Battle Ready?

Exodus 17:^10-11 “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.” (NIV)

I am a student of military strategy (military warfare), and I have studied every documented battle in modern warfare. One thing that is consistent in warfare, particularly when the infantry was still being used, not now that drones and artificial intelligence are the order of the day. One thing that is consistent in warfare was everyone wanted to take the high point in the battle. Every army pushes to take the hill because it provides the advantage of finishing off the opposition as they climb from the valley. However, something strange happened in Exodus 17:8-16, Moses said to Joshua, ‘Instead of the army to take the hill and I go to the closet, I will take the hill and you take the valley.’ This is huge and we must wrestle with it.

Moses was the one on the hill and Joshua was in the valley. Again, the priority of the spiritual is indispensable if you are going to have victory in life. However, we must understand the separation of responsibilities in the case of Moses and Joshua. But as an individual, you must have your mountains and valleys. You must have a place where you hold up the staff in the spiritual, and a place where you engage the ‘Amalekites’ in the physical. If you abandon your altar of prayer, and engage only in the physical, after a while you will lose the advantage. Also, if you are just staying on the mountaintop and not engaging in the physical, the ‘Amalekites’ will soon climb the mountain to meet you. As an individual, you have to sustain both.

It is important to mention that at this point in the story of the children of Israel, they were just fresh out from deliverance from Egypt. They were minding their business when the Amalekites came looking for trouble. In fact, this was their first battle. Some people think if they do not trouble the devil, the devil will not trouble them. It is not true. In fact, the enemy wants you to think that way so that you will always be on the back foot. Even if you are just minding your business, doing your own thing, some people will still be your enemy just because you are cute.

The story is told of a top person in the nation who was going through a challenge. And his cousin who was my friend said to me, ‘Let him also have problems. How can we be the ones always having problems? Let him also have problems so that we can encourage him.’ Imagine that! Some people are sitting and waiting for you to have problems, but they will fail in the Name of Jesus. Do not think that if you are good, people will be good to you. Be prepared for battle!

Prayer: Father, prepare me for what lies ahead; help me engage heaven effectively on the mountain and enforce victory in the valley, in the Name of Jesus. Amen!