Thursday, May 7, 2009

Like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against the enemy

Isaiah 59:19b: When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him.

If you check the Hebrew dictionary for this word ‘flood’ in Isaiah 59:19, you’ll realize that we are not talking about the enemy’s flood that try to destroy us, but instead it’s God’s flood that sweeps away the enemy and his works.

The word ‘flood’ in this verse is ‘nahar’ in Hebrew. It means ‘great waters, God’s running waters.’ It can also mean ‘prosperity, sparkle, cheerful.’ So when the enemy tries to come in, attack us, or swarm us, like a ‘nahar’, like a flood, God will lift up a standard against him, putting to flight and chase away the enemy.

Who is this ‘enemy’? He is our ‘adversary’, satan and his works of darkness. Let us cross refer to Psalm 90:5 and Isaiah 28:2 about God’s flood that sweeps away the enemy and his works. Psalm 90:5 says, ‘You (God) carry them (enemy) away like a flood.’ Isaiah 28:2 says, ‘Behold, the Lord has a mighty and strong one, like a tempest of hail and a destroying storm, like a flood of mighty waters overflowing, Who will bring them down to the earth with His hand.’ Wow! It means when the enemy tries to swarm and overpower us, the Spirit of the Lord shall raise a standard against it, like a great flood of mighty waters.

The power of the Holy Spirit has come on the church since the day Acts 1:8 came to pass, when ‘we shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon us.’ And the Spirit of God will lift up a standard against the enemy and its works. The word ‘standard’ here means ‘banner’. Our God is the Jehovah-Nissi, the Lord our banner, our victory (Exodus 17:15). Praise the Lord! When we raise a ‘banner’, it is a sign of victory and triumph.

So, friends, if the ‘adversary’ tries to attack you, or swarm you, be it in your personal life, in your church, or in your land, know this: the Lord will lift up a ‘banner’ against it. The Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit has already been given to the church. Begin to commune with the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 13:14), pray in the spirit, take authority in the spiritual realm, and we will triumph, putting to flight, chasing away the enemy by the power of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of the living God! In fact, God has been raising up many intercessors at the spiritual forefront in this end-time. God is raising us up for such a time as this, friends. And God promises that ‘no weapon formed against us shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against us in judgment, God shall condemn. This is our heritage as the servants of the Lord, and our righteousness is from the Lord (Isaiah 54:17). Amen.