Strong In The City

Strong in the city????

1 Samuel 2:9”For by strength shall no man prevail.”

“My brother is very strong in this city” said a born-again believer, who attends church and reads the Bible. What does that mean? She meant that her brother had muscle-power in the city, men who were strong street-fighters and street-smart goondas. These words just spilled out from her mouth because her heart was filled with trust in powerful men rather than on God, unfortunately the heavily built brother died in Covid. Anybody listening? Jesus said “…..out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. Luke 6:45.

After an encounter with God, above are the words of Hannah, she understood that a man will not win by strength. Hallelujah! When people have their own house, fat salary, good positions, solid bank balance, lot of gold, government job and so on, people tend to get puffed up with pride, pompous and living life on their own terms; however, God has to break these strongholds in order to reveal Himself to them. God dried the womb of Hannah, kept Peninnah in order to propel her to the presence of God. Never look at trials and sufferings as something that was sent to break you, instead God allows them to build, mould and construct us.

I would like to take King Saul as an example of how the wicked fall, he was more attracted to mighty men than God, the Bible says: “whenever Saul saw a mighty or brave man, he took him into his service.” 1 Samuel 14:52

Saul drifted from God soooooo far away that eventually in chapter 28, he was unable to recognise satan and we see him having a conference with Satan. Very pathetic! 1 Samuel 28:4 says “What does he look like?” he asked. “An old man wearing a robe is coming up,” she(witch) said. Then Saul knew it was Samuel, and he bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground.” Though Saul was disguised, the devil identified him but alas, Saul was unable to recognise the devil that came disguised in the form of Samuel.

The man who spends several hours in the gym, constructing his muscles, fails to overcome the evil forces attacking his mind, because he is not filled with God, there are still vacant plots in his mind occupied by the devil. More of prayer, Bible reading and fasting drives the demons away so that God can dwell!