“Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil.” (Ephesians 6:13 NLT)
In yesterday’s post we looked at an early chapter in the lives of the children of Israel as they began their conquest of the land the Lord had promised them. Sometimes I’m tempted to believe that we view physical warfare as more hazardous and difficult than spiritual warfare, but we do that to our peril.
Demons are no joke and the evil that is often disguised by expensive clothes and nice cars is setting the stage for a war the likes of which no one currently living has ever experienced. And please understand, I have nothing but respect and appreciation for our military and police who go to literal battle for the freedoms we enjoy and too often take for granted. But the stakes in physical battle are physical deaths.
What’s on the line when dealing with the enemy of our soul is eternal damnation. When we pray for the souls of our loved ones and friends who are lost, if we fail to take that battle seriously, there could be eternal consequences, not for us, but for them. We must not be lax when it comes to the battles we wage in prayer.
The Lord spoke clearly to Joshua and when he shared God’s plan there’s no indication in Scripture that anyone did anything but fully and completely carry out His plan. That’s got to be our response to His directives when we pray. Looking at the “walls” of resistance you’re facing in your life, how should you proceed?
First, listen carefully. But how? The Holy Spirit speaks in many ways, but usually in a way that He knows we will recognize. For me, He speaks through His Word, the Bible; through authors of books that I read; through other believers I trust and know they live closely to the Lord; through my wife; through circumstances of my life; through nature; through meditation and thoughtful consideration of an issue with which I’m dealing; through pain and suffering. I sometimes do my most serious praying when I don’t feel good physically. But one of the ways He speaks to me most powerfully is through the still, quiet voice of my own spirit. The point is – God speaks! So, our first response must be to take the time and make the effort to listen. We can’t hear when we’re not listening.
Second, believe what He tells you. The army of Israel did exactly what the Lord instructed them to do. If you think about it, no reputable military strategist in the world would have come up with a plan like God’s, yet, when carried out it worked like no other plan could have.
Third, take God at His word and obey what He tells you to do. A word of caution. God will NEVER tell you to do anything that contradicts His written words in Scripture. Verify whatever you think you’re hearing with God’s written word.
Fourth, they watched God do what only He could do, then they did what only they could do. Without believing, persistent prayer we’ll not see the victories God has for us. The most critical issues with which I deal in prayer pertain to the souls of my lost loved ones, friends, and neighbors. I can’t save anyone, but I can share words of life that are ignited and empowered by God’s Spirit, and so can you, my beloved friend, so can you!
God will do what only He can do when we commit to seriously doing what only we can do.
Blessings, Ed 😊
Walking With Jesus 