Deliver Us

Two of my favorite people in history to read about in the bible are Joshua and Caleb. Moses sends 12 spies into the land to check it out and Joshua and Caleb were two of the men sent. They were the ONLY two to come back with a positive report that the people could take the land while the other 10 could only see the difficulty or the battle ahead and not the the promise of God to give them the land.

It’s in Numbers 27 where we discover the likelihood of Joshua taking Moses’ place when he was gone and that it would be up to Joshua to take the Israelites into the promised land.

What’s the point?

There is always a battle but the battle isn’t always one we can see. Even then the battle, while true in a physical sense, was more in the mind and spirit. God had told the people that the land was theirs, they just had to take it. They didn’t at first because of fear and unknown. The real battle of every believer is not human. Our struggle, or battle, is against the spiritual darkness that is controlled by the evil enemies of the Kingdom of God and we must be ready to stand against them at all times.

Jumping ahead to the letter Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus, we read a charge given to the readers very similar to that given to Joshua. Ephesians 6:10-17 says,

10 A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 12 For we[a] are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.14 Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. 15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.[b] 

16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.[c] 17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

What do we take away from this? What is the message being sent?

—There IS a fight and it is spiritual.

—The fight IS continual. It is perpetual and is not limited by space and time. Day or night, in a car, in a church, in a business, in a bar…the fight goes on.

—The fight IS active. We can’t do nothing. We MUST take action.

To fight this battle effectively there are a few things we need to know.

We need to know whose we are and what is in our arsenal.

Through the book of Ephesians we read of Paul telling the people what they need to know to live a victorious life in Christ, reminding them of all Christ has accomplished on their, our, behalf.

Whose are you?

You are God’s. He created you. He knows you. He loves you in ways you can’t even fathom. He is for you and not against you. He has made you in His image which means you are the head and not the tail. He gave His Son, Jesus Christ, for YOUR RANSOM! Sin held you in death’s grip demanding a payment and Jesus paid it IN FULL. No more debt payment necessary. Anyone willing to go to such great lengths must be madly in love, enormously enamored, and wholly committed to His relationship with you. In one of the teachings Jesus gave he told his disciples that if they would only believe they would do greater things than him! Let that sink in. He said you are more, MORE, than a conqueror and that he has given you ABUNDANT life through his. You are not built for fear and intimidation but for strength and action. So walk in it! Live it! Talk it!

Your Arsenal

Battle is no joke. And the battle Paul would have had to compare this all to would have been very different than what is waged today. This battle would not have been between soldiers hundreds of yards or miles apart. There wouldn’t have been bombs to drop on a faceless enemy. This was hand-to-hand combat, to the death.

While our spiritual battle isn’t face-to-face so to speak, it is no less grueling. This is a war against spiritual forces using spiritual weapons. As I already said, it is continual, ongoing, unceasing.

So to fight in this battle, which you’ll have to do no matter what, you have to be strong.

Look, just like Moses said to Joshua in Deuteronomy and God said to him in Joshua, you too must be strong and courageous.

Armor is heavy. The armor a soldier wears is not lightweight! And especially back then it would have weighed between 50-70 pounds. You have to be physically strong to carry out the attacks, whether they are defensive or offensive. Also because battle is wearisome.

The command to “Be Strong!” is not a suggestion. It is a direct order to be obeyed. It’s not up for debate or conversation. There are no “but I can’t” statements allowed!

Think of the tiny mom who’s child is in danger. Her adrenaline rushes to life and she is able to lift a car. That same sort of strength is what God brings to your body, to your mind, if you will allow him to.

This is why knowing God’s truth is so crucial, The Belt of Truth. We have to allow it to mold our life and our way of thinking. We have to allow the truth to renew and protect our minds. It is vital that you are a person of truth, believing only what is true and that no lies are found in you.

Having the body armor of the righteousness of Christ, His holiness, imparted onto and into us through Jesus because we trust Him gives us what we need to then practice that righteousness in our own thoughts, attitudes and actions. In a practical way, it is what you are positionally in Christ.

Strength can come from many places but in battle if your legs and feet are not strong, you’ve got a problem. To have your feet covered in the Gospel, in the peace of the gospel, well that’s worth more than you can imagine. Do you know the gospel? Do you know how to share it with a lost person? The biggest part of our battle is for those Jesus is seeking to rescue, those he has provided redemption from the power of the enemy for! EVERY Christian has the responsibility to be continually ready to share the good news.

The shield of faith is a massive piece of protective armor for the believers. What does a shield primarily protect? Your heart, the essence of your life. Faith is a growing, firm, vibrant confidence in God that takes every satanic attack, the fiery darts of temptation, discouragement and pressure to compromise and neutralizes them.

Our minds are a battleground in and of themselves. The helmet of salvation is necessary to protect against the attacks of the enemy by providing assurance of salvation that Jesus died for you to have. It is produced by the Holy Spirit and is accompanied by an inner witness that we are God’s children.

Every soldier needs a weapon and the believer’s great weapon is the Sword, the word of God. The Bible is both an offensive and defensive weapon. Consider the example of Jesus when was tempted by Satan in the wilderness. Over and over again Jesus quoted scripture saying, “It is written…” So how well do you know the word? Do you have a working knowledge of the bible?

And although prayer is not directly stated as a piece of armor in this passage, Paul stresses its value. Any casual reader of the bible knows its importance. Jesus would walk away from the crowds to be alone his father. How much more is it necessary for every believer to do the same? To go even further, any victorious Christian will testify about how important prayer is to them both defensively and offensively in the Christian life.

God has given us all we need to not just fight but to win, to overcome with great victory!

We are God’s people, His army in this world. What type of soldier are you?

Are you AWOL (absent without leave)—enlisted but missing?

Are you a conscientious objector (which is RIDICULOUS IN THIS TYPE OF WAR!)

Are an observer, sitting on the sidelines not willing to get involved?

Or are you enlisted, training daily, and ready to engage?

Are you actively involved in the basic training, or ongoing field training, of the Army of God? Are you reading your bible? Because I am going to tell you something right now. If you are simply going through this life thinking the bible you hear read on Wednesdays and Sundays is somehow going to be enough to get you through you are SORELY mistaken. Take ownership of your walk and your role in this battle and pick up your sword!

I know of an amazing story of how vital the "sword" is to the battle. Do yourself a favor and watch Andy Andrews, author of The Traveler's Gift, share about Joshua Chamberlain.

Had the soldiers not had their bayonets, their swords, the battle would have looked gravely different on that hill. You MUST have your sword and know how to use your sword.

Joshua and Caleb were ready to fight at 30-40 years old. And they stayed ready even at 70-85 years old. When the time finally came for the people to take the land, Caleb stood before the people and gave a great speech. Joshua 14:7-12

 7 I was forty years old when Moses, the servant of the Lord, sent me from Kadesh-barnea to explore the land of Canaan. I returned and gave an honest report, 8 but my brothers who went with me frightened the people from entering the Promised Land. For my part, I wholeheartedly followed the Lord my God. 9 So that day Moses solemnly promised me, ‘The land of Canaan on which you were just walking will be your grant of land and that of your descendants forever, because you wholeheartedly followed the Lord my God.’

10 “Now, as you can see, the Lord has kept me alive and well as he promised for all these forty-five years since Moses made this promise—even while Israel wandered in the wilderness. Today I am eighty-five years old. 11 I am as strong now as I was when Moses sent me on that journey, and I can still travel and fight as well as I could then. 12 So give me the hill country that the Lord promised me. You will remember that as scouts we found the descendants of Anak living there in great, walled towns. But if the Lord is with me, I will drive them out of the land, just as the Lord said.”

Don't be unprepared when the enemy attacks and fall in defeat. Armor up. Get serious. Prepare your hands, protect your heart and mind. FIGHT with all the strength and grace God so willingly fills you with. Oh, and just like Joshua and Caleb, understand you don't have fight alone. Grab your friends, family and prayer warriors and fight with combined efforts. We weren't meant to go through life alone and that includes the hardest times.