Escape from Defeat

The size of the enemy (Challenge) is not the reason why you are defeated. Every problem has a solution! Every enemy can be defeated. Every mountain can be dealt with (moved, tunnelled through or climbed). Every river or ocean can be crossed.  The reason you are where you are is not because your enemies are too strong. You are not down because of the size or strength of your ‘Pharaoh’ or ‘Goliath’. It is not because of the height of the ‘walls of Jericho’.

On the day Israel faced Goliath in battle there was no one to confront the giant! It was not because of the size of Goliath, it was because of the size of their faith! Every man is defeated by size of their faith in God. David was the youngest of the men on that battle field that day, inexperienced in battle, without any weapons or armour of war, yet he defeated Goliath.

David asked the men who were standing by him, "What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? Indeed, who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?" (1Sa 17:26 ISV)

David did not see the size of Goliath he saw the size of his God. He called his God ‘the Living God’. He knew that Jehovah was the only living God; all others are dead, dumb, powerless idols including Satan! This is where many believers are defeated, they see so much of the Devil and his demons that they lose sight of the Great and living God. Satan is fallen and powerless! He was defeated on the cross and remains defeated before every true child of God. Next time Satan tries to intimidate you, call his bluff, and ask him to get lost!

David did not see the size of Goliath, David saw his covenant rights. David knew that Israel has a covenant with God that makes every Israelite God’s special favourite. David knew that Israel was by Divine connection stronger than Philistine! Israel was circumcised as a sign of the covenant (Gen.17:10). The Philistines were not circumcised showing they were not part of the covenant. David knew His God was not only Most Powerful but will fight for and with him against any enemy no matter their size.
Whatever is born of God overcomes the World (1John 5:4). Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world 1John 4:4). My victory lies in this faith I have. The size of the enemy is immaterial, the nature of the challenge is inconsequential, in Christ I am victorious – always!

David saw a dead Philistine even before he went into battle. The result of every battle between a lion and a goat is known even before it starts. The result of any confrontation between God and Satan is known in advance. The result of every duel between me and any Goliath is already known. I am undefeatable, irrepressible, unconquerable, unstoppable … Bring it on Satan, my God defeated you and gave me the victory.

That’s the way every Christian should approach every battle in life. God is waiting to hear your boast about what He is going to do to your enemies. And He will do more than what you ask or think. My enemies are in trouble, God is going to cut off their remembrance from the land of the living.

David was willing to take Goliath headlong! If you don’t dare the enemy God will not show up! He is waiting for us to dare every Goliath. When Elijah dared the Prophets of Baal, God showed up. When Moses dared Pharaoh, God showed up! When Jonathan dared the Philistines, God showed up. God waits for us to rise up so He can back us up.

Dare that sickness with the stripes of Jesus, dare those demons with the name of Jesus. Dare those curses with the blood of Jesus. Knock that door boldly in the name of Jesus; ask for all you need with the confidence of a true child.

Deep inside, many believers (are they not unbelievers) are afraid of the Devil. They are so enemy focused, limitation minded, and demon fixated that they can’t move forward. Listen, the problem is not any enemy outside, the problem is YOU! If only you can have faith: that God is greater than all your enemies, that you are His covenant child, and that your enemies are already defeated.

Then dare!

 

 

Prelude to Defeat.

No child of God should ever suffer any form of defeat because whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world. “Every child of God can defeat the world, and our faith is what gives us this victory. No one can defeat the world without having faith in Jesus as the Son of God.” (1Jn 5:4-5 CEV) So when you find a child of God, a believer in Christ suffering defeat, you know something is wrong somewhere. What can make a child of God to be defeated in battle?

Forsaken by his Ally.

No child of God can defeat his enemies by his personal strength. The source of the believer’s victory is his Strong and Mighty Ally. When Joshua faced Jericho, it was the Mighty Ally that pulled the walls down and gave Israel victory. When they faced Ai, the Mighty Ally forsook them and they were defeated. (Joshua 6, 7, 8). God forsook them because of sin. Any one that sins cannot be defended by God in the battles of life.

In 1Samuel 4:17 the very ark of God was captured in battle by the Philistines! I’ve always wondered why God would allow the enemy to gain such a victory. God would not associate with sinning folks even if they are called by His name. God was and is willing to be defeated if His children cannot represent Him in Holiness. He said the gates of Hell cannot prevail against His Church. But if His Church goes into sin, He will withdraw and let the gates of Hell take over! Go to Turkey and see former Church buildings now being used as Mosques or Museums! The Holy One forsook a sinning Church.

Will God not defend a sinning Child for His name’s sake? His eyes are too holy to behold iniquity. He even turned His back of Jesus Christ when He hung on the Cross carrying our sins prompting the ‘Boy’ to cry, ‘my God my God why has thou forsaken me?’ If you want to defeat all contending enemies, you must walk away from every appearance of sin.

Mind games.

When football teams are preparing for matches, you see their coaches playing all kinds of mind games. They do that because they know that a win or a defeat starts in the mind. Every battle of life is won or lost in the mind. Even when your Mighty Ally is beside you, if you are defeated in your mind, you will lose the battle.

When the 12 spies returned from Canaan, 10 were already defeated in their minds, only Joshua and Caleb had a winning mentality. The same God that brought them out of Egypt was with them. The one who made away though the Red Sea, who brought water out of the Rock and fed them with manna and quails was with them yet He could only stamp what was on their minds – defeat for the 10 and victory for the 2!

On the day David faced Goliath, King Saul and the entire army had lost the mind game (1 Samuel 17). Goliath won the battle without a fight by intimidating the Israelites, until David came with a Champions mind. From the moment David heard Goliath speak, he said ‘I am going to cut this man’s head off’ and he did not even have a sword.

It is in your mind that fear or faith rules. It is in your heart that discouragement or determination rules. Choose what you want to rule your mind now!

Lifted Hands, Bended Knees!

The Mighty Ally is always waiting to be called into action and He remains waiting until He is called. If you don’t call Him it means you don’t need Him. He remains on standby but many children of God don’t call Him until they are defeated. Your responsibility is to call Him. Peter was sinking right in front of Jesus and the Master was just looking at him until he cried out. Then Jesus held his hand and they both walked into the boat (Mathew 14:28-32). If you don’t want to be defeated in life you must learn to pray to God always.

In Exodus17:10-13 we see this principle at work. Joshua defeated the Amalekites as Moses interceded in prayer before God. When hands were lifted in Prayer, Israel prevailed, when hands went down, Amalek prevailed! When we intensify prayer, the enemy is defeated, when we slack in prayer, we are defeated.

Bring it home.

If you don’t want to be defeated in life, don’t do anything that will make your Mighty Ally (God Almighty) to forsake you. And if you have already been forsaken, repent from the depth of your heart and He will return to you. Never yield ground to the enemy in your mind (be full of faith) and learn to pray intensely at all times.