners – people of God – we are people of God
= faith, declares who we are and what we can do in Christ.
(2) Respond to the Voice of the Trumpet
= obedience, respond to trumpets. Gates of war will open.
(3) Launch Aerial Assault – javelins/spears
= prayer, praying in the spirit, draws the Power of God, hurls words. Engage in war.
Hurl God’s Word into situations. Speak – that’s how things are released.
(4) Advance and Engage – sword and shield
= Word of God – Ephesians 6:16-17
· Banners: Main standard: “People of God”. Moses said: “the Lord our banner”.
Standard of 4 camps: Picture of a Lion – triumphant/prevailing King – Judah
Picture of Man – Holy Spirit outpoured – Reuben
Picture of an Ox – Coming of judgment – Ephraim
Picture of a Eagle – soars in the heavens - Daniel
· Ezekiel 1:10 - Jesus Christ, son of man serving. His outpouring. God is getting what He wants done on earth. Pictures of spirit beings Ezekiel has seen in heaven.
· Song 6:4 - Bride of Christ – terrible as an army with banners.
Standards:
1000’s - the wrath of God is kindled against Satan and the men of his company leaving no
remnant.
100’s - from God comes the might of war against all sinful flesh.
50’s - the stand of the ungodly is ended by the power of God.
10’s - praise be to God on the 10 stringed harp.
Battle prayer = before they went to war they began with a prayer, then entering into battle with war.
Exerts:
· “Truly the Battle is thine, and powers is from thee. It is not ours. Our strength and the power of our hands can accomplish no mighty deeds except by they power and might of they valor”.
· “From the multitude of thy holy ones is with thee in heaven, and the host of the angels is in the holy abode praising thy name. And then hast established a community for thyself the elect of thy holy people”.
· “We will despise kings, we will mock and scorn demonic beings, the mighty for our Lord is holy, and the king of Glory is with us together with the holy ones. Valiant warriors of the angelic host are among our numbered men, the host of spirits is with our foot soldiers and horsemen”.
· “Rise up, oh Hero! Lead off thy captives oh Glorious one. Gather up thy spoils oh Author of mighty deeds.
· “Fill this land with Glory and thine inheritance with your blessing”