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Victory in Battle
Based on “Spiritual Warfare Happens” by Pastor Mark Balmer; 11/15-16/08,
Message #2465; Daily Devotional #3 - “Victory in Battle”
Preparing the Soil (Introduction): So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. When Moses' hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset. So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword. (Exodus 17:10-13)
Planting and Watering the Seed (Growth): Remember, in Biblical typology Amalek is a type of the flesh. Moses had a part to play in this battle. Why did God decide that we need a part to play in our battle with the flesh? So we would turn to Him and see victories everyday! God wants to have a personal relationship with us. If He would have given us a complete victory over our flesh, we would not have to depend daily on Him. Yet, He did give us a complete victory if we choose to look to Him and fight in His strength. The battle has been won if we choose to fight in His strength and not depend on our own. (1 John 5:4)
Harvesting the Crop (Action/Response): God's power won the battle with the Amalekites that day. Yet, without his friends, Moses would not have been able to stand, and the battle would have been lost. It is so important to have friends alongside you who have the same end goal: to finish well (Philippians 4:13). We cannot win on our own all the time. We will get tired, and that is when we need our friends to come alongside and give us support and boost our strength. I love the picture Moses of sitting on the Rock with his friends helping to keep him strong. I have always seen this as a picture of our Christian walk, firmly seated in Christ with brothers at our side, helping each other through the good times and the bad. When the battle was finished, Moses was not the only winner. Aaron and Hur also won, and so did the nation of Israel. Many times we think our battle with the flesh only affects us personally but, as you can see, if Moses would have tried to stand on his own, the battle would have been lost. And, he would not have been the only loser. The entire nation would have lost. When we try to stand on our own against the flesh, we are not the only ones who end up on the losing end. Our friends, our families and our spouses also lose. This battle is not yours alone. Trust in God to win the battle for you and have good, Christ following friends with you who can lift you up and support you when you get tired. Then you will see the power of our mighty God winning the victory every time! "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:55-58)
Cultivating (Additional Reading): 1 John 5:1-5; Romans 8:1-15
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Calvary Chapel of Melbourne; 2955 Minton Road; W. Melbourne, FL 32904; 321-952-9673
All Bible references are from the New International Version (NIV) unless otherwise noted.
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