Sermon Central
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Arise And Contend In Battle
Contributed by Tesh Njokanma on Sep 21, 2021 (message contributor)
Summary: God is calling on soldiers of Christ to arise and use the weapon of prayer, to contend in battle in the place of prayer so we, our families, the church of God and our nation can be delivered from every evil work.
Introduction
Arise and contend in battle is not a suggestion, an advice or a plea. It is an order. An order that can only come from a Commander-in-Chief or head of an army. Indeed God is our Commander in Chief who based on Deuteronomy 2:24, has issued an order to us to arise and contend in battle. That verse says ‘Rise, take your journey, and cross over the River Arnon. Look, I have given into your hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land. Begin to possess it, and engage him in battle.’
In Exodus 15:4, God is called a Man of War. Psalm 24:7 says He is the Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord Mighty in Battle. Several Bible verses also refer to Him as the Lord of Hosts (Isaiah 3:1, 1 Samuel 1:11, Isaiah 44:6, Malachi 3:17, Haggai 2:4). Hosts means armies, it means a great number and multitude. God is the Commander in Chief of the heavenly host (Luke 2:13). He is also the Commander in Chief of His army here on earth made up of a great number, a great multitude of believers who are soldiers for Christ.
From the time the devil rebelled against God and took one third of the angels in heaven (Revelation 12:7-9), there has been strong satanic opposition and resistance to the will, counsel and plan of God. When God saves us, He recruits us, He enlists us into His army so that together with Him, we can stand against every satanic opposition to the will of God for individuals, families, the church of God and nations of the world. We are not saved to live carefree lives, to frolic around, party and play all day long. The Christian life is not a jamboree. Romans 14:17 says the kingdom of God is not about eating and drinking…We are saved to serve as soldiers of the cross who contend in battle against everything contrary to the plan and purposes of our God. This is why 2 Timothy 2:3 tells us to endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. Ephesians 6:11-14 tells us to put on the armour of God, the military uniform of soldiers in God’s army. Jeremiah 51:20 tells us that we are God’s battle axe and weapons of war. God wants to use us to shatter the plans, meetings, arrangements of the kingdom of darkness. God wants to use us to root out, pull down, destroy and throw down everything He has not planted in our lives, families, church and nation (Jeremiah 1:10).
In 1 Samuel 1:11, when Hannah prayed to God for a child she said ‘O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head’. Why did Hannah address God as the Lord of hosts when praying for a child? Hannah realised that what was happening to her wasn’t something ordinary. She was engaged in a battle that needed the intervention of the Captain of Captains, the Commander in Chief of the heavenly army and the army of believers here on earth. Hannah’s praise and prayers to God after He answered her prayers, are truly reflective of someone who indeed had been in a serious battle and God had given victory. In 1 Samuel 2:9-10 she said ‘He will guard the feet of His saints, but the wicked shall be silent in darkness. For by strength no man shall prevail. The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken in pieces; from heaven He will thunder against them…
I pray every adversary against God’s plan for your life, God’s blessings manifesting in your life will be broken in pieces as you arise and contend in battle.
There are some battle God fights with His heavenly host; His heavenly army without our involvement. For example, when we are fast asleep at night, He who watches over Israel that neither sleeps or slumbers (Psalm 121:4) is awake doing everything possible alongside His angel of protection that encamps around us (Psalm 34:7), to ensure no evil befalls us at night, to ensure our lives are not cut short and terminated by the evil arrows flying about or by the terrible things being planned for us and our families at meetings of darkness.
Then there are battles that we need to arise and fight, and as we do this Jehovah, the Man of war and His heavenly army will stand by us, back us up, fight for us like He did for Hannah. One of such battles is the one mentioned in Deuteronomy 2:24. We see from this verse who needs to arise and contend in battle.
