God Has Anointed You for the Battle


1 Samuel 16: 11-13, 17:1-4
Jesse presented seven of his sons to Samuel, but Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord hasn’t picked any of these.” 11 Then Samuel asked Jesse, “Is that all of your boys?”
“There is still the youngest one,” Jesse answered, “but he’s out keeping the sheep.”
“Send for him,” Samuel told Jesse, “because we can’t proceed until he gets here.”[c]
12 So Jesse sent and brought him in. He was reddish brown, had beautiful eyes, and was good-looking. The Lord said, “That’s the one. Go anoint him.” 13 So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him right there in front of his brothers. The Lord’s spirit came over David from that point forward.
17: 1-4 ~ Now the Philistines gathered their armies for battle and were assembled at Socoh, which belongs to Judah; and they camped between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim. Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together and they camped in the Valley of Elah, and assembled in battle formation to meet the Philistines. The Philistines were standing on the mountain on one side and Israel was standing on the mountain on the other side, with the valley between them. Then a [a]champion came out from the camp of the Philistines named Goliath of Gath, whose height was [b]six cubits and a span.
              Without reading what comes immediately before this scene between David and Goliath in 1 Samuel 17, we join this story in progress. We read it and might assume that David is just this scrawny little guy who comes up against the threat of a ten-foot tall beast of a man named Goliath, who is the biggest and baddest man in the Philistine army.
            But you have to know what happens in the previous chapter of David’s life. Like David, all of us have some big bad opponents that we are battling. And like David, we have a chapter in life that occurred before we got to where we are now. And if we carefully reflect on it, we will see that chapter of our own lives was a period where God was grooming us and preparing us for the battle that we are in now.
          Let’s quickly recap 1 Samuel 1 verses 11-13.
       David was hand-picked by God to be the next king of Israel. He had a specific person in mind to not only be the ruler, but God also hand-picked David for the battle against Goliath. It says that the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward. That means that the spirit of the Lord did not just come upon David for a day and then leave. It means that the spirit of the Lord stayed with David.
           So as you prepare for this battle, I want to point out three things:
     One, God has anointed you for the battle against your opponent.
You are already on the same level-playing field and you don’t even know it. In chapter 17, it says that Saul and the Israelites gathered and encamped in the valley of Elah and formed ranks against the Philistines. The Philistines stood on the mountain on one side and Israel stood on the mountain on the other side, with a valley between them.
    
Look at the posture, position and placement of the person who is your opponent. If it’s someone where you work, guess what? You are on the same level-playing field. Both of you are on the mountain. The enemy will use whoever he can, wherever he can. Mountains are not excluded. It’s what you do while you’re on the mountain that matters. God hand-picked you for this specific battle, long before you even got there. 
     You have to use your position, though, to your advantage. Instead of sizing up how big the problem is, you should be sizing up how big your faith is. God has already given you the experience to handle what is before you now. You had to spend some time in the valley before going up to the mountain. The valley is our place of preparation where we are tested, pruned and equipped for what's ahead. Saul and the Israelites encamped in the valley and they began strategizing. We know it because the text says that they formed ranks against the Philistines. Think back to the things you jotted down, the plans you heard God whisper to you, and the things that God spoke. That is your strategy for this battle.  
    Secondly, you have access to the Spirit of the Lord that is at work in you.
   As a believer and follower of Christ, you have the Holy Trinity encamped around you. When you accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, the Spirit of the Lord came upon you. That Spirit is always there and available to you. It’s not about whose side is God on in the situation that you are facing, it’s about who is on God’s side. If you are on the side of righteousness, and fairness and you are living a life that is pleasing to God, then The Lord will fight your battles. Remember, God has already equipped you because God has called and anointed you. And God already knew that you'd be fighting this specific battle. It might have been unexpected and a surprise to you, but it didn't catch God by surprise.
    
Thirdly, when God announces your opponent, God gives you the ammunition that you need to make it through. Your ammunition is prayer, faith-in-action, and obedience to God’s will. The same energy that you put into being distracted by your situation, going off on your co-worker, or feeling overwhelmed at what's facing you, is the same energy that you can put into trusting God for your next move. Prayer is your ammunition. You have something powerful that your opponent does not have. The enemy doesn't pray to God because he thinks he can defeat you. You have God's special anointing. You also have to put your faith into action. That means there will be times when God tells you to make a move, step up, speak up, and stand up. That's the time, like David, to rise with confidence and not cower in fear.  
    
So wherever you are in your battle, start with a fresh perspective that you have been anointed to win against the opponents in your life. You have access to the Spirit of the Lord that is at work in you and finally, prayer is your ammunition that will see you through whatever battle you are facing.







Comments

  1. Pastor Yvette, I found your blogs today. Had not seen them before. Thank you for the constant compassion, boldness and authority you consistently pour out for me and others.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular Posts