Tag: #strategy for warfare

Posted on

New Year, New Training

This week has been a week of new year’s resolutions and goals for many. As I move around, I hear some speaking of this year as a time of newness and a fresh start. Others view it as an opportunity to start over or to attempt some things again. For me, this new year – this start of a new decade – is another opportunity to become more skillful in warfare; the kind of warfare which, at its roots, is about listening to and obeying God’s commands. With this year comes new training for battles for which I lack experience.

On New Year’s Day, on our way back from a 3-night revival service in Florida, I came across a passage of scripture that grabbed my attention. I later returned to the passage and dug deeper into it, so I could understand what the Holy Spirit wanted to disclose to me. The passage reads as follows:

Judges 3: 1-4 (NIV) These are the nations the Lord left to test all those Israelites who had not experienced any of the wars in Canaan  (he did this only to teach warfare to the descendants of the Israelites who had not had previous battle experience):  the five rulers of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites living in the Lebanon mountains from Mount Baal Hermon to Lebo Hamath.  They were left to test the Israelites to see whether they would obey the Lord’s commands, which he had given their ancestors through Moses.

This passage indicates a few things that called for my consideration:

  1. Warfare is taught.
  2. The teaching of or training in warfare is initiated and facilitated by God.
  3. Battle experience is necessary to develop skill in warfare.
  4. It is imperative that those who have not had previous battle experience be taught warfare.

Upon consideration, I began to ask myself a few questions, in light of the upcoming year:

  1. What battle experience(s) am I lacking?
  2. What has God allowed to remain in my life from the previous year(s) that would give me the necessary training and experience so that I can become more fit for and skilled in warfare?
  3. What “enemy” has been left in my life for testing and proving; to know whether I would listen and obey the commands of the Lord?

I concluded that, although I may have entered a new year, there will still be some old, remaining, or leftover things that I will have to deal with for my betterment. The Holy Spirit was impressing upon me to be careful not to offer wasted prayers, rebuking and cancelling the very things that the Lord has ordained for my growth and development. He cautioned me that, no matter how many people I hear declaring all newness, remember that all things will not be made new just because it is a new year. However, I must be mindful that those things which are not assigned to be made new, are essential for the perfection of my warfare.

Consequently, I look forward in anticipation to the upcoming new training that God has designed for me. I do not fool myself into thinking that it will be a walk in the park. I know that I will have some challenging moments and may even fail some of the lessons and accompanying tests. Nevertheless, I surrender to the training God has chosen for me and expect that, if I tarry, by the end of this year, I will be more skillful and experienced in warfare.  I would have gained more ground for the kingdom.

Therefore, I go forth this year joining with the psalmist David, declaring, “Blessed be the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle” – Psalms 144:1 (NKJV). Will you join me in God’s School of Warfare?

DIG DEEPER:
Bible Study – The Greatest Teacher of Warfare

Posted on

Time for a Check-up!

I can’t believe it! The end of the first quarter of the school year here in Berkeley County, South Carolina is fast approaching. I am in the process of entering grades in my gradebook, because report cards will soon be due. The grades represent what the students were able to achieve or learn this quarter and give some indication to areas where they may need extra help or support.

While I am in this mode of thought, I can’t help but think about my spiritual report card, particularly my report in regards to my prayer life, and consequently my warfare. As I meditate on this, two passages of scriptures come to mind.

The first was recorded by the writer of Hebrews where he makes mention of a “report” as well. He states, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report….  And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, ….” (Hebrews 11: 1-2, 39)

The second was written by Paul in his letter to the Corinthian church. It was not specifically speaking about a “report” but was encouraging the believers to do some self-examination or self-assessment. This is what he said, according to 2 Corinthians 13:5-6 in the Message translation: “Test yourselves to make sure you are solid in the faith. Don’t drift along taking everything for granted. Give yourselves regular checkups. You need firsthand evidence, not mere hearsay, that Jesus Christ is in you. Test it out. If you fail the test, do something about it.”

The latter passage was referring to assessing oneself to determine whether or not they are in the faith. Tonight, I am taking heed to this advice and applying it to my prayer life. I am encouraged to take some time out for personal assessment, that is, self-reflection, and self-evaluation. The objective is to determine my areas of strengths and weaknesses, so that I can wage a good warfare (1 Timothy 1:18).

Would you join me as I pull out my ezerWatchers Checklist as my measuring tool and invite the Holy Spirit to be my Evaluator who will reveal and lead me into truth? Consider these indicators/descriptors with me.

Which number best describes your skill level for each statement?
1-Never  2-Rarely  3–Seldom  4-Often 5-Always

  1. I pray according to the will of God.
    – I research God’s word as it pertains to the situation. ________
    – I gather information about the issue/situation before praying.  _________
    – I accept the truth about the information gathered. ________
    – I seek God’s will regarding the situation. ________
  2. I am aware of when I may be contrary or opposed to the will of God.
    – I am honest about my feelings regarding the issue/situation.  ________
    – I war against my contrary will. _______
    – There are times when I war against my intellect. _______
    – I am aware of the distractions in my internal and external environment.  _________
    – I research God’s word as it pertains to distractions in my internal and external environment. ________
  3. I engage in prayer in different dimensions.
    – I pray prayers of confession as it pertains to my perceptions. ________
    – I pray prayers of submission as it pertains to my emotions. ________
    – I use different forms/types of prayer. _______
    – I have a strategy for overcoming these distractions in my internal and external environment. ________
  4. My prayers are led by the Holy Spirit.
    – My spiritual sight is corrected through the lens of my prayer. _________
    – My prayers are guided by my spiritual sight and not my perceptions. ________
    – My prayers are guided by my spiritual sight and not my emotions. ________
    – My prayers are led by the Holy Spirit, proactive – not just reactive. _______
    – I use a weapon in which I am skilled during prayer. ________
  5. Although I pray any and everywhere and at any time, I have routines associated with my communication with God.
    – I have a set place in my home where I meet with God. ________
    – I know the primary channel of communication through which God communes with me. _________
    – I have set times in my daily schedule when I meet with God. _______

So what did your results reveal?
In which of the 5 categories did you see more strengths? In which did you see more weaknesses?
Revisit 2 Corinthians 13: 5-6 (MSG) – “Give yourselves regular checkups. You need firsthand evidence, not mere hearsay, …. If you fail the test, do something about it.”

I borrow this excerpt from The Art of War by Sun-Tzu: “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself, but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle. Knowing the enemy enables you to take the offensive, knowing yourself enables you to stand on the defensive.”

Getting regular check-ups through self-reflection and self-evaluation positions us for victory in the war.

DIG DEEPER –  For more information on:

1. Praying according to the will of God, check out
– Lord, Please Guard My Focus (1);
– Strategy for Warfare (2)

2. Being aware of when I may be contrary or opposed to the will of God, check out
– Lord, Please Guard My Focus (2);
– It Might Just Be an Illusion;
– The Woman & The Serpent (2);
– Change of Focus = Change of Perspective

3. Engaging in prayer in different dimensions, check out
– Warfare Against Fear;
– Warfare for My Children;
– Warfare: Obedience Conquers Fear;
– Be Rid of The “Thorns”

4. Being Led by the Spirit in Prayer, check out –
A Cry for Discernment;

5. Routines associated with my communication with God, check out –
– Tactical Position: Listen Up!

Posted on

CARRIERS: Make That Right Connection!

If you look at me, you would never know it, but I am a carrier of the sickle cell disease (SCD). I have inherited one sickle cell gene from my mother and a normal gene from my father, so I have what they call the sickle cell trait (SCT). For the most part, I do not have any of the symptoms of SCD, but I can pass the trait on to my children. One of my three biological children have inherited SCT and now has the potential of passing it on to her children.

Of my mother’s three biological children, I am the only one who inherited a sickle cell gene. I am the only carrier. When she was pregnant with me, she was not knowledgeable of the fact that she had the SCD. However, her lack of knowledge did not prevent her from passing that gene to me. Without her knowledge and without her permission, that gene was passed on. Why? Because she is a carrier. Now I am a carrier and my eldest daughter is also a carrier.

If you are reading this, then you are a carrier. In fact, God has designed every living organism to be a carrier. None of us can begin to comprehend all that we are carrying. The possibilities are infinite but materialization of what we are carrying become evident when we make connections. Our connections determine the physical expressions or observable characteristics of what we are carrying.

My father does not have any sickle genes. If he had married a woman who also did not have any sickle genes, then he would never have produced a child with SCT. On the other hand, if my mother had married a man with SCD, like herself, then all of her children would have had SCD.

The physical expressions or observable characteristics of what we are carrying are dependent on our connections. The connection can be physical, like a marital connection or a business connection. On the other hand, the connection can be spiritual, like connecting with the Holy Spirit.

Abraham understood that God had separated him and had chosen his lineage to be the carriers of the Promised Seed. So, when it was time for his son Isaac to be connected to a wife, Abraham was sure to let God handpick that connection. We can think of other connections:

  1. David, whose connection to some vagabond men described as in distress, in debt, and discontented, produce his mighty men of valor, renowned in scripture (1 Samuel 22:2)
  2. Naomi and Ruth, whose connection produced a faithful daughter of the God of Israel.
  3. Paul and Timothy, whose connection transformed a timid young man into a bold bishop of the church of Ephesus.
  4. Aquila, Priscila and Apollos, whose connection produced a mighty evangelist for the kingdom.

Of all the connections we can have, the Holy Spirit is the one that we should first pursue to see the manifestation of the will of God. Scripture teaches of the role of the Holy Spirit in bringing revelation to us of those things that God has already prepared for us when He created us as his workmanship; those things that we are carrying buried within us. The word of the Lord declares in

1 Corinthians 2: 6-11 (TPT)
However, there is a wisdom that we continually speak of when we are among the spiritually mature. It’s wisdom that didn’t originate in this present age, nor did it come from the rulers of this age who are in the process of being dethroned. 

Instead, we continually speak of this wonderful wisdom that comes from God, hidden before now in a mystery. It is his secret plan, destined before the ages, to bring us into glory.

None of the rulers of this present world order understood it, for if they had, they never would have crucified the Lord of shining glory.

This is why the Scriptures say: Things never discovered or heard of before, things beyond our ability to imagine – these are the many things God has in store for all his lovers.

But God now unveils these profound realities to us by the Spirit. Yes, he has revealed to us his inmost heart and deepest mysteries through the Holy Spirit, who constantly explores all things.

After all, who can really see into a person’s heart and know his hidden impulses except for that person’s spirit? So it is with God. His thoughts and secrets are only fully understood by his Spirit, the Spirit of God.

Ephesians 2:10 (TPT) – We have become his poetry, a re-created people that will fulfill the destiny he has given each of us, for we are joined to Jesus, the Anointed One. Even before we were born, God planned in advance our destiny and the good works we would do to fulfill it!

Ephesians 2:10 (NKJV) – For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

When you make the right connections and create environments conducive to growth, i.e. conducive to the activity of God, you would be amazed at the change that can be effected in the earth. When we connect with the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, we create such an environment and are then able to birth forth the things that God has ordained us to.

Would you make that right connection today?

DIG DEEPER:
1. Devotional: What are you carrying?
2. Bible Study: CARRIERS: Authorized Transportation Agents

Posted on

Good Seed, Crowded Soil

Luke 8: 7, 14: Behold, a sower went out to sow.  And as he sowed, … some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it. Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity.

For the past two weeks, we have been discussing the characteristics of the virtuous woman, the woman of valor. But I feel the need to pause in our explorations and minister to some women who do not see themselves as virtuous, victorious, or strong. I want to minister to my sisters who feel as if they have tried and tried but keep on failing. Those whose prayer lives seem to be a cycle of prayers of confession and pleas for forgiveness, because they seem to be always stumbling and falling down.

As I re-read some of my many journals that I have written over the years, I came across an entry where I had penned at the top of the page, “The environment (condition) of my heart determines the productivity of my life.” At the time, I was studying The Parable of the Sower, and the verses that talked about the seed that fell on thorny ground captured my attention. Let’s look at the verse from Luke’s account of that parable.

Notice a few things about what we learn in this parable:

1. The thorns, although not visible to the naked eye, were present in the soil/ground at the time that the sower scattered the seed on the ground.
2. The good seed fell on and germinated next to already existing thorn seeds.
3. The good seed produced a plant.
4. The plant became an adult plant; a plant capable of reproducing or bearing fruit.
5. While the plant was growing, the thorns were also growing.
6. Soon the area of land where they were both growing became overcrowded.
7. Eventually the thorns began to choke the plant that sprang up from the good seed. It deprived the plant of resources through crowding.
8. The thorns diverted the nutrients the plant needed to, not only produce fruit, but to sustain the growth of the fruit until it came to a place of maturity.

My sisters, part of our self-discovery involves a search for pre-existing thorns in our lives. We must identify those things that were deep-seated in our heart before we heard the call of God. Note, those thorns do not negate the fact that God called us and spoke the seed of His word into our hearts. However, those thorns will limit what we can do with what God has given to us.

For some, the thorns have been growing alongside the word of God in our hearts for years. Now that we have grown to a place in God where He wants to use us to reproduce, that is to make disciples, we are finding that we are not as mature as we thought. We are finding ourselves void of strength and stamina, making it difficult to bear fruit.

According to this passage of scripture, the thorns represent cares (worries and anxieties), deceitfulness of riches (going after making money), and the pleasures of life (going after just having fun). If our lives revolve around these three main areas, then we are causing the strength and life that comes from the word of God in our lives to be depleted, leaving us unable to come to maturity and reproduce much fruit.

As women, if we are not careful, we can allow the cares of life to so fill our days and eventually our hearts that the good seed of God’s word, will not be allowed to do its full work in us. What He says about who we are and what He has given to us will be choked out and not be able to bear any fruit in our lives.

My sisters, know that what God says about us as women is truth. What He has promised to do in us and through us is a certainty. Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 5:24, “He who calls you is faithful who also will do it.” The problem isn’t with the seed, with His word or what He said. The problem is if we received His word in hearts that have not been cleared of the remains of the thorns that were there previously, then what His word produces in us will eventually die out.

You don’t have to allow your life and consequently your heart to become overcrowded with the cares of life. You can be all that God says you are and bear fruit that testify to the same. Take some time to weed out the thorns from the soil of your heart and make room for the word of God spoken in your heart to grow and bring forth fruit, some thirty, some sixty, and some one hundredfold.

DIG DEEPER:
Prayer Room – Be Rid of the Thorns