Spiritual Warfare - 14

Gideon – Judges 6

 Then the Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?”  So he said to Him, “O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.”  And the Lord said to him, “Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat the Midianites as one man.”   Judges 6:14-16 

God does not wait for us till we are strong. HE strengthens us as we go. HIS strength is made perfect in my weakness. HE sends me. HE is with me as I obey. HE sends me to save Israel from the oppressor. HE assures me of great victory.

 Then the Lord said to him, “Peace be with you; do not fear, you shall not die.”  So Gideon built an altar there to the Lord, and called it The-Lord-Is-Peace. To this day it is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.   Judges 6:23-24 HIS presence is Shalom.

 Now it came to pass the same night that the Lord said to him, “Take your father’s young bull, the second bull of seven years old, and tear down the altar of Baal that your father has, and cut down the wooden image that is beside it;  and build an altar to the Lord your God on top of this rock in the proper arrangement, and take the second bull and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the image which you shall cut down.”    Judges 6:25-26
 Bring down the altar of Baal. Build the altar of God.


Spiritual victory before physical victory.
   I need to experience personal victory before I can be used to bring national victory.

Shaping a valiant army:--

Out of the 32,000 people, 22,000 people ( About 70%) who were fearful had to leave.  Fear has to go. Only about 1% of the original army was taken for the war. These were 300 men who were whole heartedly dedicated.

 It happened on the same night that the Lord said to him, “Arise, go down against the camp, for I have delivered it into your hand.  But if you are afraid to go down, go down to the camp with Purah your servant,  and you shall hear what they say; and afterward your hands shall be strengthened to go down against the camp.” Then he went down with Purah his servant to the outpost of the armed men who were in the camp. Judges 7:9-11
The Lord understands us and helps us to overcome our fear.

 And when Gideon had come, there was a man telling a dream to his companion. He said, “I have had a dream: To my surprise, a loaf of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian; it came to a tent and struck it so that it fell and overturned, and the tent collapsed.”  Then his companion answered and said, “This is nothing else but the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel! Into his hand God has delivered Midian and the whole camp.”   Judges 7:13-14
The Lord reveals to us that the enemy is in fear when he is confronted by a man or woman of God. When we see the defeat of the enemy in faith, courage rises in our hearts.

 And so it was, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream and its interpretation, that he worshiped. He returned to the camp of Israel, and said, “Arise, for the Lord has delivered the camp of Midian into your hand.”   Judges 7:15
When fear leaves, we are able to see the greatness of the Lord and we worship Him. Then we are able to encourage others.

  Then he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put a 

trumpet into every man’s hand, with empty pitchers, and torches inside the pitchers.   Judges 7:16

We follow the Lord’s instruction and plan of action which could be quite unconventional!

Trumpet – Prayer.  Empty pitcher – Selflessness,  Torch – The light of the Holy Spirit within us. (2 Cor 4:6,7)

 And he said to them, “Look at me and do likewise; watch, and when I come to the edge of the camp you shall do as I do:  Judges 7:17
Gideon arises as a leader as He is led by the Lord.

 When I blow the trumpet, I and all who are with me, then you also blow the trumpets on every side of the whole camp, and say, ‘The sword of the Lord and of Gideon!’ ”  Judges 7:18
If my sword is the same as that of the Lord, I am assured of victory.


When the three hundred blew the trumpets, the Lord set every man’s sword against his companion throughout the whole camp; and the army fled to Beth Acacia, toward Zererah, as far as the border of Abel Meholah, by Tabbath.  Judges 7:22 
The Lord brought the victory when the trumpets were blown. The Lord brings us to victory when we pray. When we get the enemy unawares, he reacts. When he reacts, his character shows up. Fear, anger, murder and destruction are brought about, even within his own army! JESUS came to expose and destroy the evil works of the enemy. (Matt 12:24-26)