Date: 05-June-2024
Name: Ola
Topic: HOLDING FAST TO WHAT YOU KNOW
Content:
Psalm 27: 4 – One thing Have I DESIRED from the Lord, that will I SEEK after; that I may DWELL in the house of the Lord ALL THE DAYS OF MY LIFE, to BEHOLD the beauty of the Lord, and to ENQUIRE in his temple.
John 10:10 – The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. (Stealïƒ Kill ïƒ Destroy)
A Soldier is trained to be prepared for battle. A soldier does not know when and how the battle will occur but must be ready to be called upon anytime. Imagine a soldier getting to the war front and forgetting how to access the weapons in the arsenal or forgetting how to use the weapons.
“The Truth you know about an issue/situation determines your response – fear or faith”
The enemy seeks to attack the knowledge of the truth we know.
Adam and Eve: The serpent attacked their knowledge of the instruction God gave to them.
Jesus: His knowledge of God was tried in the three ways the enemy still uses today – Matt 4:1-11
1. Hunger/current situation
2. Identity crisis/Ego/Pride
3. Earthly possessions
Jesus responded to all these temptations by the Word of God. Notice that as soon as he overcame the temptations, angels came to minister to him.
“That breakthrough you are expecting could be at the other side of overcoming that temptation”.
PRAYER: Let’s ask God for the grace to overcome all the devices the enemy is using against us; especially on our minds where the battlefield is located – For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Eph 6:12
II Cor 10:4-6: For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.
The enemy uses craftiness to attack our Faith – focusing on ensuring that our natural senses (feel, touch, see, hear, smell) overwhelms and outweighs our Faith.
This is why the Bible says “For we walk by Faith not by sight” – II Cor 5:7
Let’s look at the story of David and Goliath in I Samuel 17.
The Israelite armies have been hearing the voice of Goliath for forty days repeating the same thing to them and verse 11 of the chapter states that “they were dismayed and greatly afraid”
David heard the same thing just once and he remembered how God delivered him from the lion and bear. David’s response in verse 32 – “Let no man’s heart fail because of him (Goliath); thy servant (David) will go and fight this philistine”.
Goliath attacked and intimidated David with words stating in verse 43 & 44 - “Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistines cursed David by his gods. And the Philistine said to David, come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field.
David fought back by words of faith – (VS 45-47)
Then David said to the Philistine, "You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord's, and He will give you into our hands."
If you have lost certain grounds to the enemy, there is still room and enough time to recover.
Luke 11:21-22 - When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace: But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils.
You can be the stronger man in this equation by pursuing and overtaking the enemy to recover all that has been stolen from you just like David did after inquiring from God (I Sam 30:8) when his camp was attacked – I Samuel 30
Daniel 11:32b: …but the people that do know their God shall be Strong and do exploits.
Prayer: I recover every ground I have lost to the enemy - Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered? But thus saith the LORD, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children. Isaiah 49:24-26
The question here is what is the focus of the enemy in our lives? The answer is to steal our knowledge of God. The enemy does anything possible to sow seeds of doubt into our hearts concerning the sovereignty of God.
The enemy is NOT powerful like God, the enemy works with deep craftiness – we sometimes give the enemy too much credit than he deserves. What the enemy does is to first steal the word by sowing doubt, and this leaves a Christian exposed. Once this is achieved, the enemy can kill and if nothing is done, the enemy finally destroys.
Psalm 138:2c – “for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name”
John 1:1-4: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
The main work of the Holyspirit is to teach all things and bring all things needed to remembrance – John 14:26
Jesus said don’t move until you receive the Holyspirit – Luke 24:49
Practical steps (Psalm 27:4)
Re-align your desires to GOD ONLY. Dwell in his presence always - Read and meditate on the word of God. Behold (Focus on) God ONLY – the more you behold (magnify) GOD in your situation, the stronger you become in handling it. Always enquire from the Holyspirit. He will give you the right word and direction for every situation
Write down your challenges and ask the Holyspirit for the Word of God for that situation
Hold on to that word and declare it repeatedly until there is a manifestation.
Prayer:
Lord, give me the grace to be strong in every facet of my life especially at those overwhelming moments when what I perceive goes against what your word says.
Prayer Points:
PRAYER: Let’s ask God for the grace to overcome all the devices the enemy is using against us; especially on our minds where the battlefield is located – For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Eph 6:12
Prayer: I recover every ground I have lost to the enemy - Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered? But thus saith the LORD, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children. Isaiah 49:24-26
