“And stay ye not, but pursue after your enemies, and smite the hindmost of them; suffer them not to enter into their cities: for the LORD your God hath delivered them into your hand.” – Joshua 10:19
The children of Israel faced many enemies as they entered the Promised Land. Often those enemies were quite formidable, but God provided courage, strength, and victory again and again for Israel when they followed and obeyed Him.
Here are three examples of God providing the victory against all odds.
- David – In 1 Samuel 17, there is the account of this young shepherd boy facing off with Goliath, the mighty Philistine warrior. David couldn’t even bear the weight of protective armor to fight the imposing enemy, so he went up against the giant soldier with only 5 smooth stones and a sling. However, combining those stones with an unwavering faith in God gave David an impossible victory… one that only God could have provided!
- Gideon – In Judges 6-8, the Bible tells us that with God’s help, Gideon and only 300 men defeated the mighty army of the Midianites.
- Esther – In this book, Esther, a young Jewish girl, demonstrated faith and trust in God, which enabled her to intervene and save the entire Jewish population in the kingdom of Ahasuerus.
I also have enemies that I face in life. Some are external, but most are internal. It seems those within me are the most persistent, strong, and determined to overcome me. I find that I often forget to call upon the One who is ready and willing to fight the battle for me! However, if I want victory, I must remember to call upon the Lord. 2 Chronicles 20:15 reminds me, “…Thus saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s.”
Here are three of my worst enemies. God has given me the battle plan for each one and has assured me that through Him, I will have the victory!
- My heart – “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9).
- This is the biggest enemy I face. It is so subtle at times, yet so destructive. Many times my heart tries to make me believe lies, such as “God doesn’t really care about you.” “You are such a hopeless case.” “You don’t need to change… you’re fine just the way you are.” “You’ve got it handled.” These are all damaging messages that my heart (my emotions) uses to weaken my walk with the Lord.
- Battle Plan: “And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh: That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.” – Ezekiel 11:19-20
- The only offensive weapon listed in Ephesians 6 is the “…sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:”. I must be in the Scriptures daily. Once I let my guard down, I become vulnerable to attack! The Bible is what I must use to equip myself to slay the lies of a deceitful and deceptive heart. God will uses His Word to strengthen my heart to be more aligned with His truth. “Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.” – Psalm 31:24. It is through Him that I will have victory!
- My tongue – “And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell… But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.” – James 3:6,8
- The Bible reminds me that the tongue is a two-edged sword. It can be used for good when it is an ally, but as my enemy, it can also be used to hurt. How? Gossip, slander, inappropriate language, angry words… these are all enemies and must be pursued and slain.
- Battle Plan: “Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.” – Psalm 141:3
- Controlling what words come out of my mouth is not easy as much of speech is spontaneous. Therefore, I must ask God to help me, to empower me to have control over what I say, to whom I say it, and where I say it. Philippians 4:13 states, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Seeking God’s wisdom and power in this area of my life will give me victory over my small but mighty tongue!
- My eyes – “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” – 1 John 2:16
- My eyes are constantly bombarded with the evil and wicked images of the world. There are a plethora of avenues that expose my eyes to sinful behaviors, and when I allow my eyes to linger over things that are tempting, they become my enemies! Social media, television, possessions of others, etc. can be the avenue upon which the “eye enemy” attacks. In and of themselves, these things are not sinful, but when my eyes allow visions that are not godly to enter my mind, they become a powerful enemy.
- Battle Plan: “I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.” – Psalm 101:3
- Be proactive! I must purpose within myself to avoid media that dishonors God. Satan makes sin very attractive to my carnal nature. It isn’t an easy thing to fight against Satan or myself, therefore, I must seek God’s help. How? Prayer and Scripture. Seeking God’s help to resist the devil is vital because it is then that Satan will flee! (James 4:7) I must also focus on verses that help me make godly choices. Philippians 4:8 is a good strategic verse: “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” Choosing wisely is the path to victory!
I have many more enemies, but the battle plans have a commonality… the Scriptures. Every adversary I face cannot stand against the Word of God. My duty is to remain in the Scriptures daily, be prepared for battle at any time, and follow the orders of my Commander, the Lord Jesus Christ. When I do these things, I am assured of victory!
Oh, victory in Jesus, my Savior forever
He sought me and bought me with His redeeming blood
He loved me ‘ere I knew Him and all my love is due Him
He plunged me to victory beneath the cleansing flood!
(from “Victory in Jesus” by E. M. Bartlett)
“Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.” – Romans 8:37
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What enemies do you face? What are your battle plans for victory?