I had a dream the other day. I saw the map of different nations. Some nations have more light, and some nations have less light. There are different levels of light for each nation. Then I saw some of the nations with lesser light began to cast darkness on the nations with more light. The nations with lesser light seemed to cover up the other nations that have more light with some kind of cards in the shape of these nations, that block these nations from emanating light.
The Lord says:
"Keep looking to Me who is your Light. Do not be afraid nor be dismayed by the 'great multitude' that comes against you. The battle is not yours, but the battle is Mine. Be established in Me, position yourself in Me, and you shall see your victory!"
So, whether as a nation, as a people, or as an individual, whatever the enemy is coming against you, or whatever the enemy tries to throw at you, the Lord has these words of assurance for you. Keep looking to Him who is your Light. Indeed, the battle is not yours. The battle is the Lord's. Fear not therefore, as long as you keep looking to the Lord, and as long as you keep walking with the Lord.
In 2 Chronicles 20:6, Jehoshaphat said, "O Lord God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You?"
The background here is Jehoshaphat and all of Judah were looking to God for help at a time when a great multitude was coming against them.
The Lord then gave them this assurance in 2 Chronicles 20:15, "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."
The Lord said further in 2 Chronicles 20:17, "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!"
The word 'salvation' here is 'yeshuwah'. It can mean 'victory, deliverance, aid, help, welfare, health, healing, prosperity'.
So, whatever you may be faced with at the moment, position yourself, stand still, and see the 'yeshuwah' of the Lord! The Lord will know how to deliver you, aid you, rescue you, heal you, and give you the victory!
Let's continue with 2 Chronicles 20:20. The next day, they rose early in the morning, and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood up and said, "Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established..."
This is exactly what the Lord is saying to you right now: Believing, you shall be established!
The words 'be established' here can mean 'be strengthened, be strong, be assured, be firmed, be affirmed, be built up, be supported'.
What came after, if you read further in 2 Chronicles 20:21-30, was an amazing victory for God's people. Praise the Lord!
Maybe you have been discouraged by all those hurling and throwing by the enemy against you. Maybe you have been discouraged by all those buffeting and beating by the enemy against you. And your heads cannot be lifted up, and your hands are down. But today, the Lord is saying to you He is supporting you, He is helping you, and He has come to your aid! He is the lifter of your head. And He is the lifter of your hands. So by faith, you can lift up your hands and praise the Lord, because He has become your victory!
Let's go back now to the word 'stand' in 2 Chronicles 20:17. "You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still, and see the salvation ('yeshuwah') of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!"
What does this word 'stand' mean here?
To understand this word 'stand' better, let's go to Ephesians 6:10-12 in cross-reference. 'Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 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 against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.'
Paul wrote here that we do not wrestle (fight) against flesh and blood; but rather, the battle is in the spiritual realm. Of course, the spiritual forces of darkness may use humans to advance their agenda.
Let's get back to the word 'stand' here. It is 'histemi' in Greek, which interestingly means 'be established'. So, Paul was actually saying, "Put on the whole armor of God, that you may 'be established' against the wiles of the devil."
"How to be strong in the Lord?"
Not by fighting the battle yourself (or with your own strength). Not by forcing yourself to be strong. But as a believer under the New Covenant, by 'putting on' the 'whole armor' of God!
The words 'to put on' here is 'enduo' in Greek, which means 'to endue with, to clothe with, be filled with, fill your thoughts with, be conscious of'.
It means the Lord wants you to wear the armor of God, to be endued with the armor of God, to be clothed with the armor of God, to be filled (so to speak) with the armor of God, to fill your thoughts (so to speak) with the armor of God, and to be conscious of the armor of God!
What is this 'armor of God'?
Ephesians 6:13-17 says, '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 girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God...'
Who is this 'armor of God' here?
His name is Jesus! 'The whole armor of God' here also speaks of 'the wholeness, completeness, and the fullness of God'. In other words, you become strong in the Lord by 'putting on the whole armor of God', that is, by filling your thoughts with, or be conscious of who Jesus is in your life!
Some may be asking, "You mean Jesus is my 'whole armor'?" Exactly!
This 'whole armor' is not just talking about the equipment or the items that you have seen here, i.e. the belt, the breastplate, the shoe, the shield, the helmet, and the sword. It is also not just talking about the characters, i.e. the truth, the righteousness, the good news, peace, faith, salvation, and the Word of God. In other words, the belt, the breastplate, the shoe, the shield, the helmet, and the sword, these are all 'pictures' representing the Person of Jesus Christ living in you!
You see, it's not a question of what you do, or what are the equipment or the items in the 'whole armor' here, but rather, knowing who you have and who is your 'whole armor'! Jesus is the Truth! Jesus is your Righteousness! Jesus is the Good News! Jesus is the Prince of Peace! Jesus is the Author and Finisher of your faith! He is your Salvation ('Yeshuwah')! And of course, He is the Word of God! In short, He is your 'whole armor'!
Just an illustration here. Imagine yourself in a bullet-proof armored car, or in a military tank. And imagine it is a 'state of the art' and a powerful one. And you know that nothing the enemy shoots can come against you. And you feel safe in it. As a matter of fact, this whole-armored car is stronger than you are. Where are you? You are inside the whole-armored car. That's why you are safe. By yourself, you may be vulnerable to the attack of the enemy. But when the whole-armored car is over you, it is this whole-armored car that's going to protect you and defend you. So it is the same with you who are being clothed with the 'whole armor' of God!
The truth remains that the power of darkness can never withstand our Lord and His Word. The Lord is stronger! In fact, He is stronger than all the forces of the enemy in the spiritual realm put together. He is stronger than any man's plan or conspiracy on earth. Yes, He is stronger than all your challenges and problems, and that includes your health!
So, look to Him who is your Light. Look to Him who is your 'whole armor'. And you shall see yourself walking in the victory of the Lord. That's what it means by "the battle is not yours, the battle is the Lord's."
Your part is continue to look to Him, and continue to put on this 'whole armor'. You see, He is the same God - yesterday, today, and forever - in Jehoshaphat's time, in apostle Paul's time, and now in your time, and even forever more! Know that victory is yours. He has already won it for you on the cross some 2,000 years ago. Believing, you shall be established! That's what the Lord has spoken in Jehoshaphat's days at that time. And this is what the Lord is saying to you as well.
So, fear not! If the enemy is trying to cause you to think that you are defeated, the Lord has another idea. The Lord is stronger. The Lord knows how to turn things around for you. The Lord knows how to overturn the power of the enemy. Keep receiving the anointing of the Lord. You are now anointed, established, empowered, and enabled by the Holy Spirit!
You do not need to fear. You do not need to be dismayed. For the Lord is with you. The Lord will fight for you. The Lord will overcome for you. And this is His inheritance for you, even on earth right now. Amen!
Prayer:
"O Lord God, You are stronger than any force of darkness, or even all the forces of darkness in the spiritual realm put together. You are stronger than any man's plan or conspiracy. You are stronger than all our challenges and problems on earth. We believe, and we shall be established. We stand therefore, and we put on the whole armor of God. Just as in the days of Jehoshaphat, and just as the apostle Paul had written, we too shall see our salvation ('yeshuwah'), and we too shall see our victory. In Jesus' name. Amen."
