8/3/21-WE HAVE THE VICTORY BEFORE THE BATTLE EVEN STARTS.

How can I be so sure you may be asking? Are you a child of God? Do you read the Bible? Have you read His countless promises? Do you believe what you’re reading? If your answer is yes, then you get me. If it’s no or maybe, Houston! We have a problem. If no other verse of scripture gives me confidence, this one does.

“God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” Numbers‬ ‭23:19‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

If we believe that then we have the victory in every situation regardless of the outcome. If God is who He says He is, then His answers are always right whether we agree with Him or not. Consider this statement. God said it! I believe it! That settles it! My belief changes nothing. He doesn’t need me to believe Him to be God, I need to believe so that I can experience what He has promised.

Before every battle the Lord told the Israelites these words. “I have already given them into your hands.” That’s winning before the battle. Given implies that you have it before you have it, hallelujah! Our responsibility is to receive it by faith. See ourselves in light of what He has said, and not the circumstances as they appear. Spiritually, the things in the physical realm have already changed to accommodate for the outcome. We serve a God who speaks those things that are not as though they were. We also have that same power given to us by God the Holy Spirit. We just don’t believe it. We are destined to win!

What was the difference between Joshua, Caleb and the other ten spies in Numbers13-14? Two believed based on the Word of God, the others feared because of what they claimed they saw. They came back with the proof of victory, yet they still doubted. God gave them Canaan, they refused to take it because of unbelief. Go read it. I’ve covered that lesson before. We are people of faith. We’re not moved by what we see, we’re moved by who we’re connected to and His infallible Word. We’re defeated through unbelief. Let’s look at some scriptures. I never want you to believe an opinion, I need you to have proof. I won’t be writing out all the verses of the scriptures I’ll be sharing but please avail yourselves of them all.

“Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them—the children of Israel. No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua‬ ‭1:2, 5-6, 8-9‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

The first order of business is obedience and trust. The second is to know your covenant and follow it. God’s Word only works when believed and obeyed. Our victory or defeat is tied to our willingness to walk by faith no matter what we see. We can’t deviate from His plans and expect to win. Even when we have to engage the enemy, we’re still victorious because we’re not fighting in our strength but His. There are some victories that must be contended for and there are others that we’re told to be still and know that He is God. We build our faith by winning, not retreating. Fear should drive us to our knees like Jehoshaphat did, it should never cause us to faint. Fear is a reminder that it’s not by might nor power, but by His Spirit.

“Now before they lay down, she came up to them on the roof, and said to the men: “I know that the Lord has given you the land, that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of you. For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were on the other side of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. And as soon as we heard these things, our hearts melted; neither did there remain any more courage in anyone because of you, for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath.”

‭‭Joshua‬ ‭2:8-11‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Read those verses slowly. Before Joshua even lifted a sword, the battle was won. Rahab confirmed what the Lord told Joshua. But it’s important that we understand that God’s Word is current. What we’re reading about Joshua and the Israelites, is now true for us. If God has given you a promise, you can stand on it. Joshua was now walking in the fulfillment of what was promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Canaan was theirs before they were born. God keeps His Word.

“ ‘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. This day I will begin to put the dread and fear of you upon the nations under the whole heaven, who shall hear the report of you, and shall tremble and be in anguish because of you.’”

‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭2:24-25‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“And the Lord said to me, ‘Do not fear him, for I have delivered him and all his people and his land into your hand; you shall do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt at Heshbon.’ You must not fear them, for the Lord your God Himself fights for you.’”

‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭3:2, 22‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

What’s the key warning throughout? Do not fear. Fear will defeat us even though the victory has been given to us on a silver platter. We must stand on His Word and say what He says. Preface every declaration with God said! And say what He says without embellishments as Eve did. If you can’t quote it, read it! Just be accurate and believe! If He has given us the green light, barrel through it with confidence. I’m going to close with a lengthy but familiar scripture to drive home this point. There are many others. We are on the winning team. Don’t allow a defeated enemy to rattle you. Whatever we may face, the Lord declares us to be more than conquerors. More than implies that we also take the spoils of war. Another thing to note is that we aren’t the ones to be surprised, we have been prepared, the surprise should always be in the enemy’s camp.

“It happened after this that the people of Moab with the people of Ammon, and others with them besides the Ammonites, came to battle against Jehoshaphat. Then some came and told Jehoshaphat, saying, “A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, from Syria; and they are in Hazazon Tamar” (which is En Gedi). And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly. And he said, “Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the Lord to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. Tomorrow go down against them. They will surely come up by the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the brook before the Wilderness of Jeruel. You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you.” Now when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated. For the people of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to utterly kill and destroy them. And when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another. So when Judah came to a place overlooking the wilderness, they looked toward the multitude; and there were their dead bodies, fallen on the earth. No one had escaped. When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away their spoil, they found among them an abundance of valuables on the dead bodies, and precious jewelry, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away; and they were three days gathering the spoil because there was so much. And the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of those countries when they heard that the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel.”

‭‭II Chronicles‬ ‭20:1-3, 14-17, 22-25, 29‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. 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.”

‭‭I Samuel‬ ‭17:45-47‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“For they did not gain possession of the land by their own sword, Nor did their own arm save them; But it was Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your countenance, Because You favored them.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭44:3‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Go deeper: Exodus 14; 2 Kings 6, 7, 18-19; Deuteronomy 3, 9; 2 Chronicles 32; Judges 1, 7

The battle is never ours but the victory is. The outcome is set. We fight from a place of victory and never defeat. Fear will cause you to turn the sword on yourself, faith in the Word of God will make us run towards our giants like David did, like Joshua did, like Jehoshaphat did. The only part of our body not protected is our rear, there’s a reason for that, we don’t retreat. If we keep moving forward to victory the Lord promises to be our rearguard. Isaiah 52:12

Written by permission of the Holy Spirit

W. Tennant

August 3, 2021