Resonance

Tag: spiritual warfare

  • Awake, Arise, Ascend, O Deborah: A Clarion Call

    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.

  • Deborah Strategy: Warfare Strategies of the Kingdom of God

    I was on my knees in prayer when I heard “it is time to deploy the Deborah Strategy”. I didn’t know what the Deborah Strategy was, although I had it written down at the beginning of the year. Now that I know, I know exactly why I had to be told that (that’s exactly what the Deborah Strategy is about). Let’s delve in so you understand what I mean.

    The Deborah Strategy is about doing exploits. When it comes to doing exploits, there are two main mistakes we can make; 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. This is why what we are about to discuss is very strategic in warfare.

    If you have been given a Deborah anointing or a Deborah ministry, never get ahead of God. You will suffer serious legalities. Judges 4:2 will tell you clearly that it was God who handed the people of Israel over to the enemy. In fact, the word used was “sold”; the same word used when Esau sold his birthright; the same word used when Joseph was sold by his brothers. It was a legal transaction. The enemy was rightfully ruling. In the jurisdiction of the devil, we understood that the devil doesn’t make any illegal transactions. He immediately secures legality when there’s a handing over. In fact, this was the third time the Book of Judges said God sold them because of their sins.

    The first thing to do when the enemy has the upper hand is to cry out to God for mercy. God will answer that cry and will start the process of redemption and restoration. This strategy can be used when there is an evil leader over a territory. Don’t wage warfare without knowing first the legalities involved. Whether you get to know all or not, obtain God’s Mercy. The Mercy of God is the executive order that trumps all transactions, legal or illegal. If you realise that your family some time back made a covenant with a goddess, don’t attack first. It was a legal transaction. You will suffer backlash. Secure the Mercy of God.

    Once the Mercy of God has been secured, tarry until God downloads the strategy to you. During that time, God will be incubating you to be the main priest of your family or territory or nation. If you think it’s just a matter of uprooting the enemy and that’s all, you’ll realise it’s not like that. God uproots to plant. Therefore, He prepares the tree in the seed He will plant before He even uproots. This is why going ahead of God must fail. You will create more ground for the enemy to leverage upon. That’s basically the Ishmael strategy of the kingdom of darkness.

    You should know that Deborah was a judge for a while until the time came when God gave her the strategy to conquer the enemy. You may be Barak complaining about why a certain problem is still persisting until you realise God has specifically chosen you as the solution. See, God is intentional. The strategy is location-specific (Mount Tabor), people-specific (10,000 men of the sons of Naphtali and Zebulun) and has certain specifications to be noted. This is not a strategy if it is vague. If the instructions are still vague to you, don’t take action until you have gained clarity. God is not the author of confusion. His instructions are so clear and specific that you will know when you begin to devise your own style to obey. The instructions may not look time-bound but it mostly is. There is a set time allocated to the fulfilment of it.

    Do you understand what that means? “It is time to deploy the Deborah Strategy”. God can give you clear instructions but until He says start, don’t start. Yes, He told you that you will go to secondary schools and impact the lives of young females. The timing is so important that going ahead or later can cause serious repercussions. Barak was told and it was an instruction to act upon immediately. Deborah told him uprightly, “this is the day”. The time had come. Remember that it is a partnership between you and God. With Him, all things are possible. Doing anything without His consultation while hoping that He supports it is very similar to believing in luck. He has already preplanned everything so kindly work with His timing.

    I know you want to heal all the sick people in the hospital in one day and go to the cemetery and cause all of them to come back to life. Such zeal! Clap for yourself. Before you go and act like a superhero and hope God backs you up, why don’t you wait for God to send you? Even Jesus never stepped into a scene without the guidance of the Holy Spirit. He went to the pool of Bethesda, healed only one man out of so many, and left. You can’t step into a village and burn their altars and tear down all their shrines when you didn’t hear God. It doesn’t work like that. Surely, you don’t have more zeal than God to do the exploits He prepared beforehand for you to do. Work with Him.

    And now you understand.

    The Deborah Strategy is not a random outburst of power. It is a legal, prophetic, and Spirit-led deployment of God’s will in territories where the enemy has gained ground. The urgency of exploits must always be rooted in the order of heaven. In no particular order, let me summarize it for your clarity:
    – Secure Mercy first
    – Wait for the God-given strategy for the mission
    – Work in partnership with God
    – Know and act at the revealed set time
    – Act in obedience, not mere zeal
    – Understand your priestly role.

    You know your God. You have waxed strong. It is time for exploits. Heaven has received the cries of the saints, Heaven has seized the legal ground of the enemy. Heaven has chosen the vessel, and Heaven has released the strategy. Now, wait for the “This is the day” signal. Then move. Boldly. In sync with God.

  • Warfare Strategies of the Kingdom of God III

    Early this year in February and March, we discussed the Warfare Strategies of the Kingdom of God. We started with how God trained David the singer/shepherd boy to David the king warrior. We also explored Nehemiah’s strategy of a tool in one hand and a weapon in the other, Jehoshaphat’s strategy of leading the army with priests who gave praise as well as the Esther’s strategy of eradicating Haman, the decree against the Jews and promoting Mordecai. How God encountered Gideon and trained him was also extensively discussed (although God may lay it upon my heart to continue). Guess what? The LORD gave me about 9 names and I have only discussed 4. Today, we will discuss the Moses’ strategy.

    the Moses Strategy

    In Exodus 17:8-16, we see that the people of Israel were up against the Amalekites. This is before they even get the 10 commandments in Exodus 20. The Amalekites were literally the first nation to fight against Israel as they came out of Egypt. They attacked Israel unprovoked without a justifiable reason. I’m talking about the enemy coming to attack very early into your life when you don’t even know your purpose or what you carry. That near-death experience you had in your childhood and that trauma you suffered in your teenage years was an Amalekite move of the Kingdom of darkness to frustrate your journey.

    What did Moses do? When you are attacked suddenly, what will you do? When there’s a premature attack long before the kairos moment, how do you handle it? The Moses strategy. By now, you should realise that every story in the Bible is super relevant. Every word in Scripture was specifically chosen to communicate. Every battle fought in Scriptures speaks volumes because they reveal precepts, principles, postures, practices and patterns.

    The Secret Things are from the Secret Place

    The Moses strategy can only be used by those who have a rich relationship with God in the secret place. It’s not self-confidence. It’s not just showing up and acting like a boss. The LORD has already promised to help us out on the day of calamity. When it strikes, Wisdom will appear beside you and show you how to navigate the situation. Wisdom will direct your steps and show you mysteries no man can teach you. The average Christian has a more active outer court life than a priestly Most Holy Place lifestyle. Thus, we rush to enter the Most Holy Place when things suddenly go south. Problems shouldn’t draw you closer to God more than love does.

    Ladies and Gentlemen, it’s about time we grew up. It’s babes who need a total intervention when things mess up. Every miracle in Scriptures included the participation of man. You may want God to get up and come and do it but isn’t it more romantic for God to do it through you? When you have an active prayer life and the altar of your secret place is on fire, the Amalekites strategy will not expose you. If your strength fails on the day of adversity, your strength is weak. We should be already ready before the day of battle because the enemy does not play by the rules. Moses didn’t pray so me too, I will show up and speak to the mountain because I don’t need to pray. My dear, you can’t fool spirits. If you don’t have it, you don’t have it. Whenever trouble comes and you see a man face it without praying for long in public, it’s because he already prays in secret. Refer to the ministry of Jesus!

    How to Do it Is As Important to God as What to Do

    When Wisdom tells you what to do, do exactly that. Moses does not need to fight in the battle himself. God is majestic; there’s a particular way He wants His things done. Wisdom teaches us who and how protocol and administration should be handled. If God tells you to do something, don’t just do it. Many people have been shocked to do what God told them and still see failure. You can hear God and do what God told you with your human wisdom. It will fail because it is the Wisdom of God that builds only what lasts. Once God tells you what to do, ask for His Wisdom on how it ought to be done. Wisdom is direct. It’s never ambiguous. Joshua in the valley, Moses on the mountaintop with Aaron and Hur.

    The Moses strategy is wisdom fully at play. Moses was to lift up his hand as an expression of the Hand of God destroying the enemies of God. It goes deeper than that. That was a picture of Jehovah Nissi, the LORD who is a Banner over us. His Hand is continually upon His people, and He lifts us up with His Victorious Right Hand. His Banner over us is Love, and He covers us in the shadow of His wings. A little problem, though. Moses is human and cannot stand and lift up his hand throughout the battle. Nonetheless, God is so vast that each human who comes to earth is meant to portray an aspect of God not fully known hitherto. That includes you and I.

    Understand this and it will forever help you in life; once God gives you Wisdom on what to do and how to do it, you plan your life in that direction. God is not going to tell you every little detail you need to do because the expression of your free will is still allowed within the confines of His Will. Did you get it? You are called to participate in His Will and every decision you make must be fully influenced by what He communicates to you. We saw that in the Nehemiah and Jehoshaphat strategy where it wasn’t a specific instruction from God that they do what they did but the strategy they chose was nevertheless in direct alignment to the Will of God expressed to them.

    The Place of Strategy

    By prophecy, you know what God wants you to do. By wisdom, you know how He wants you to do it. By strategy, you execute what He wants done. This pattern is also seen when Joseph talked with Pharaoh about the famine. It is foolish to strategize when you haven’t ascertained the Will of God concerning the matter. This upside down attitude of strategizing on our own before showing it to God to approve it is a waste of time. Everyone’s hands will become heavy eventually. If you really heard from Wisdom from the beginning, you would have listened and told Aaron and Hur to follow you to the top. The battle is won by the edge of the sword, yes. Yet, skill is nothing if you don’t have the Spirit. Don’t run into battle without a covering.

    Joshua and the people fighting did not realise that the outcome of the battle was not the number or the skillset or style. It was directly influenced by the covering. In the realms of the Spirit, just like in this realm, what you are allowed to do is what you have a permit for. You need a backing. How far you go is predetermined by what covers you. We ought to actively participate with God in the establishment of His Will in our lives and in the world. It was this encounter that led to Moses building an altar because the Name of the LORD has been revealed to him. I pray that as we plan and navigate life, God will order our steps in Him and bring us to the place of understanding that it is WITH Him that all things are made possible.

    The Moses Strategy teaches us to

    • have a rich hot-vibrant relationship with God on a daily basis, not when battles happen suddenly.
    • operate in the Wisdom of God to know precisely what to do – and how to go about it – in that given situation.
    • have a covering and permission for whatever we do in order to guarantee fruitfulness. Authority precedes strategy.
    • partner with God to establish His Will rather than having a mindset of watching God step in to do what man can do.

  • Gideon: Taking Back Territories for the Kingdom of God

    Has the enemy encroached on your land? Has evil taken over a territory? Has your nation become morally bankrupt? The United States moved from having global evangelical ministries and being the centrepiece of God’s endtime movement to not being able to define what a woman is when the woke virus infested the nation. The UK and many other European countries are now suffering from this moral decadence. It’s like Psalm 12 all over again. In countries like Ghana, inasmuch as there is still sin, the people involved in sin at least acknowledge their sinfulness and hide it from the public eye as much as possible. You know a territory is terrible when their definitions of moral objectivism is blurry and absurd. How do we take back territory for the Kingdom of God?

    Gideon was the fifth of the 12 Judges of Israel. It’s amazing that we have discussed 4 people so far; David, Nehemiah, Esther, Jehoshaphat (the fourth king of Judah) and we are now on the 5th Judge of Israel; Gideon, under the Warfare Strategies of the Kingdom of God series. You can follow by reading Judges 6 alongside this post for a better understanding. Let’s delve in!

    Legal Governance of Territories

    Just like in government, every territory has a ruler/governor who rules the place legally. By “legally”, I mean the powers are vested in that entity by the people themselves. It’s the same in the realms of the spirit. Every territory is ruled legally by whom the people choose as a cooperate body. Judges 6:1 shows that the people chose evil and did not want God to rule over them. Thus, there was a change in government; a handing over. The Bible is intentional about the choice of words. It clearly emphasizes that God delivered them into the hands of the Midianites. There was a change of hands. See, there are territories legally ruled by poverty (many places in Africa). There are those legally ruled by lust, like Vegas. Others are legally ruled by greed while others are ruled by filth. Note the word “legally”. God will not force Himself on anyone. It’s the will of the people that determines their ruler.

    The enemy now had an upper hand after the handing over, and decided to only attack their substance at the time of harvest. Every altar is powered by the sacrifices offered on it. Once a nation gives themselves to evil, there will be a rise in a particular vice as an offering to service that national altar. A rise in abortion, huh? Or a rise in suicide rates? A rise in obesity and health-related problems? Or a rise in political corruption? Sometimes, it’s a waste of time to try to solve symptoms when the underlying problem hasn’t been dealt with. The nation of Israel became greatly impoverished.

    Recognizing Patterns

    I have noticed that when the enemy gets the upper hand in a territory, people are not quick to realize. Perhaps, he kills an aunt by elephantiasis and no one realises it was him. Then two years later, he kills another aunt with the same disease but people brush it off as a coincidence. By the time it happens the third time, too much damage has already been done. The Midianites did not invade Israel randomly—they showed up only during harvest time. This was no coincidence; it was a diabolically calculated move to keep Israel impoverished. Judges 6:3-6 describes how the enemy would swoop in and take everything, leaving Israel with nothing.

    Israel, can’t you see that for the past 7 years, the Midianites only show up at harvest time? Can’t you see the negative pattern? Aren’t you aware of the diabolical trend? That is the “offerings” that the enemy comes to legally take as his dues for ruling over you. The enemy is wicked o. Meanwhile, if God asked for 10%, we will be grumbling. The enemy is taking 100% of all the produce. Sometimes the “dues” are that it doesn’t matter how much money anyone makes in the family, they will be poor; all their money will keep being used to pay for some strange unplanned expenses from time to time.

    The enemy is a thief but he makes sure that he steals from you by consent. He deceives you to get your consent and steals what rightfully belongs to you. How does a territory/family/community/nation break free? They must cry out to the LORD. I have seen people blame God for the problems the enemy caused because of their own decisions. Proverbs 19:3 says “there are some people who ruin their own lives and then blame it all on God”. Stop blaming God. Cry out to Him.

    How merciful God is; He heard their cry right away. However, here is the issue. It didn’t happen in a day when we chose evil instead of God and yet, we expect God to do magic in a day. God is all-Powerful and will deliver you the same day you call on Him. For sure! However, you have been masturbating or drinking or smoking half of your life; you have to go through an entire mental deliverance session. Your spirit is free but your mind needs to unlearn your old ways and that must take time. This is why the first thing He did was send forth His Word through prophet. Selah!

    The Gideon Strategy: A Sustainable Victory

    All this is part of the Gideon strategy. We want a quick fix but God wants a sustainable victory. God is about to take the least of this greatly impoverished nation and make him into a warrior who will rule the land for the Kingdom of God as long as he is alive. He will take the foolish things to always confound the wisdom of darkness. Surely, you are not more zealous than God to see your territory sane again. Trust His recovery plan. Your territory has to be transformed by the renewing of the mind because it conformed to the system of the world for long.

    Even Gideon himself was filled with bitterness and mediocrity when God encountered him. He was so greatly affected by the great impoverishment of the nation. How many people in corrupt countries think their countries will always be corrupt? Even the good people start to believe the lies. He called Gideon a mighty warrior, even though he saw himself as weak. God does not define us by our past or present circumstances—He defines us by His purpose for us.

    When you cried out to the LORD, He heard you immediately and work began behind the scenes. He sent a prophet with a message of God’s verdict and the hope of restoration. God told them that He has delivered them from the hands of Egypt before. Believe 100% in His track record and watch Him restore the territory to its former glory. God also made it clear that they brought this upon themselves because they didn’t obey His voice.

    God is justified in whatever decision He chooses to make but He decides to show them mercy by raising a Judge, and that is where He encountered Gideon in a winepress threshing wheat. Where you have a personal encounter with the LORD gives a clue about what He is about to do; He is about to thresh His people and consecrate their gain to Himself again. Also, never forget God’s choice of words in your encounter with Him.

    What we have discussed so far in 12 verses;
    1. Recognize the enemy’s legal hold over your territory. Evil gains power through the people’s choices.

    2. Understand the enemy’s strategy. Here, he attacked during harvest time to greatly impoverish the nation.

    3. Break the cycle by crying out to God. Stop blaming Him and start repenting.

    4. Trust in God’s track record. He has done it before and He will do it again.

    5. Embrace the Gideon Strategy. God’s plan is not a quick fix but a lasting transformation.

    If your family, community, or nation is under demonic oppression, God is looking for a Gideon. He is searching for someone He will raise up to tear down demonic altars and establish the Kingdom of God in that territory. Will you answer the call and let His Kingdom come on the territory as it is in Heaven?

    ….to be continued

  • The Jehoshaphat Strategy: Warfare Strategies of the Kingdom of God

    One of the things that brings utmost confusion to the camp of the enemy is when they surround you with problems and yet you praise God. Our worship is a weapon. Our praise affirms victory. It is a pattern throughout Scriptures; Joshua, Gideon, Jehoshaphat. Who would have thought that a trumpet 🎺 is an instrument of warfare? Yet, 7 trumpets are blown in the book of Revelations to release the wrath of God. Let us particularly discuss this as a Jehoshaphat strategy so that we learn to stand still and see the salvation of the LORD.

    The Jehoshaphat Strategy

    King Jehoshaphat was the fourth king of Judah when King Ahab and Jezebel ruled Israel. He lived at the time of Prophet Elisha as well. One day he woke up to hear that the Ammonites, Moabites and those at Mount Seir had joined forces and were about to launch a huge attack on Judah. To picture how devastating this is, their enemy was more than all the people in Judah, including women and children. They can wipe out this lineage of the Messiah, just as the devil tried through Haman during the time of Esther. It will shock you to know how many times the devil tried to prevent Jesus from being born.

    We are always at war but there are particular heightened seasons of spiritual warfare. During those seasons, the enemy will mobilize substantial attacks against you. What do you do?  That’s the time people complain to God for failing to protect them enough. That’s not what Jehoshaphat did.  He sought the LORD. He fasted and asked all those involved (the people of Judah) to fast and seek the face of God. He gathered the people of Judah to seek help from God. No threats to God. No murmuring. No complains. No accusations towards God. It is senseless to blame the One you seek help from. The prayer of Jehosaphat was to remind God of His promise and purpose.

    God is only obliged to answer prayers aligned to His promises, plans and purposes. One of such promises is that He doesn’t forsake those who seek Him (Psalm 9:10) and that we will seek Him and find Him if we seek Him with all our heart (Jer 29:13). Jehosaphat’s petition was to remind God that the present circumstances do not match His promised outcome. Therefore, God responded. The Spirit of God came upon Jahaziel and he prophesied. The Word of God came to remind His people that the battle is not against you; it is against Me. My friend, allow God to fight your battles. You are the apple of God’s eye. When the enemy touches you, He has touched God’s pupil.

    God gave them a sign by revealing what the enemy had planned. Then God told them something very absurd to the human brain; “you don’t need to fight in this battle. Position yourself, stand still and see the salvation of the LORD, who is with you…”. We are more than conquerors because we are fighting in a war that God has won for us. Do you believe God’s Word? Put yourself in their shoes and see. If you believed in God’s Word, you wouldn’t have been so anxious about your problems. All you need is one Word from the LORD; you will understand that He is with you. The battle is yours to fight and His to win, and He already won. Fight from victory.

    It is so easy to trust God after He has done it. What He wants you to do is to trust Him even before you see any sign of victory. Jehosaphat and the people of Judah rose up early the following day and Jehoshaphat encouraged the people in some of the most famous words from Scripture;

    II Chronicles 20:20
    “…Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.”

    Now this is where the Jehoshaphat Strategy comes in. After consulting with the people, the strategy was to sing to the LORD en route to the battlefield. Mind you, it wasn’t a direct command from God like in the case of Joshua; it was an act of faith based on the Word of God.

    Things are not going as planned? Praise God. It looks like your prayers are not being answered? Praise God! It seems the prophecy is delaying? Praise God! You don’t know what to do anymore? Praise God! God has promised you victory? Praise God en route to your victory. The Bible tells us to give thanks to God in all things because it is the Will of God. The circumstances may not be God’s Will but your response should always be. One thing the kingdom of darkness is incapable of is praising God. Praise is the antidote for pride. Stop complaining. Stop murmuring. Stop threatening God. Stop threatening Him to prove Himself otherwise you will stop believing in Him. Who are you? He was God before you existed and will be God regardless of your outcome. Stop talking to God like He is the problem.

    When the spirit of anxiety, fear, dismay and disdain attack you long before the real battle begins, lift up your praise. Praise actually confuses the enemy. Remember that the devil started complaining in Heaven where there is only Glory but you are praising God where there is gloom. It doesn’t make sense but do it anyway. Show up on the battlefield with your weapon of praise. Let your Judah go first. The enemy will be so confused by your response, and that is when you will see the salvation of the LORD. He will fight your battles for you. Praise God as if He has already done it before He actually does it. That shows that you actually believe in God. We live in time and He is eternal, all-knowing and all-powerful. If He says He has taken care of it, believe Him. Praise God! This is how you enter rest on all sides.

  • Warfare Strategies of the Kingdom of God II

    Spiritual warfare is not God vs the devil. The devil does not even have access to the Highest Heaven to even face God. Spiritual warfare is not angels vs demons as we humans assist them. No! We are the ones on the battlefield. Spiritual warfare is the war for the hearts of men. The fate of the devil and all his demons have already been determined. It is yours that is yet to be determined; it will be determined by the choices you make here on earth. Although Jesus’ death and resurrection meant that the souls of all men in general was not eternally lost, the enemy has lost the war but has still won some battles. He has been successful in deceiving many men, using their God-given gifts to his advantage and corrupting them so they share the same fate as him eternally.

    So don’t think the devil is directly fighting God. No! He’s indirectly fighting God by directly fighting you. The earlier you get used to the idea that you are in a war, in an active battlefield, the better. It is not that good and evil are fighting on their own somewhere in the spiritual realm and it just so happens to affect you. No! You are the one fighting because the fight is about you. Have it at the back of your mind. Nonetheless, you are not fighting for victory but from victory already secured by Christ. The fact that the warfare is centered on men does not mean it’s a physical wrestle with carnal weapons. If you fight on your own, you will lose.

    Our victory was secured in Christ. Satan has built a counterfeit kingdom system that has made it impossible for any man to win against him. You can try; you will just be amongst the many men who tried with their own strength and failed. This is why this series is very necessary. It is meant to teach us how God raised men to fight and overcome. These men waxed strong, secured territories, gained ground, slain giants and conquered cities for the people of God. Of course, theirs was a physical battle with physical enemies but the precepts and principles still apply. Let’s continue the David strategy from last week;

    Speed

    “He makes me feel like the feet of deer…”. Some battles are won by fleeing. That is how sexual immorality is won. I don’t know why Christians find it perplexing when God tells them to flee from something. “Flee from that relationship”. “Flee from this town”. Yet we ask, “Isn’t God all-powerful?”. The fact that you are fleeing is not for God; it is for you. You are not wiser than God, are you? That notwithstanding, this is not the only area we need speed. Speed is not so we skip the process. Speed is so we make the most of the time. In warfare, many are not aware of the retaliation of the enemy. Don’t give the enemy a chance to recoup soon and come after your loot. Pursue and overtake! When the Philistines saw that Goliath was dead, they fled. However, the children of Israel did not just laugh at them and go home. No! They pursued them. Speed is grabbing a kairos moment and leaving no stone unturned.

    Stature

    “…and sets me on my high places”. In spiritual warfare, you fight at the level of your stature. The easiest way to die is to fight an enemy with a higher rank. Although you sit far above principalities and powers with Christ Jesus, you need to grow in stature. It’s just like a prince may sit far above in a kingdom but does not have the fighting ability for a war. Thus, he will need to be prepared. This is another reason why God deploys speed. Speed to set you on your high places. We take territories by treading upon high places (Deut 33:29). The high places are rightfully yours but it won’t come without a fight. At the end of the day, your elevation is justified because it matches your level of stature. I have noticed God sometimes keeps men below their level of stature for long so that when He finally elevates them, they are able to sustain their new level. This is how he sets you permanently. David was fighting lions and bears in private to increase in stature. When his fame grew abroad with the defeat of Goliath, David was able to sustain the level he was promoted to and won every battle he was sent to. Don’t rush. Don’t look for status when you don’t have stature.

    Training

    “He teaches my hands to make war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze”. Bows are typically made of wood and decorated with metal. A bow of bronze was never an actual weapon that existed. It was referring to God training us for the days of calamity where we are faced with humanly impossible situations. This is why God will not allow the people of Israel to enter the Promised Land for 40 years although they could use 11 days (Deut 1:2-3). On a day when your feet may fail, when you have no weapons in hand, can you make war/combat with your hands? There’s a reason why God wants to train your flesh now that no one really knows you. It is because there are battles awaiting you on the Promised Land. The enemy is defeated but won’t give up without a fight. Allow God to train you vehemently so you don’t fail Him on the day of calamity. Good character is at the foundation of great exploits. The devil will offer you sin on a silver platter one day; you will reject it without hesitation because you are well-trained. 1 Samuel 18:14 says “David behaved wisely in all his ways, and the LORD was with him”.

    ✔ For by You I can run against a troop – Courage

    ✔ By my God I can leap over a wall – Agility

    ✔ It is God who arms me with strength – Strength

    ✔ He makes my feet like the feet of deer – Speed

    ✔ and sets me on my high places – Stature

    ✔ He teaches my hands to make war – Training

    ✔  You have also given me the shield of your salvation

  • Warfare Strategies of the Kingdom of God

    Last year, I wrote extensively on a few of the many strategies the kingdom of darkness. By the Grace of God, we now get to go into the strategies of the Kingdom of God. I realized that the people of darkness are more aware about the strategies to perpetuate their kingdom agenda. However, the people of light have the power to shine in the darkness to bring incomprehension to their kingdom. I pray that in this light, you receive Light.

    David Strategy

    David had a natural God-given gift for music and poetry right from childhood. As a teenager, he used to play the harp in the fields as angels danced. His anointing in this area was so strong that it was the first to open a door for him to the palace. This young man could play the harp to shine light into the darkness on King Saul. You would think God wanted him to operate in this area only for the rest of His life but no.

    If any of us saw how David looked, we would be shocked to know that he never lost a battle. His stature was naturally not compatible with battle. Yet we get to see that God taught his hands to war. If we are going to take territories for the kingdom of God, we need to know and apply what I call the David strategy. Let us see how he defeated Goliath and caused his lineage to destroy the rest of the giants.

    GOLIATH: the Devil’s Fortified Weapon

    David’s best height at the peak of his life was 5’2. As a teenager, Goliath would be twice as tall as David and 20 times well-trained at war

    Many of us don’t realise that the enemy prepares for battle beforehand. He waited, observed, and preplanned how to get Adam and Eve to fall. His questions and timing for Jesus’ temptation were very intentional and well thought through. Goliath was the enemy’s strategy that he had planned for decades. Goliath was one of the devil’s most prepared weapons ever. As he was training Goliath with the sword, he made sure there was a lack of blacksmiths (and therefore a lack of swords) in Israel. By the time of the battle, only Saul and Jonathan had a sword in the entire army. Very strategic!

    What is the church lacking in this season? Resources? Character? It may be a sinkhole orchestrated by the enemy for a more drastic warfare in the future. Israel’s loss of this battle would kick start their perpetual enslavement on their own land. God was looking for a man but found none in the military. King Saul, who for this very reason had become king, could not muster courage as he still thought little of himself. After 40 days of spiritual warfare of threats from the frontline demons of anxiety and fear, just as it seemed there was no hope, David showed up.

    Mind you, the enemy had soaked the people of God with threats, breeding fear in their hearts. It would take a miracle to save them. Meanwhile, God made sure David didn’t show up until the time was right. 2 years ago, he had been anointed king (something he won’t become until 15 years later). It was for this very purpose of warfare. This anointing was responsible for his courage to face the lion and the bear. Goliath trained for 20+ years. God only needed 2 years. How did David go from being a musician to a warrior? He shows us how God trained him in Psalm 18. Let’s dive in;

    1 Courage

    “For by You, I can run against a troop..”. A troop is, at least, a 100 soldiers. Goliath needed to have fought with a troop but the enemy had an upper hand and dictated the rules of engagement; a one-on-one showdown. First of all, don’t play the devil’s game. You will lose. Don’t play by his rules. When the enemy employed his best wisdom, God deployed His foolishness to confound him. Instead of God using a giant, he used a teenager at puberty. David did not use the weapons of Saul. The weapons of the enemy are carnal (they appeal to the flesh and are based in the soul). “The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God…”. See, it takes courage to obey the foolishness of God. Running against a troop is suicide. A whole nation sending a teenager to represent them against a giant is complete nonsense. Yet, David had courage. He told Goliath that he will cut off his head and yet, he had no sword. “Be strong and courageous…”

    2 Agility

    “…by my God I can leap over a wall.”. The average height of an ancient wall is 4 metres. It does not have our slender 150mm thickness. Most walls had people living in them, and soldiers could stand on the war during battle to shoot arrows. The walls were cuboids. Yet, David could leap high and wide over such a wall. He further explains in Psalm 18:33 that the LORD makes his feet like the feet of the deer. Asahel had this kind of feet (2 Samuel 2:18). The deer can run, turn sharply and jump. Do you know David run towards Goliath? Instead of always reacting to the kingdom of darkness, we ought to be proactive. Jesus went into the wilderness and had fasted before the devil showed up. Meanwhile, Adam was not around when the devil showed up. When the enemy builds a wall to isolate you, may you leap over the wall.

    3 Strength

    “It is God who arms me with strength…”. David slung the stone and struck Goliath so hard that the stone sank into his forehead. David’s arm strength was so much that Goliath fell on his face. The strength of the enemy is in his deceit. He is an already foe, and that’s exactly how David saw this uncircumcised Philistine. Our strength is in the name of the LORD, and that is what David came at Goliath with. Never fight the enemy with your own strength. “By human strength shall no man prevail”. God’s way is perfect as Psalm 18:30 says. Yet, verse 32 says God makes MY way perfect. That only happens when I personalise God’s way. His way of gaining strength is very different because in the realms of the Spirit, David had far more strength than Goliath had. The fight ended in less than a minute.

    Perhaps, you keep losing because you fight in your strength.  Are you trying to fight lust with your own strength? Are you trying to fight the perpetuation of evil with your own strength? Are you trying to fight the flesh, the world and the devil with your own strength? That’s not God’s perfect way. Come and wait upon the Lord as He arms you with renewed strength. ….to be continued