Equipped

Psalm 18:³⁹ “For You equipped me for battle, and You made my enemies fall beneath me (Voice)

I have some Pastor friends in the western world who do not really comprehend spiritual warfare like Africans do. They are good people, powerful people, great men of God in their own rights and to the glory of God. But they do not understand some aspects of spiritual warfare and how real it is. They limit spiritual warfare to certain areas. One of them made a joke and said, people can pray anytime but the reason he tells people to pray in the morning and have quiet time in the mornings is, why would anyone put on the whole armour of God and go to bed? You put on the whole armour of God and go out. He has a point; you need to put on the whole armour of God and go out and win in your business, win in your career.

He says he does not understand why people would put on the whole armour of God and go to bed. My response was, ‘Come and live in Africa, let us take you to the places where people ‘fly’ in daytime’. We are familiar with testimonies of people who while they are sleeping, a force shows up and presses them down. Do you think it is a figment of their imagination? However, some people in the western world do not understand it. Again, I will encourage you not to take this season for granted or with kid gloves. You can settle a lot of things. So, there is external warfare; there are things that Jesus has already settled for us. Colossians 2:¹⁵ “In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.” Jesus disarmed spiritual rulers and authorities. He made an open show of them.

So, available to us is victory in Christ Jesus. However, as much as we will engage spiritually, we will deploy the forces of heaven, and we will overpower every external spiritual opposition in the Name of Jesus. We need to realize that we are also fighting internal battles. In Romans 7:^22-23 “I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me.” Can you see the internal struggle in this passage? Paul had good intentions, but he was producing bad actions. It is an internal struggle between good intentions and bad actions. For you to continue to shine bright in this decade, you have to overcome (win) your internal battles.

Again, victory is available in Christ already. So, we are not fighting to win or trying to move from the place of defeat to victory. We are actually fighting from a place of victory to establish the victory. We are holding down our territories. How do I know? Galatians 2:²⁰ “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” (KJV). Will you receive it?

Prayer: Father, I declare that I will not be a slave to sin because, not I but Christ lives in me and I will anchor my heart on Your Word, in Jesus Name. Amen!