Now we are going to briefly go over some concepts related to wise preparations in spiritual warfare. Yeshua said in Luke 14.31, “Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and take counsel whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to encounter the one coming against him with twenty thousand.” Battles are won or lost before any fighting even begins. In other words, “Don’t start something that you can’t finish.” Warfare doesn’t build character, it reveals it. God does not entrust his truth to the weak and the timid. Wishing and hoping is not a strategy. Everybody has to wake up every morning ready to run (battle). The gazelle gets up every morning and says, “I need to be faster than the lion or I will be lunch.” But the lion gets up every morning and says, “I need to be faster than the gazelle or I will starve.” In other words, everyone needs to get up every morning ready to run (or battle).
So what kind of preparations do we need to do to become a Maccabean warrior standing against assimilation? We need to pray and study the Word of the Lord, and this needs to be balanced. In Gen 49.8-12 we have the blessing to Judah. All the letters of the Hebrew alphabet are present in this blessing except the letter “zayin” which means “weapon.” Spiritual wars are fought with the Torah and the Word of God, not carnal weapons (2 Cor 10.4). In Gen 6, the word for “Ark” is “tayvah” meaning “word.”
Then there is fasting and waiting on the Lord for instructions if you don’t know what to do. In Ezra 8.21-32 we see the case of Ezra. He had praised the Lord about his protection before this (v 22), but he also needed to find out how they could transport all the silver and gold safely to Jerusalem. So they fasted and God told them how to do it. We should also praise and worship the Lord. The Maccabees separated from Hellenism and went into the wilderness. There were no “hayrides” and “tea parties” out there. The war is on so we must learn the Scriptures. We don’t have time for “ice cream socials” because we must prepare for battle. This needs to be done beforehand.
We also should think about a good defense. We should not fight alone and use back-up for protection. We must know our defenses and we should not let our protection “weigh us down” or use something we are unfamiliar with. In 1 Sam 17.38-39 David would not use Saul’s armor because it was too big, too heavy and David had not “tested them.” We must also assess the potential of our enemy. Until we have good equipment (know the Scriptures) you can’t fight a spiritual battle. We must know how to use these superior weapons. We should never be caught in a place where we can’t maneuver spiritually. In other words, don’t get caught in a Yom Kippur War where we have neglected intelligence and information and have become complacent.
When we are at peace we should keep our fortifications strong, like Solomon did with his chariot towns. Prepare our fortifications before they are needed like Hezekiah did by building forts along possible avenues of attack. So, spiritually, that means we need to master many areas in the Scriptures. If you are weak in Hebrew, study it. If you are weak in eschatology, study it. If you are weak in understanding warfare, study it. If these areas come up, you are ready. We need to know what we are talking about. The more you build the less you will have to contend.
When building a good stronghold you need a good footing and foundation. To move from the “Stone Age” to “Iron Age” is going to take maturity and training. Different attacks will require different defenses. Be prepared with both offensive and defensive weapons. Assess your enemy and take away his advantages. Fight where you choose to fight. Protect your life support systems. Don’t rely on a well of water outside your fortress. Don’t cut down the fruit trees which protect you, and don’t burn the fields that feed you. Anticipate avenues of attack and strengthen them before the enemy comes. Israel would watch the valleys leading to Jerusalem. If you know someone is going to bring up “We are free from the Law” be prepared to refute those things.
We also should know the “gates” into our lives and fortify them. These gates would include our senses. Perception is how we relate to the world through our senses. If certain sights, sounds, smells are a trap for us, avoid those issues. Keep them to a minimum and don’t give your enemies more opportunities for entrance. Penetration into our “walls” is the goal. Paul turned a person over to Ha Satan by being put out of the congregation (Karet) so that the enemy could “get to him” (1 Cor 5.1-5). He was not protected. This goes back to Israel’s time in the wilderness. There was protection in the camp, but if a person was “put out” into the wilderness (the domain of Ha Satan and demons-Luke 8.29, 11.24) he was not protected from danger. There is a saying, “None are so courageous when no resistance is offered, and none are more cowardly when they encounter opposition.”
Lay up supplies for attack. If you are in the Lord’s army, you will be attacked. Obtain the right information you need to fight the war. Israel didn’t do this and nearly lost the 1973 Yom Kippur War. At all times take the necessary precautions and do not let pride in our last victories blind us to the present dangers of the enemy. We should never be overconfident or “lulled to sleep.” Before the 1973 Yom Kippur War, Egypt and Syria repeatedly mobilized and then withdrew. Their strategy was to make Israel think it was just another mobilization and withdrawal, when if fact it was the real attack.
The spiritual preparations and groundwork is what sustains us as the physical battles are being fought. It is better to have a weapon and not need it, than to need it and not have it. Vision, a goal and a plan help create a successful campaign. But, we should not get paranoid and become restrictive about things either. We should always protect our water source, which is the Word of God (Eph 5.26). We should not look to outside sources for our strength. We should be strong in our own preparations. When we dig a well and someone “fills it in with rocks” don’t waste time fighting over a filled well. Dig another well because without water (correct teaching) we will be defeated.
Study, fasting, seeking direction, petition and worship are the spiritual preparations for warfare. But warfare requires a physical reaction. When unexplained sickness hits, seek the most qualified doctor and follow their directions. When the IRS calls unexpectedly, get a good accountant. So, learn who or what your enemy is, and then pray and plan a method of defense or counter attack. Purify yourself before Yehovah and build up your supplies. Fortify your defense and guard your cities. Do all you can to win the battle and then look to God to be your deliverer.
You build your walls with what you understand about the Lord and the Torah. That is your armor (Eph 6). The shield of faith (confidence/action) deflects the arrows of untruth. The more you know about the Lord the more confident you will be. If you know what you believe you can stand. Our walls cannot be your walls. You must build your own walls of Da’at (knowledge based on experience with God), Binah (understanding and comprehension of the facts), Chachmah (inspired wisdom and input into the mind or knowing what to do with it all) and Emunah (faith/confidence/action). Others can help you, but you must fight your own battles.
What kind of fort or city do you want? We want a broad wall (thick) with crenels, bastions, a glacis, moat, towers, top-notch weapons and strong, fortified gates. But you can’t build these things overnight or by attending a few teachings. You must learn but also gain wisdom, with much thought. Then prepare your walls and call on God (2 Chr 14.6-11; Prov 16.1).
Here is the trap. If we look for only the “tavnit” (pattern, picture, blueprint) we won’t get a good foundation that will allow you to build your walls. Read all the Scriptures all the way through. Then you will know what is right or wrong of you read a book or hear a message from someone. Let the Scriptures mold your mind, not some book or message. You will find if you center yourself in the Scriptures, many of the movies, programs, books and messages you wanted to watch, read, see or hear won’t matter anymore.
When should our defenses go up? After great victories or revelations. Don’t waste your time on stupid arguments like “King James Bible only”; “Tongues or no tongues”; “grace versus law” with people who don’t know what they are talking about. They will tell you they are “serving the Lord” but they are only serving themselves.
In Part 12, we will pick up with what to do when attacking, and then what to do when under attack. We will finish with what to do after a victory.
Leave a Reply