Spiritual Warfare - 17

The Christian army – A Team

I cannot see the battle won, when I stand by myself. I have personal victory when The Lord is with me, for I am complete in Him. With Him, I can be all that He has planned me to be and I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me.

In many situations, the Lord gives me a partner to work with. When God made Adam, He said that it was not good for man to be alone, and so He made Eve as a suitable helper for him. When Jesus sent the apostles out on mission, He sent them two by two. The apostle Paul went out on ministry together with Silas or Barnabas or John Mark or Luke.

Two are better than one, Because they have a good reward for their labor.  For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, For he has no one to help him up.  Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; But how can one be warm alone?  Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.  Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

If a relationship between two persons is built in The Lord, it is healthy and not easily broken.

Now Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim. And Moses said to Joshua, “Choose us some men and go out, fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand.”  So Joshua did as Moses said to him, and fought with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. And so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses’ hands became heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.  Exodus 17:8-13 

There is a team here, playing different roles, to defeat the enemy.

                                          Rod of God

                                            Moses

                            Aaron                        Hur

                              

                                             Joshua

                                           The people

The Rod of God lifted up by Moses meant “ Jehovah Nissi”  The Lord is my banner.

Joshua couldn’t win without Moses holding up The rod of God, and Moses couldn’t hold up the rod of God without Aaron and Hur.

When God called Nehemiah to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, he gathered together all the people and they worked next to each other and after each other. (Neh 3) Therefore the spiritual war is fought not only as a team at a given time but also as a baton relay where the mantle is passed on from person to person to continue the battle.  

Rules for a team:-     1)  Play your role well.   2) Support and help others so that they may play their roles well. 

3) Don’t play the role of another and don’t copy another and don’t hinder another. 

God chooses a man to lead His army for a season.

We need to progress united as an army, all submitting to the Commander-in-Chief, Who is The Lord Jesus Christ. Stand or march promptly, at the orders of the Commander. When we are in the battle field, it is necessary to quickly obey the voice of the Holy Spirit, unquestioningly. While playing an electronic game, pressing the right key at the right time increases the score. Similarly, prompt acts of obedience to the Holy Spirit, is like pushing buttons that bring about big changes in the spiritual set up.

 I made haste, and did not delay To keep Your commandments.  Psalm 119:60 

Even when you are carrying a mobile phone, it may be turned off or you may be out of range to pick up the signals to be in touch with others. Similarly, it is necessary to be fine tuned and sensitive to the signals and voice of the Holy Spirit and others in the team when we are in the battle field.

The ultimate goal is, not just taking our stand, but gaining territory and possessing the land. This calls for a team effort and I am only responsible to play my part in my place during my life time. In doing this, I enter His rest, although I may not see the fulfillment of all the promises of victory. As I walk in obedience, I see some of God’s promises fulfilled. Others, I see through my eyes of faith, believing that He will fulfill with His hands what He promises with His mouth, in His time.  

Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, horror and great darkness fell upon him. Then He said to Abram: “Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years. And also the nation whom they serve I will judge; afterward they shall come out with great possessions. Now as for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried at a good old age. But in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.”  Genesis 15:12-16

Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is across from Jericho. And the Lord showed him all the land of Gilead as far as Dan, all Naphtali and the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Western Sea, the South, and the plain of the Valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees, as far as Zoar.  Then the Lord said to him, “This is the land of which I swore to give Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ I have caused you to see it with your eyes, but you shall not cross over there.” So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord.  Deuteronomy 34:1-5 

“For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep, was buried with his fathers, and saw corruption;  Acts 13:36 

So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.  John 19:30

In my day to day life, am I able to enter His rest? This is possible, if I only do what the Lord requires of me and not get entangled, meddling in others’ work and becoming a problem in the battle field.