Before You Fling The Stone***

The Holy One calls to me this morning.  The battle rages and it is always for the hearts of humanity and takes place first in the mind.  The mental battle is the hard wrestle. 

Ephesians 6: 11-13 tells us, “Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil.  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood but principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.   Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all to stand. Stand therefore having girdled your waist with truth….”

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth.  He speaks from out of the darkness and my wrestle against the rulers therein. 

“Remember David.  He declared the victory before he sent the stone into Goliath’s head”. 

Most of us learn the Biblical account of David and Goliath early in our faith “training for reigning.”   The fact that we will and must face-off with Goliaths in our Christian walk is well known.  But today the Lord takes me back to the story of that victory to show me an important detail that is easily overlooked in the lead-up to the toppling of the giant in his life.

Hand-to-hand combat is not advisable against a giant of human flesh that is energized by the dark lords of the unseen realm.  David knew that truth, even though King Saul and the rest of the army of Israel thought that was the only way to defeat the enemy. 

I guess I can see the similarities between them and me when I think only in terms of flesh (carnal) weapons to use in the battle or “wrestle” against people or situations that represent the opposition to my Kingdom and my King.   Human anger even if it begins as “righteous” provides no victory over the darkness.

Looking back to the Word in I Samuel 17: 44-48, “And the Philistine said to David, “Come to me and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field”.  Then David said to the Philistine (enemy), “You come at me with a spear and 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 hands 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 (enemy) to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth that all the earth will 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”.

David gave the victory speech not for his enemy alone, but for his fellow warriors as well. But today, it is the timing of it that I am called to see.  David made this faith declaration of victory before he sent the stone into the head of the enemy.

I know personally that the battle is for the heart and mind of each generation.  I also know that the enemy of God is a liar and in our humanity we are vulnerable to his lies.  That is why we have been given the Holy Spirit of the Savior and why He is the One who will lead us into all truth.  That is also why the battle comes down to making the declarations of truth; first to ourselves and then to the world around us.

Notice how Goliath had intimidated Israel’s army.  He spewed his threats and used his size as evidence of his ability to defeat God’s people.   The devil uses the same tactics today, maybe not in the physical arena but surely in the Spiritual one and that defines the battle for the heart through the mind of all of us. 

Lies of the evil one must be contradicted and challenged.  That is what David’s declaration of victory was all about.   David declared faith in the One True God and what He said about the Lord was truth the enemy (and his fellow warriors) needed to be reminded of.  Back in the day God was making His Sovereignty known through Israel.  His chosen deliverance came through a young boy with a stone and a sling.  But before he let the stone fly, David declared the victory would come and by the Hand of God alone.  

That is what I must do today before I fling the stone.  I must stand and declare the Truth about our God and King.   The battles(s) belongs to the Lord God of all creation and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.  To Him be all the glory forever and ever and to his kids on earth we can and must take claim to the victory over the rulers of this dark age.   Evil giants are defeated by truth in the battle field of our minds.

The Spirit is calling.  Can you hear Him?