Last week, we talked about the warfare strategy God revealed through the life of Deborah. We talked about the fact that there are two main mistakes we can make when it comes to doing exploits; zeal without knowledge or knowledge without zeal. You can be over-zealous and run ahead of God to “help” what He said to come to pass. You can also be told exactly what to do by God but fear stepping out. Last week focused on the knowledge aspect. This is about the zeal aspect.
To be honest on my part, I thought that was all to the Deborah strategy. Now, I realise many precepts, protocols and processes were not captured. If we are going to do exploits, we ought to be explosive. Just like we did with David’s and Gideon’s, pick up your hardcopy Bible, open to Judges 5 and follow me on this one.
Awake
God announces our victory first before we fight to establish it. That means if we run ahead of God to fight in a battle He has not announced victory, we will suffer casualties. The Joshua strategy will reveal a lot concerning this principle. To awake is to rise from sleep, slumber and shackles. The awakening begins when we cry out to God. See, the enemy is not strong. We are simply asleep. Once we are awake, the enemy will have no chance. It is while men slept that the enemy came to sow tares among the wheat. Watchmen, awake. Awake, awake, Deborah. Awake, Barak. This is a wake up call.
In fact, it is the power of death that keeps people asleep. When a man is blind and asleep, even if he’s a strong man, you can enter his house and bind him. Remember Samson. To be awake is to be quickened. It is to stop fooling. Like the prodigal son, it is to come back to your senses. If you sleep all your life, life will pass you by. Your situation will never change, regardless of what God has spoken over your life, until you awake. If you are living in sin, you’re asleep. Wake up! If you’re living a desecrated life, the enemy still has power over you. Awake!
Arise
God must arise first before we can arise. In Judges 5:4-5 God arose. In verse 6-7, Deborah arose. Seven times in the book of Psalms, David prayed for God to arise. This is exactly why we discussed the knowledge aspect last week. Don’t go ahead of God. Sometimes, the iniquities of the Amorites are not yet complete. God does miracles, not magic. The path to recovery is a process even if some aspects of recovery are instantaneous. Judgement will be rendered at a set time and preparation needs to take place. But why? Because God uproots to plant. Unless the planting follows the uprooting, the uprooting creates a bigger hole for the enemy to fill. It’s like casting a demon out of a person and not filling them with the Spirit. If you are going to tear down demonic priesthood, you ought to be trained to sustain a divine priesthood.
Process does not exist because God is slow. It exists because of us. Arising is when God trains us to become who He wants us to be. Sometimes, God leaves certain adversaries and obstacles in our way because although it isn’t His Will, He can use it to achieve His purpose in our lives. It may take a second to awake but arising takes time. It takes seconds for light to shine in darkness when the light is switched on, no matter how long there was darkness. However, it takes time for God to enlighten our darkness. By being in darkness for that long, we have learnt the ways of the darkness and absorbed darkness into us. Light is what we use to win battles against darkness. We cannot conquer darkness with darkness.
What happens if we don’t arise? Judges 4:8 tells us that new gods will arise because we didn’t take our rightful place (Deuteronomy 32:17). Nowhere is left unfilled. There is no neutral ground. There’s always a rising. If we don’t arise, it means the enemy will arise. Until we arise, Christ will not shine His light on us. We rise to shine. It means the time has come. It means we ought to gird our loins. Like the angel told Peter when he was freeing from prison, gird your loins after you arise. To arise is to be revived and restored like in the days of Hosea. To arise is a call to battle. To arise is to conquer spiritual timidity with Spirit of Love, Power and Sound Mind. The enemy will fight back. However, those who go through this process will be equipped enough not to give up or give in.
Arising is so important to me because this is where the real warfare is. If you can arise, you will ascend. Once you ascend, it is game over for the enemy. Thus, this is part he will fight the hardest; while you are still unsure about who you are and the manner of Spirit you carry. This is the part many give up and question God’s attitude because of so much warfare. The enemy seems to know something God has hidden from you for now. Only willing people keep winning (verse 2,9). You need to be spiritually violent. The violent takes it by force. Our destinies are interconnected. Verse 13 to 15 makes us understand that when we arise, we cause others to arise also. When we fight, they encourage them to fight too. When we fight, angels fight on our behalf (verse 20). The victory is not meant to be mine alone. It is ours. However, anyone who doesn’t fight will not be part of the victory (verse 16-17).
Winning the Test of Contradiction
Anytime God speaks and the opposite of what He said is the situation, it means there is a contention. The enemy barely gives up anything without a fight. Verse 19 makes us know that. As we discussed in the jurisdiction of the devil, temptation is allowed but occupation is not. Let’s not confuse the two. Sometimes, we become too amazed when battles arise. If there is no battle, how do you get the victory? If you are not tempted, what is the proof of your obedience? If you are not tested, what justifies your ascension?
In the test of contradiction, it will look as though the enemy has the upper hand, the advantage. It will look like they are winning but they will suddenly fall. Of course, the enemy sealed legality in the area you are fighting him. He won’t give up until he loses. His pride makes him think he can still win. You wear him out by encouraging yourself in the LORD (verse 21). More people lose to the enemy by giving up than by fighting. In fact, more of his devices are meant for that. Giving up is the easiest thing to do. However, remember that God is on your side. Remember that what you are really doing is fighting for the establishment of the Kingdom in that area. Fight from victory because God announced your victory before the fight began.
Ascend
Ascension only belongs to those who won their battles. When the set time for your coronation comes, you will now understand why God made you spend so much time at the arising stage. To ascend is to be set upon your high places. To ascend is to take your rightful place. The high places were formally occupied by the enemy as they left you bound in sleep and blindness. Once you awake via an encounter like Gideon and via a revelation/enlightenment/understanding, God trains you to break in and break through. You will arise to tread the enemy on their high places, and then be manifestedly coronated to take dominion. You were born for this all along. Jesus conquered so we can also conquer. His finished work is so we can also finish.
Awake and sing your testimonies to enable others to arise, arise and go to the city gates where you contend for your rightful authority, take captivity captive and ascend. Record your testimonies so others can recite them to awake. Your testimony of how you arose will cause many to awake so they can arise because all eyes will see that you have ascended.
In all, God is working on us, in us and with us to establish His Kingdom where righteousness, joy and peace will reign for as long as we live.
God fights for us through us with us. We rise in strength to seal our victories so that peace reigns when the Kingdom is established.
Awake🔥, Arise🔥🔥, Ascend🔥🔥🔥. God bless you 🙏.
Awake🔥, Arise🔥🔥, Ascend🔥🔥🔥. God bless you 🙏