How To Come Against the Attacks of Our Enemy

 

Reading this morning in Isaiah 36:13-15, “Then the Rabshakeh stood and called out in a loud voice in the language of Judah: “Hear the words of the great king, the king of Assyria! Thus says the king: ‘Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to deliver you. Do not let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD by saying, “The LORD will surely deliver us.”

This is a picture of how Satan comes against us. Just as Rabshakeh calls out to the people and tells them not to trust their king and what he says, Satan, the deceiver and liar by Biblical definition, calls out to us in the midst of our trials and sufferings and tells us not to trust God. 

Notice how the enemy twists the truth, turning it around to make it seem it is our king we cannot believe. 

But if we continue on in this narrative from Isaiah, listen to what the king says.

But they were silent and answered him not a word, for the king's command was, “Do not answer him.” - Isaiah 36:21 

The king, Hezekiah tells the people to simply be silent and not answer the enemy. But he doesn’t stop there. Read on.

It may be that the LORD your God will hear the words of the Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to mock the living God, and will rebuke the words that the LORD your God has heard; therefore lift up your prayer for the remnant that is left.’” - Isaiah 37:4

Hezekiah reminds the people that God hears the rhetoric of the enemy. And then Hezekiah gives them an explicit command saying, “lift up your prayer for the remnant that is left.”

Just as they had an enemy whose method was to cast doubts upon their faith in God, so we have the same enemy. And his tactics are the same today. Satan will implant in our minds doubt in the midst of our sufferings. 

The story we read of here in Isaiah speaks of a literal enemy which threatens a literal invasion by a literal army. But behind it all is a spiritual attack. Whatever we face today, at its core we are involved in a spiritual battle. And God has provided us with a specific scripture reading that is our battle instruction.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints.Read that through carefully. - Ephesians 6:10-18

We are not called to advance against the enemy, calling out rebukes and engaging in battle. No, we are called to “stand against the schemes of the devil.” So that “you may be able to withstand in the evil day.” And “having done all, to stand firm.” We put on the whole armor of God so that we may “stand.”

It is “the Lord and in the strength of his might” by which the devil is defeated. Not by our power displayed by making a full-frontal assault on the enemy. The only action we are to take is be “praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.”

Our God is sovereign over all, including the enemy, Satan knows this. Read the Book of Job. So, what he will do is just as in this OT reading, he will attempt to cast doubt in our minds and hearts. We must use the sword of the Spirit, which is God’s Word, to cut down the lies of the devil, while praying at all times, in the Spirit.

That’s how we do battle. We stand. And we let God. 

One of my all-time favorite passages is the prelude to the parting of the Red Sea. 

And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.” - Exodus 14:13-14

Again, what was the command? “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD.”

Brothers and sisters, yes, we are in a war. But we can and must stand firm and trust in our God. We cannot win these battles. But He can.

The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent. And in that silence, we pray. Then we stand.

It’s worth repeating.

Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will work for you today.

Training Like A Navy SEAL For God

The Navy SEALS are arguably the world’s greatest fighting force. SEALS are often tasked with the most difficult and important missions. Yet, they are very small in number compared to the rest of the American military power. There are only eight SEAL teams and each team consists of sixteen men.

Why are the SEAL teams so effective and vital in our military operations? The answer is simple. They are the best trained. To receive the Trident badge that a SEAL must earn, he must pass five training courses that involve seventy-one weeks of training and testing. Upon graduating as a SEAL, there will still be another eighteen months of pre-deployment training before they ever deploy. They only do six-month deployments, so the other half of the year is more training, more practice, more experience with using their weapons. I read a book about the SEALs that said they expend more ammunition in training in a year, then the entire Marine Corps does. Put that in perspective; the 186,000 active Marines use less ammo practicing, then the 128 men in the SEALs do. The result? SEALs don’t miss their targets. They are deadly with their weapons.

The life of a Christian is the life of a warrior. The Bible is replete with analogies of war. In scripture God is called the “Lord of Hosts” some 242 times. The word in scripture used for hosts means army of war. The references to war and battles in our life are clear. Ephesians 6:10 – 19 tells us the battles are spiritual in nature and instructs us that we have been provided with everything we need to fight against the devil and his schemes. We are commanded to put on the full armor of God.

The armor of God allows us to stand in the battle and protects us. Most of it is defensive in nature. But there is mention also of a sword and that sword is the Word of God. It is the Bible, God’s Holy Scriptures. It is always to be used in conjunction with prayer, making it the only weapon provided in the equipment God gives us to fight with. It is called the Sword of the Spirit.

Jesus has won the war. It was fought at Calvary where He gained complete victory over Satan and the forces of evil. But there are still many battles to fight until the day Jesus returns and completes the destruction of the devil. Until then, we must fight.

How proficient are you with your weapon, your sword? Have you trained like a Navy SEAL with your sword? Can you accurately wield the Sword of the Spirit? Can you use it to defend against the attacks you come under in your daily Christian life? Do you constantly train and retrain with it between your battles? Do you understand that your sword is like a rifle that also needs the power of the ammunition as a rifle or pistol does? That power is prayer. Sprit led prayer. It is the gunpowder that provides the power behind the weapon. Or have you allowed your sword to get rusty? Or have you never even gotten to know your sword and learned of its power and its effectiveness?

We need to be Navy SEALs for God. We need to live as they do, with a complete commitment to training ourselves to be masters of our swords. We must wield it with the power and authority God has given us, when and wherever. We must use it to fight and when we are not fighting, we must be ever training with it until it becomes an extension of our bodies.

We must become master swordsmen.

I close with two scriptures that instruct us on the importance of training ourselves.

2 Timothy 3:16-17
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

1 Timothy 4:6-10
 If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed.  Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.  The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance.  For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.

Godliness and Righteousness. We must be God’s Navy SEALs, trained in godliness and righteousness.

Studies in the Psalms - Psalm 144

War and armies are a theme that runs throughout scripture. One of the names God is given in the Bible is Lord of Hosts, which occurs some 237 times. The literal word used for hosts is army, thus it means God is Lord of an army. David, who wrote Psalm 144, was a man of war. David was a warrior. So are we. However, unlike David, our battleground and our war is fought on a spiritual battlefield.

Psalm 144:1-2

Blessed be the LORD, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle; he is my steadfast love and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield and he in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me.

Life is hard and it is clearly a battle, but God has not left us to fend for ourselves. Ephesians, chapter six, is our guide for how to stand against our enemy.

Psalm 144:3-4
O LORD, what is man that you regard him, or the son of man that you think of him?  Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow.

As great of a warrior as David was, He knew his strength was found in the Lord. He knew that as a man, he was simply nothing without God.

Psalm 144:5-8
 Bow your heavens, O LORD, and come down! Touch the mountains so that they smoke!  Flash forth the lightning and scatter them; send out your arrows and rout them!  Stretch out your hand from on high; rescue me and deliver me from the many waters, from the hand of foreigners, whose mouths speak lies and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.

David called out to God with humility, praying for God to be his salvation.

Psalm 144:9-11
I will sing a new song to you, O God; upon a ten-stringed harp I will play to you, who gives victory to kings, who rescues David his servant from the cruel sword.  Rescue me and deliver me from the hand of foreigners, whose mouths speak lies and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.

David knew that in His appeals to God, he must come with praise and worship.

Psalm 144:12-14
May our sons in their youth be like plants full grown, our daughters like corner pillars cut for the structure of a palace; may our granaries be full, providing all kinds of produce; may our sheep bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our fields; may our cattle be heavy with young, suffering no mishap or failure in bearing; may there be no cry of distress in our streets!

David knew that all good things come from God. David was a man who believed in the sovereignty of God, so it was from that perspective, David prayed.

Psalm 144:15
Blessed are the people to whom such blessings fall! Blessed are the people whose God is the LORD!

Amen.

Studies in the Psalms - Psalm 45

Psalm 45 is clearly a messianic psalm in which we see snapshot of the Second Coming of Jesus. This is a clear example of the need for careful study of the scriptures, as some try and deny this as messianic, particularly those who also deny the deity of Christ. This psalm is quoted in Hebrews 1:8-9 and clearly seen in Revelation 19:6-21.

Psalm 45:1-2

My heart overflows with a pleasing theme; I address my verses to the king; my tongue is like the pen of a ready scribe.  You are the most handsome of the sons of men; grace is poured upon your lips; therefore God has blessed you forever.

There have been many handsome men in this world, but none can stand up to the attractiveness of Jesus. No man has ever had the type of grace that Jesus speaks out from His lips to us. Like the psalmist, our hearts should overflow with praise to our King Jesus.

Psalm 45:3-5
Gird your sword on your thigh, O mighty one, in your splendor and majesty!  In your majesty ride out victoriously for the cause of truth and meekness and righteousness; let your right hand teach you awesome deeds!  Your arrows are sharp in the heart of the king’s enemies; the peoples fall under you.

The modern church loves to speak of the love of God, which is a love beyond any comparison. But the truth is this; God is also a god of war. Some 270 times in the Bible God is called the Lord of Hosts or the God of Hosts. The Hebrew word translated here for hosts means armies and speaks of God as the head of a great army. God is at war with sin and with Satan. He led Israel into great physical battles and He still leads us in great spiritual ones. Paul addressed this in 2 Corinthians 10:3-4 instructing us that “though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh.  For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.” We are at war.

Take notice of three words from this psalm. They are key to the war that is being fought this very day all around us. The words are truth, meekness, and righteousness. These three words are being stomped on today in the battle against God and His people. Just look at the internet or turn on the news.

But there is hope. That hope is in the return of Christ.

Psalm 45:6-7
Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. The scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of uprightness;  you have loved righteousness and hated wickedness. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.

Did you catch that? Jesus loves righteousness and He hates wickedness. He is coming back to establish truth, meekness, and righteousness.

And the church can rejoice in this hope for we are His bride. And Jesus is preparing us for the coming wedding.

Psalm 45:10-15
Hear, O daughter, and consider, and incline your ear: forget your people and your father’s house,  and the king will desire your beauty. Since he is your lord, bow to him.  The people of Tyre will seek your favor with gifts, the richest of the people.  All glorious is the princess in her chamber, with robes interwoven with gold.  In many-colored robes she is led to the king, with her virgin companions following behind her.  With joy and gladness they are led along as they enter the palace of the king.

Amid the turmoil of this life, we can and must have joy and gladness, for we are His bride. He is preparing us for that wedding and He shall not let anything stop it. He is our lord, so we must bow to Him.

The name of Jesus is the name above all names. He is coming back. Be looking for Him. Be focused on him. The world wants to deny and malign Him. The world hates His very name. But God will not let that happen.

Psalm 45:17
I will cause your name to be remembered in all generations; therefore nations will praise you forever and ever.

This is Jesus. One day the nations will praise Him forever and ever. Until then, we fight. We fight for Jesus and the victory has already been one at Calvary. Put on your spiritual armor and stand firm until He returns.

Seven Things to Remember as seen in Deuteronomy – Part 6

The fifth thing God had Moses remind the people of was that they must remember their enemies.

Deuteronomy 25:17
“Remember what Amalek did to you on the way as you came out of Egypt.”

At first glance we could use this advice to justify our bitterness and our desire for revenge. This is not what this admonition says to us. We must never isolate verses and use them to justify our bad behavior and sin. Deuteronomy 32:35 eliminates any idea that the Jews were to be the administrator of revenge as God says, “Vengeance is mine, and recompense, for the time when their foot shall slip; for the day of their calamity is at hand, and their doom comes swiftly.” Romans 12:19 and Hebrews 10:30 quote this command in the New Testament as well, and it has been wisely said that when God repeats something three times it is extremely important. Revenge is not what Christians must be about.

Then why does God want Israel to remember their enemies? For the same reason, we must; to be prepared when the enemy attacks.

The Christian life is not a peaceful existence while we are on this earth and in this life. The Bible is replete with military metaphors. We have an enemy and we are at war.

1 Peter 5:8
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

So just like the Israelites, we must remember that we have an enemy. The best way to defeat an enemy is to know him. We must understand his ways, his tactics, and his motive. Satan wants to devour us.

The good news for Christians is found in Romans 16:20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. 1 John 4:3-4 reminds Christians that “…every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world. You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.” 

Our Savior has already defeated the devil.

We can also find comfort in knowing that Satan does not have free reign to do whatever he wants to us. The Book of Job makes it clear; anything we face that the devil throws at us has been allowed by God. So the real question is will we trust our God to bring us through it?

1 Corinthians 10:13
 No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.

Ignore the devil? Do not. Remember he is your enemy. Remember and prepare for battle putting on your spiritual armor. Ephesians 6:10-11 says “be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.”  

Stand firm in the power of the Great Shepherd, Jesus.