War Strategies

Scriptures: 2 Samuel 5:17-25, Proverbs 12:15, Proverbs 15:22, 1 Corinthians 3:19

Godly Decisions I – Who Are Your Advisors?

First read 2 Samuel 5:17-25.

We must make hundreds of decisions every day. This ranges from very trivial (“What am I wearing today?”) to very far-reaching decisions (“What should I study?”, “Who should I marry?”, “Which school should my children go to?”, etc.). 

David is described in the Bible as a “man after God’s own heart” (Acts 13:22). Why? Because he led such a sinless and holy life? Not at all. David was a murderer. That’s already pretty bad. What made him a man of God was his unconditional trust in him, and how he always turned back to him. David sought out God’s opinion and he knew that God always wanted the best for him. David knew the nature of God very well. This makes him a man after God’s heart. In our Bible passage, David once again asks God for advice. And his decision is not an easy one. This decision is about warfare, about existential affairs and about the life of many soldiers. Here David puts his own will and thinking aside. He simply asks God and does exactly what God instructs him to do. And even when he gets into the same trouble (v. 18 and v. 22), he asks once again. This is very remarkable. This is humility. Of course, he could have just done the same thing the second time as he did the first time. I probably would have done exactly that. And you? When making decisions according to the motto “whatever comes to my mind” or “What works once will also work a second time”.  How often do we really ask God for his opinion, in both “small” and “major” decisions? Don’t we often feel smart enough ourselves to make our decisions?

Now read Proverbs 12:15, Proverbs 15:22 and 1 Corinthians 3:19.

Who are your “advisors”? Your best friends, your colleagues, your parents, your partner etc.? How close are they with the Holy Spirit and are they also able to take a stand for you in prayer/intercession? The fact is, God is the perfect advisor, because he: 1. has a complete overview and perspective, including future consequences, 2. knows us better than we know ourselves, and 3. he only wants the best for us and our success in life. David knew that. Do you already entrust God with every small decision of your life, or are you still wondering whether this God can really be trusted?

Prayer, Get Free & Next Step:

Do you believe that God really wants the best for you? If not, reflect upon your concept of God today, be honest before God and ask him to replace wrong beliefs with his truth.

What decisions do you have to make in the next two weeks? Write them down and submit them to God in prayer every day and ask him what he has to say about these decisions.

Scriptures: John 10:14, John 10:27

Godly Decisions II – Hearing God’s Voice

In yesterday’s Bible message about David, we have seen that God is a pretty good advisor. And apparently David had no problem hearing God’s voice. Now you may think “Yes, but that’s David, he was really great because of his direct line to God…and at that time, 3000 years ago, God still talked to his people, but not so today.”

Actually, today we have even less excuses to hear God than David did back then. Because unlike David, we have Jesus – who, by the way, is not dead, but very much alive! And God has also sent the Holy Spirit to us personally.

Read John 10:14 and 10:27.

Jesus says here quite clearly that we are able to hear him. He is ready at any time to speak to us in his own way to reveal his heart to us. And through Jesus, we recognise the nature of God, our heavenly father, and we hear his voice. This is the truth! Now, there are only two questions: Do we really know God’s nature, and how well do we know God’s voice and are able to distinguish it from the other voices that dwell in our head (my ego, the enemy, “what do the others think,”, etc.)? To really “know” something, one must hear it again and again. To know the character of a person, it is not sufficient to have seen this person only once. One must build up and cultivate a relationship.

Most of the time, no one is already born a master. We often only ask God for advice about our “big” decisions and then wonder why we don’t immediately hear anything. Perhaps this is because we never trained to hear his voice. If we do not begin to practice with small decisions, how can we properly hear God’s voice with the really important decisions? We can also train our hearing. And we begin this with the small decisions. Always begin by asking God to help you with the small decisions, no matter how insignificant. This is how we can train to hear the voice of the Good Shepherd in order to be able to recognise his voice with the “big decisions” with complete confidence and follow his advice. 

We can practice together with other Christians (for example in our Small Group) who are already close to God and are guided by his Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a spirit of unity and if we come before him together, he is faithful to answer.

Prayer, Get Free & Next Step:

Take your time today to simply listen to God. Instead of asking him about a specific issue, try asking, “Lord, what would you like to say to me today?”

Scripture: Psalms 11:3-4

Trusting God in Difficult Times

First read Psalm 11:3-4.

The advisors of King David are panicking and advise him to flee from his enemies (Psalm 11:1-2). But David knows that it would be bad for his people if he fled. How does he manage not to panic despite the threatening circumstances? The answer is in verse 4 (NIV): “The LORD is in his holy temple; the LORD is on his heavenly throne. He observes everyone on earth; his eyes examine them.“

The certainty that God is on his heavenly throne and is reigning over the world (v. 4) calms David down. He knows that God never loses control and will make a good plan – even if we do not always see or understand his plan. When we make plans, we can only see the here and now, but God is above time and involves the perspective of eternity.

When we make plans, we are often like a child who rides in the car with its parents, pretending to steer a toy steering wheel and believing that we are driving the car ourselves – we think we have the control over the world at our hands. If our world then descends into chaos, we have the feeling that everything is out of control. But the Almighty God who has created our world holds the wheel in his hand. Only when we become humble and admit to ourselves that it’s not us, but God who is in control and is sitting in the driver’s seat that we will find rest and peace in times of crisis (Psalm 46:11; Isaiah 30:15).

“The LORD is in his holy temple” (v. 4) and the temple is here for us. In the Old Testament only the highest priest was allowed to enter the Holy of Holies of the temple, but through the death of Jesus on the cross, the curtain in the temple was split and we can personally experience God’s presence (Hebrews 10:19-21) – e.g. through prayer and by reading the Bible.

God made himself small and vulnerable by becoming a man and then dying for our sins – he knows suffering and pain, because he himself suffered on the cross. Therefore, we are not alone in our suffering, since Jesus is close to us and understands how we are feeling. We often don’t understand why God permits suffering – but this doesn’t mean that he doesn’t love us. God has promised to give us new strength when we are exhausted (see Isaiah 40:29-31).

Prayer, Get Free & Next Step:

What is currently challenging you? Which issues or sorrows would you like to surrender to God today to let him give you strength and trust in his plan? 

Even if we do not always understand God’s plans, they do exist – invite God to show you his perspective and ask for courage to embrace it.

Scripture: Matthew 4:1-10

When and How Did Jesus fight?

First read Matthew 4:1-10.

The temptation in the wilderness is at the very beginning of Jesus’ ministry, immediately after his baptism and after he received the Holy Spirit. Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. For 40 days and 40 nights he fasted and became very hungry. During that time the devil appeared and told Jesus to make bread from stones… he challenged Jesus to make bread out of stones. In doing so, he specifically attacked through the weakness of hunger to bring Jesus down. Jesus proved that the source of life is not in bread, but in obedience to God and his word: “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” (vv. 4-5; Deuteronomy 8:3) Jesus knows exactly the Word of God and how to apply it effectively!

Next, the devil told Jesus to throw himself from the roof of the temple in Jerusalem, about a height of 50 meters. Now the enemy quotes a passage from the Word of God: “He will command his angels because of you; and they will carry you on their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.” (v. 6; Psalm 91:11-12) Again, Jesus answers from the Word of God and is obedient to God’s will and does not demand divine salvation until God’s command is fulfilled. 

The enemy is not afraid to misuse the Word of God for his own purposes, and he specifically attacks our weaknesses. Do you know your weaknesses? Everybody has them and they are usually very persistent (that’s why they are called weaknesses), such as the “obvious” ones like eating too much, smoking, compulsive consumerism, or the “secret” ones like pornography in men and even “hidden” weaknesses like envy and resentment. This list contains only a few examples, there are many more. But if your particular weakness is not included, don’t start pointing fingers and moralising. Just know that the enemy will attack your weaknesses with lies about your identity and about your Heavenly Father. Some of the enemy’s favourite lies are “You are not worthy of God’s love”, and “God cannot forgive you for what you did”- lies!

Finally, the devil shows Jesus all the kingdoms of this world and says that he will give them to him if he, Jesus, would fall down before him and worship him. Jesus reacts by first commanding the enemy, “Away with you Satan!” And again, Jesus quotes from Scripture: “You shall worship the Lord your God and serve him alone.” (Deuteronomy 6:13) Jesus shows us then and now His authority over the enemy!

We also learn a lot about the enemy here: His name is Satan, whom Jesus calls the “prince of this world” in John 12:31-33. But the king is God, who is the sole ruler and he is granting all authority to Jesus (Matthew 28:18). Satan is only part of creation, he has no legal claim to rule, he is a liar. He is the tempter and wants to thwart God’s redemption plan by all possible means! This was true then with Jesus and it is true today with your redemption plan. This is the entire “power” of Satan: lies, confusion, deceit, manipulation, doubt, etc. If we look at the world around us, these delusions and lies work very well. This is the “reign” of Satan. But it is up to us whether we believe these lies and behave in accordance with them, or whether we choose to rely on God and his truths and live in freedom.

Prayer, Get Free & Next Step:

Familiarise yourself with the Word of God, it is your most important weapon, a two-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12) in the offensive battle against all temptations. Be vigilant and pray daily! Prayer is also a very effective offensive practice.

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 10:3-5

The Battle for Your thoughts

First read 2 Corinthians 10:3-5.

The greatest battle we face when Jesus becomes Lord in our lives is in our minds. That is why Paul encourages us in our Bible text today to take our thoughts captive to the obedience of God. The enemy will try by all possible means to persuade you to think badly, negatively, or degradingly of yourself and others with his lying schemes. But in Jesus you have the authority to destroy these thought patterns. To do this, you can use the weapons of God, for example, by confessing God’s greatness, praising Him, or hurling God’s truth at the enemy.

Jeremiah 23:29 says: “Does not my word burn like fire?” says the Lord. “Is it not like a mighty hammer that smashes a rock to pieces?” God has the power to break physical things, but His Word also breaks down thoughts and circumstances that tower like mountains before us.

How do I know what God thinks about me? In Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT) we read: “For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” God’s thoughts about his children are full of peace, hope, life, and blessing. “The LORD remembers us and will bless us.” (Psalm 115:12)

God is always for you! When you find that your thinking becomes destructive and heavy, prepare for the good fight of faith (1 Timothy 6:12), by rejecting everything in Jesus’ name that could cause you to waver. And ask God to renew your mind, as Paul already wrote to the church in Rome: “Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:2).

Prayer, Get Free & Next Step:

Proverbs 4:23 (NIV): “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it”. 

Go to God in prayer and ask him if you believe a lie about him or yourself. Then find a Bible passage and pray out God’s truth about your life.

When you feel lonely or forgotten, let God speak to you through the scripture verse Joshua 1:5 (NLT): “No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you.”

Scriptures: 1 Peter 1:9, 1 Peter 5:10

The War and Its Battles

Read 1 Peter 1:9 and 1 Peter 5:10 (NLT).

The war, which we did not choose, has a goal: “the salvation of your souls” (v. 9), which is the eternal glory of fellowship with God. For this it is worth fighting and persevering, or as Paul writes: “I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” (Philippians 3:14)

In this war, it is good to know who the supreme commander is and who our allies are. The supreme commander is God himself, and his first general is Jesus. He has already fought the battles and emerged victorious. Jesus is our example and our ally. He is our example of faith, obedience and wisdom!

God himself is our ally, out of love, and for this he has given us the Holy Spirit, which Jesus also had. It is the Spirit of power, love and self-discipline (2 Timothy 1:7). Another important ally is your church. There, you can always get your armour (Ephesians 6:11) in shape and sharpen your sword. There, you can draw strength in praise and be assured that you are not alone.

An important tactic that has proven itself in battle is prayer. Prayer spoken aloud in the truth that Jesus showed us has great power. Prayers are good training tactics and keep you in touch with your most important allies. Fasting is also a good tactic to get clarity in the thick of battle. Taking the initiative, by acting rather than reacting, gives you a tactical and strategic advantage – you can use it to anticipate temptations and ruses. What are your weaknesses and how will you address them? Along with initiative, tactical assets like courage, self-discipline and wisdom are important. Practice these methods and ask God about it: “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.” (James 1:5-6)

Battles will and can be lost, but never the war for your soul! (Philippians 1:6) It is also a psychological battle: the enemy will keep whispering to you that you cannot win and that fighting is not worth it after all. It’s also much more convenient that way – it’s much cosier in your comfort zone anyway….

He who no longer fights has already lost! If you give up, you lose freedom here on earth and eternal life in the glory of God. But if you keep at it and seek the fellowship of God, you cannot lose, because Jesus has already defeated the enemy: “In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.” (Colossians 2:15)

Prayer, Get Free & Next Step:

Do not forget to give thanks for all that God has already done for you. Give glory to God for all the victories you have won and will win, so that your heart will not be arrogant and you become proud.

Pray and get acquainted with your allies. Find a church where you can recharge your battery.

Scriptures: Ephesians 6:11-12, Colossians 2:10, Colossians 2:15, Romans 8:35-38, Ephesians 6:13-18

Fighting the Victorious Battle

First read Ephesians 6:11-12.

What does the Bible say about the battle we are fighting? We are not fighting against men of flesh and blood, but against spiritual powers and authorities. But God is the victor over all enemies, over all suffering, even over death. His victory over the powers of darkness is sufficient and eternal and can never be reversed. And we may and should claim this victory! Because actually, this is quite an unequal fight, for those of us who belong to Jesus. Now, you may be surprised if it doesn’t feel that way in your life now, but all those who belong to Jesus and believe firmly in him have already won the victory in Jesus.

Now read Colossians 2:10 and 2:15, and Romans 8:35-38.

Jesus was already victorious over all spiritual powers more than 2000 years ago and has deprived them of power (v. 15). We who belong to Jesus share in his victory and are fighting, in effect, against an enemy who has neither weapons nor power over us. And even in suffering, we still “triumph” over our adversaries. Even when we mistakenly allow ourselves to be led astray by means of nasty tricks (Ephesians 6:11) – despite this we have still received a gift from God…a beautiful armour.

Now read Ephesians 6:13-18.

In God’s spirit, we put on the whole armour, like a soldier on the battlefield. A soldier would never go into battle just wearing swimming trunks or sweatpants. With the belt of truth, we accept God’s truth as an unchanging fact. It is our sign that the devil’s lies no longer have power over us. 

The breastplate of righteousness protects our innermost being, our heart. Thus, Jesus fills our heart and sets us free. We can no longer be accused. For Jesus, the Righteous One, suffered and died for us. We may accept God’s grace and forgiveness, for through this redemption, God’s grace is upon us forever.

The shoes of the Gospel clothe us with determination and willingness to spread God’s message of peace in the world, so that others may also find freedom and peace with God through Jesus Christ. This message is contested, requiring adequate preparation, perseverance and good footwear. Like a strenuous hike through a rocky terrain, but ultimately arriving at the cross.

The shield of faith protects us from the attacks of the evil one. We may raise the shield with confidence in God. For his protection surrounds us, a wall of safety he builds for us. We only need to actively take the first step: to receive the shield and lift it, instead of just carrying it around as an accessory.

The helmet of salvation protects our thoughts and our spirit from false fears and worries. We may put on this helmet like a crown, because we are royal children of God. His authority is granted to us.

The Word of God is our sword. The ultimate weapon against the attacks of the evil one. We no longer allow ourselves to be confused or be told lies, for the truth of God’s Word makes us strong!

Prayer, Get Free & Next Step: 

Take a moment in the morning and consciously put on the armour of God!

As Christians, we must be aware that there is a constant spiritual battle for our hearts. This should not scare us, since we have already won. Do you believe that you have already won the battle with and through Jesus? Are you still giving the devil power over you by believing his tricks and not God’s truth about you? Consciously take the time today and reflect with the Holy Spirit where you believe lies about you and exchange them with Jesus for truth about you!

Scriptures: Joshua 6:2, Zechariah 4:6, Hebrews 11:30

The Fall of the Wall

First read Joshua 6:2, Zechariah 4:6 and Hebrews 11:30.

What a story! What great things the Israelites had already experienced. They crossed the Jordan dry-footed and were surely full of expectation about entering the Promised Land. And now this – an impenetrable wall around the city of Jericho is before them. What a frustration that may have been…another obstacle! And what does God have to say about it? God tells Joshua, “I have given Jericho into your hand”. He doesn’t say, “I will do it”, he says, “I have already done it”, believe in me, trust me. Then, the Israelites are to go around the walls of Jericho for seven days, once a day, and on the seventh day seven times. What must have the people felt like?

I am an impatient person who wants to take action on my own, and maybe I would have tried to dig a tunnel whilst thinking to myself, “We have to do something!” But God’s ways are different from our ways. Zechariah 4:6 shows us “it is not to be done by army or force, but by God’s spirit the obstacle shall be overcome.”

Often there are walls in our lives that we try to overcome with our own strength, but God says, “I have already done it! Trust me, believe me!” The passage from Hebrews shows us that through trust and faith in an almighty God, the walls in Jericho fell.

Trusting Jesus and being patient are distinctly more difficult for us than becoming active and carrying out our own action.

But this story shows us again what a great and almighty God we have. He often takes a different path than we do, but always reaches his goal. 

Patience and obedience were once again required of the Israelites, and by God’s hand, the wall crumbled. In this way he desires to reveal his greatness also in our lives.

In our German history we also have an event in which God has done great things. About 30 years ago the Berlin Wall fell. This was brought about by the Monday Prayers and the peaceful demonstrations of the people in the former GDR. But not only can stone walls fall, invisible walls can also fall. God wants to tear down overwhelming problems such as unemployment, illness or family hardships.

Prayer, Get Free & Next Step:

Prayer: Father, give me the serenity and trust to wait for your help at the walls of my everyday life. Let me become aware of your omnipotence and greatness.

The next time you are in front of a wall in your life, do not take action right away, but take a short moment to ask God, “What do you want?”