Day Ten: In Whose Name Do You Meet The Enemy?

 

 A name is very important. It gives you identity and identifies you to everyone else. Having a name is very important and often a name has meaning. That meaning becomes part of your DNA. Each time someone calls you by your name, they prophesy over you. That is why it is important to know the meaning of a child’s name before you give it to him/her. Every time you instruct them or call them out, you say either a good thing or a bad thing over them. And he/she hears it and acts accordingly.

Likewise, you must know whose name you are representing when you go into a battle. There is power in that name. Let’s continue to read from 1 Sam 17.

1 Sam 17: 45Then 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. 46This 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. 47Then 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.”

Upon hearing that declaration, I would have run. I mean, the entire known world at the time knew the God of Israel and the miracles He had performed over the years.

There was not a Google search engine to help them. No, they had heard this from their parents’ knees. The people of old were talented storytellers. And these stories would have been told around the many tables of all nations for many generations.

They knew about:

4.1 Noah and the Flood.

4.2 Abram that became Abraham.

4.3 Joseph’s exceptional insight.

4.4 The Exodus from Egypt.

4.5 The Wilderness Period to the Conquest of Canaan.

4.6 The Jericho experience.

4.7 Gideon and his mighty men.

4.8 Jael and Deborah.

4. 9 Jonah

None of these things happened in secret. It happened in the open, and those who experienced it firsthand could not stay silent very long.

Yet Goliath stayed. I mean, the Philistines were settled there. They were not going anywhere soon. Once the enemy has settled in your life it is difficult to uproot it. It takes force to remove it. This is why we need to understand the weapons we need to overcome them with. Especially when all the conditions are in your favour.

Satan knew this, but convinced his cronies to stay. Their stubbornness and delusions of grandeur blinded them. They never expected that a shepherd would come and defeat the champion.

Are you in a place where Satan has settled into a comfort zone in your life? Mocking you day and night just for the fun of it? I have been there. It is not an easy place to be. It drives you nuts and leaves you defenceless.

What are you going to do about it? In whose name will you proclaim victory?

Whether you face financial problems, joblessness, loss of a business, or are a victim of a scam (For me it is yes on all of them). Maybe you are on the verge of emigrating, battling a deadly sickness, have a disobedient child, or face a divorce. Yet God wants you to proclaim victory in your circumstances. Any sort of addiction can crumble your resolve. Going on pension sounds fun at first until you are there. Then it is terrifying. Having a sickly live-in-parent can send your life out of control; whatever you face the question remain; whose report will you believe?

You can do what David did. He declared, “But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you.”

God has given you the full armour; he has given you the five smooth stones and a slingshot to defeat this giant. The River of life flows through your veins. You are no longer next to the river of Babilon; you are next to God’s river.

· The Word is established in your life.

· You take communion every day.

· You separate yourself from all worldly things.

The resources are not for decoration to hang somewhere and show how religious you are. No, God gave it to you to use.

Matt 11:12

And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.

David responded with righteous anger.

• He came in the name of the Lord. It is the name above all names. He is Jehovah Jireh; He is Jehovah Nissi. His banner was raised over him. He is the hedge breaker, and the voice calling in the wilderness.
• He told Goliath that he was delivered into his hand. In David’s mind, the fight has already turned to his favour. Where is your mind in this challenge you face? (Speaking as one that is on a job hunt for the last fourteen years and dependent on my children and elderly father, I know it is not easy. I have made a few wrong choices on the way. I lost my faith as well. But to stay there is not an option. Just like David you must return to God and know who you are.)
• David was not afraid of Goliath’s taunts and curses. It could do nothing to David’s mind. His mind was dedicated to God. While shepherding, he got to know God very well. Therefore, he knew that those taunts and curses meant nothing. It is just a show.
• The curse Goliath spew towards David backfired on him. He was already defeated. He just didn’t realize it. The enemy may shout, the bank might take everything you have, but God is still in control. You must believe that.
• Goliath was beheaded. The enemy must be destroyed completely. To behead the enemy means you have overcome. The seven letters to the churches in Revelation 2-3 gives us a clear understanding of what God expects from us.
• We must
• Overcome apathy. Make sure that you love God and His word.
• Overcome Tribulations. Do not fear. Did you know it is written 365 times in the Bible?
• Overcome mixtures. Do not follow false doctrines like that of the Nicolaitans.
• Overcome Jezebel. If sexual immorality, or adultery is part of your life, you will not overcome. You must remove this demon from your life.
• Overcome the religious spirit.
• Overcome denial. Have you denied God in your life?
• Overcome lukewarmness.

 

• God’s name was made great because of this mighty exploit. David knew that God was on his side. David trusted God explicitly.
• David had dedicated authority from God. That was his mandate. Each of us receives a mandate from God. It is closely knitted with your vision and purpose. When you stick with that mandate, you will overcome.

If you want victory in your life, then you must follow David through the hedge to overcome. Yes, it will cost you a price, but it is worth it. Make a choice today to follow in the footsteps of Christ and live according to what the Lord shows you. He wants you to overcome but then you must trust his name. 

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