Life’s Battle Plan

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I first wrote this post, Life’s Battle Plan, in May of 2008 in my Facebook notes before I had a website. This post showed up in my Timehop app memories. I found it interesting that it did, because I had just been to hear, Keni Thomas, one of the soldiers that was involved in the Battle of Mogadisho (or more known as  “Black Hawk Down”) speak only a few short days before. Keni came to share some things he had learned from training for this battle, things he learned in this battle, and things he learned after this battle. His focus for the group he was speaking to was to train to be prepared for when you were handed the baton of leadership, that really was in your hand all along, because we are all leading someone.

I was trying to take notes in my phone as he spoke. One of the first notes I wrote was “train as you fight, because you will fight as you train”. When I skimmed my post from 2008, I saw that I had written those exact words as I studied from the Word of God in 2 Chronicles as I learned from Jehosaphat. Another note I had taken from Keni’s sharing was the three steps for battle: Plan, Train, Lead. Once again I noticed that back in 2008 from 2 Chronicles 20, the Lord had taught me that very same strategy. I called it, “Life’s Battle Plan” . The word of God remains eternally relevant.

My now edited 2008 post begins below:

David stood before Goliath, his enemy. David stood against the man standing before him in representation of everything that stood against the LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. David stood before Goliath in no authority or power of his own, but instead he stood in representation of his God. He stood before Goliath in complete faith and confidence in the ability of the One True Living God. David stood in faith and God delivered as promised.

We all face Goliath. Satan hasn’t given up yet. Our flesh has not been glorified yet. We all face our giants and enemies. If we try to defeat them in our own strength we will be crushed. However, if we stand in faith and in full confidence in the ability of the One True Living God, we will see deliverance. 

One of the first truths the Lord led me to as I studied David facing Goliath, was the need to first recognize the enemy. So many times we are in a spiritual battle and we don’t know it. We blame other people. We blame our circumstances. We camp out on bitterness and grudges and pity parties. We hate people, including ourselves and we feel caught in a downward out of control spiral.

We feel the whole world is against us and no one understands. So we go into isolation mode and put on a fake smile and struggle through another day. Never accomplishing the amazing things God had planned for us, because we are to busy fighting the wrong enemy.

John 8:44 tells us that the devil is a murderer from the beginning and a liar. He is the father of lies. Ephesians 6:12 tells us that we battle not against flesh and blood but against spiritual forces. 1 Peter 5:8 tell us that the devil is a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.

If you have ever watched Animal Planet or the Discovery channel you know that a lion lays in wait stalking out the herd looking for the weakest, the youngest, the hurt, the easy prey. Satan is the same way. The next time you are in your worship service imagine Satan and his demons in a corner of the church/synagogue slouched down scoping the crowd looking for his kill.

Would you be an easy target?

Are you trained for battle?

This is next or really first. Training for battle. You have to learn how to use you weapons. Read Psalm 18:30, John 8:32, 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, 2 Corinthians 2:16, 1 Peter 1:13-16. You fight only as hard as you train.

The Word of God is your ultimate weapon. Mark 4:24 says “by your standard of measure it will be measured to you.” In other words, you’re only going to get out of the Word what you put into the Word. You can’t fight with weapons you don’t know you have or know how to use. You can’t recognize a lie when you have never read the truth.

When it comes time for battle the first thing you do is pray. Seek His face. Seek His help. God took me to 2 Chronicles 20. I believe it is an amazing example of the truths in this battle plan.

In 2 Chronicles  20 we read of how a great multitude came against Israel. It was actually three nations against one. “Jehosaphat [the king of Israel] was afraid and turned his attention to seek the LORD“(2 Chronicles 20:3). The first thing Jehosaphat did to prepare was pray. Prayer is our direct line to the throne of God. Read 2 Chronicles 20:3-4, Psalm 27:7-10, Acts 16:25, and Ephesians 6:17-18. Prayer is one of your weapons of warfare, use it.

In 2 Chronicles 20 the next thing we see is Jehosaphat and all the people of Israel bowed down and worshiping the LORD. They had not went to battle yet. They had not yet received a victory or deliverance, but they worshiped. We must worship our God because He is God.

Worship is a weapon of warfare. Our God will not allow His worship to be given to another. He is always worthy of our worship, whether He delivers us or not. Remember Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Remember Job as he cried out in Job 13:15, though He slay me, yet will I praise Him.

Read 2 Chronicles 20:18, Psalm 29:2, Hebrews 12:2, 28-29, and Revelation 5:6-14. Our enemy hates it when we continue to worship the One True Living God. Can you just see Satan losing his mind, kind of like the Grinch, when the Who’s sang the song even though he’d taken everything they had?

After the worship we see Israel praise. The Levites stood up and praised God with a loud voice! Oh Praise Him! Praise His Holy Name. God still had not delivered them yet. The battle was still ahead. The enemy was still coming, but they praised the LORD their GOD! Read 2 Chronicles 20:21-22, Psalm 34:1, and Acts 16:25.

After Israel prayed, worshiped, and praised, they stepped out in faith and headed out to face the multitude that had came out against them. God had promised that He would deliver them (2 Chronicles 20:15-17), so they took Him at His word and went to battle. We have to take God at His word and trust Him. He is faithful. We must have faith in Him and in His ability and in His word. Read 2 Chronicles 20:24, Psalm 31:23-24, 1 Corinthians 16:13, and Hebrews 11:6.

Do you know what the awesome thing is? God said that He would fight for them. He said that He would go before them. He said that He was with them. And while Israel was worshiping and praising their faithful God, He turned their enemies against each other. When Israel showed up to fight there was nothing but corpses on the ground. While they were on their face before their Holy God, He was fighting for them!

This One True Living God, the God of Israel, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob wants to be your God. He made the way for “whosoever will ” through the new covenant of Jesus Christ. Jew, Gentile, slave, free, male, female, He wants to fight for you! Read Psalm 27:1-6 and Psalm 111.

YES! READ! READ! READ!

Read of the amazing things He has done. The awesome promises He has given you. Learn who you are in Him and in His mighty power. Learn who He is. He is a mighty and awesome God and holy is His Name. He is Jehovah-jirah, the LORD our Provider and Jehovah-nissi, the LORD our Banner. He is El Shaddai, the God Almighty!

So here is our life’s battle plan:

  • Recognize the enemy
  • Train for battle
  • Pray
  • Worship
  • Praise
  • Go in faith

Keni Thomas had broken down the battle plan into three steps:

  • Plan
  • Train
  • Lead

Those three steps say it all.

There was another profound point that Keni made as he shared. He made the statement, “the enemy always gets a vote.” Think about that one for a bit. When we plan and when we train, we have to remember that the enemy gets a vote. If we expect all to go according to our plan, we are already deceived and defeated. We have to train for the unexpected. We have to train for different scenarios. We have to NEVER stop training.

 

 

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