Who is this Enemy that has raised up? Who is this Enemy who came to steal, kill, and to destroy?
To steal peace from people.
To steal people’s comfort, homes, family and friends.
To destroy innocent lives, to destroy houses, and buildings, and bridges and roads and airports…
To kill hope and freedom and in return give fear and chaos.
Who is this Enemy who does not care how many people suffer or are killed?
Who is this Enemy that the Church must rise up and RESIST?
Some automatically think the Enemy is Russia or the Russians, or the Russian government. Some point fingers at the corruption of Ukrainian government.
But our war is never against people.
“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” Ephesians 6:12
There is an illegal evil ruler that is behind the scenes. The prince of the air. The thief. The real Enemy who “works in the sons of disobedience” Ephesians 2:2b.
Maybe this is a good time for each person to ask themselves a question:
“Am I a son/daughter of disobedience? Does the devil work through me also because I am not obedient to God?”
The wicked “prince of the air” works through the sons of disobedience to do his evil work through them and rule wickedly on the earth.
So many people- looking at the damage being done are being fearful and discouraged- instead of making sure they are submitted to God and instead of resisting the real Enemy.
I am reminded of David and Goliath. And today, God is looking for the Davids to face the Goliaths of our day.
Goliath the giant challenged someone from Israel to fight him…
“And the Philistine said, “I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together. When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid” 1 Samuel 17:10-11
The king Saul and his people were terrified when they were confronted with Goliath. And so many people are terrified and are dismayed and afraid when they heard of the war in Ukraine.
Jesus said:
“And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.
And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.
All these are the beginning of sorrows” Matthew 24:6-8 NKJV
It seems like the most logical thing to do is to get troubled in our heart when we hear bad news.
I was born in Ukraine and lived there until almost 10 years old. I have relatives there: aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. My Dad’s identical twin brother and a lot of his family are in Ukraine.
Gunshots and bombs are heard and the shakiness felt by many who are now in Ukraine. It truly is scary.
Normal lives are disturbed. People are afraid and are hurting. And there is so much unneeded blood loss…. Blood of children and husbands and wives and fathers and mothers and sons and daughters…
“See that ye be not troubled” (Matthew 24:6b) Jesus told us. In other words, it is natural for us to get troubled when we hear of wars and rumors of wars, but Jesus told us to see that we are not troubled. This means it is our responsibility to not get troubled even in these dire circumstances.
But how do we NOT get troubled when so many are in DANGER and many are Hurting?
Goliath was the problem that the Israelites were terrified of and afraid of -to the point that they fled from him.
“And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were dreadfully afraid” 1 Samuel 17:24
While everyone else was terrified and fled, David had a different approach. He said,
“For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?“ 1 Samuel 17:26c
It was as if David was like, “Who does he think he is? How dare he challenge the armies of the living God!”
David’s mindset was not one of fear, but of one who knew he could not be defeated because he knew God was with him and he knew God will deliver him!
David boldly decided to face and fight Goliath.
Even King Saul tried to discourage him and did not believe in David and mentioned to David that he was inexperienced and young, while the Giant was a warrior since youth.
In 1 Samuel 17:25-36 we see that David answered Saul’s hesitation to allow him to fight Goliath by remembering how God helped him before.
When circumstances are difficult, we need to Choose to remember how God delivered us before and how He answered our prayers before and got us out of impossible situations!
David said “The LORD, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine” 1 Samuel 17:37b.
David did not say God helped me before and therefore I will deliver myself from Goliath. He said THE LORD will deliver me!
When things are difficult, we are to consider JESUS- think of Him and what He did for us. “For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls” Hebrews 12:3.
If we take our eyes off Jesus and look at the chaos around us- we can easily become weary and discouraged.
This is NOT the time to get weary and discouraged!! The darker the world gets, the brighter our light must shine. We must shine with the love, grace and mercy of God!
Who are the David’s of this generation who will RISE UP and fearlessly FACE the GIANT!
The giant of fear
the giant of despair
the giant of hopelessness
the giant of war
the giant of communism
the giant of anxiety
the giant of death
"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you" James 4:7
Our knees are to bow only before Jesus and not before the spirit of hopelessness, fear, war or any other thing. So many bow to hopelessness and despair when the bad news hits home.
You see, we cannot resist the Enemy passively. We cannot resist the Enemy by watching the news.
Maybe it is time for the body of Jesus Christ to rise up and remind the devil:
Devil you have been defeated at the Cross of Jesus Christ!
Jesus TRIUMPHED over you!
I overcome you by the Blood of the Lamb, by the word of my testimony, and by not loving my life unto death!
“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death” Revelation 12:11 KJV
David faced the Goliath (1 Samuel 17: 45-49). He came to him in the Name of the Lord of hosts and the God of the armies of Israel.
David declared that the Lord does not deliver by sword or by spear; for the battle is the Lords and He will give Goliath into his hands.
“Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied” 1 Samuel 17:45
Then David declared, “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.” 1 Samuel 17:47
The battle was the Lord’s but God still needed David’s hands and feet, and David’s body to accomplish the victory. Likewise the battle is still the Lord’s, but He needs us to do what we are asking Him to do.
Instead of persevering in prayer and standing on God’s Word and resisting the devil, so often Christians become passive and just say something like, “Everything that happens is God’s will”. I was this taught and maybe you too have been taught this.
But if everything that happens is God’s will, then why did Jesus teach us to pray “Your will be done on earth like it’s in heaven” (Matthew 6:10)?
If we have to pray that His will be done, than that means that God’s will is not always being done on earth. So everything that happens is NOT God’s will!
Just one example- it is the will of God that in everything we are to give thanks. We do not give God thanks in everything- therefore God’s will is not always done. “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” 1 Thess 5:18 KJV.
We pray and we know that God can do EXCEEDINGLY ABUNDANTLY ABOVE ALL THAT WE ask or pray!
“Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen” Ephesians 3:20-21 KJV
We often say this verse and focus on the fact that God can do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask of think. But we forget that this verse has a second part to it: according to the power that works in us.
Not according to the power that is passive or hidden in us. But the power that WORKS in us- if we allow Him to work in us.
That power that WORKS in us. How often we do not realize who that power belongs to.
When we don’t realize it or hide it or do not allow it to flow out of us by being yielded to God- we prevent God from accomplishing exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think.
“We are more than conquerors through Him that loved us” Romans 8:37b
God, always causes us to triumph in Christ! (2 Corinthians 2:14).
We are complete in Christ and Christ is above any demonic being. In Christ dwells all the fullness of Godhead bodily
“For in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in Him, which is the head of all principality and power” Colossians 2:9-10
We are complete in Christ and in Him is all the fullness of God. (This is of course speaking of us, the body of Christ, the saved, born again believers).
That means that the power that works in us is God Himself. The great I AM.
The Conqueror. The Over-comer. The Mighty God. The God Almighty. The Prince of Peace. The God of all Comfort and Consolation. The God of all Grace. The God who is LOVE. The God Who Heals. The God Who Provides.
All of who He is dwells in the believer’s spirit, not just a part of Him. But how much of Him comes out of our spirit all depends on how renewed our mind is and how yielded we are to Him, and how much we allow God to have us.
The battle is the Lord’s but God needs our hands, our feet, our mouth, our bodies, to do the work we are asking Him to do.
Who will say, Lord here are my hands- they are Yours now, so use them to bless others.
Lord, here are my feet- lead me where You want to go and use them to step on every viper and scorpion of the Enemy.
Lord, here is my mouth, I want Your Word to abide in me richly so that my words are seasoned with grace and truth and use my mouth for Your glory. And help me to say and believe what is Biblical TRUTH instead of what I am seeing with my physical eyes. Help me to declare Your glory and to praise You with my mouth no matter the circumstances.
Lord here is my body. Make Yourself at home in my body.
I want to accomplish with my body the works that You have foreordained for me to walk in. I want to glorify You with my body. I am giving You my body, as a living sacrifice to You, to accomplish what You desire on this earth.
Lord, I want to LOVE like you do and forgive like You do in every situation. I want to love all of my brothers and sisters in Christ the same: the Ukrainians and the Russians and every person.
I want to become LOVE and truly love those who are “supposed to be my enemies” (the Russians). I refuse to have any hatred or bitterness towards them. The people of Russia are not my enemies. I have only one Enemy: satan and all his demons.
“But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you” Matthew 5:44 NKJV
Lord, I want my light to shine in this dark world.
I pray God’s Kingdom come and God’s will be done on earth like it’s in heaven.
In God’s kingdom there is righteousness, joy and peace in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17). In God’s kingdom there is PEACE and JOY.
And I pray God’s Kingdom will come to each house and each life in both Ukraine and Russian, and the entire world.
Lord, give each person a spirit of repentance, that each person would turn from their sinful ways, and place all their faith in Christ and Christ alone and follow Christ no matter the cost.
JESUS YOU ARE LORD! And I submit myself to you.
Father, Deliver us from evil in the name of Jesus.
Thank You that YOU REIGN! Thank You that You are FOR US and not against us!
Thank You that You are the God Almighty and that YOU ARE GOOD!! Thank You that You will use even this war for good to those who love You and who are the called according to Your purpose.
Thank You Lord that You are our REFUGE and our Fortress and our STRENGTH!!
We will not bow before fear, hopelessness, and war, and despair. We will not allow our hearts to be troubled, because YOUR REIN JESUS! We will bow only before You Jesus, for You alone are Lord of lords, and King of Kings!
Help us Holy Spirit to keep our eyes on Jesus, to abide consistently in Jesus, and to have our minds consistently stayed on You Lord.
Psalm 46 NKJV
“God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah
There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High.
God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn.
The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved; He uttered His voice, the earth melted.
The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah
Come, behold the works of the LORD, Who has made desolations in the earth.
He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariot in the fire.
Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!
The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah”
