The Old Testament is full of examples of the Spirit of God coming upon an individual for the purpose of breakthrough and deliverance. In 2 Chronicles 20, for example, Judah was under siege by 3 powerful nations. The Hebrews were so terrified that they gathered together to beg God for help, their children clinging to them in fear. After calling out to God, he answered, as we read in verses 14 – 19:
14 Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly. 15 And he said, “Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the LORD to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. 16 Tomorrow go down against them. They will surely come up by the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the brook before the Wilderness of Jeruel. 17 You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the LORD, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the LORD is with you.”18 And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem bowed before the LORD, worshiping the LORD. 19 Then the Levites of the children of the Kohathites and of the children of the Korahites stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel with voices loud and high.
The battle went exactly as Jahaziel prophesied. Because he manifested his spirit and sought God for breakthrough, deliverance happened. In a heartbeat, the nation turned from morning and trembling to proclamation and praise.
A spiritual warrior shows others the gap between what is real and what is perception. In 1 Kings 18, Elijah went to the top of Mount caramel to prove his God’s dominance over Baal. Outnumbered 450 to 1, Elijah never blinked in the face of opposition. He started by challenging his people in verse 21:
And Elijah came to all the people, and said, how long will you falter between 2 opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, follow him. But the people answered him not a word.
Unhappy with that answer, Elijah set out to prove God’s sovereignty, as we read in verses 22 – 39:
22 Then Elijah said to the people, “I alone am left a prophet of the LORD; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men. 23 Therefore let them give us two bulls; and let them choose one bull for themselves, cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, but put no fire under it; and I will prepare the other bull, and lay it on the wood, but put no fire under it. 24 Then you call on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD; and the God who answers by fire, He is God.” So all the people answered and said, “It is well spoken.”
25 Now Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one bull for yourselves and prepare it first, for you are many; and call on the name of your god, but put no fire under it.” 26 So they took the bull which was given them, and they prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even till noon, saying, “O Baal, hear us!” But there was no voice; no one answered. Then they leaped about the altar which they had made. 27 And so it was, at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said, “Cry aloud, for he is a god; either he is meditating, or he is busy, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened.” 28 So they cried aloud, and cut themselves, as was their custom, with knives and lances, until the blood gushed out on them. 29 And when midday was past, they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice. But there was no voice; no one answered, no one paid attention. 30 Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.” So all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down. 31 And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come, saying, “Israel shall be your name.” 32 Then with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD; and he made a trench around the altar large enough to hold two seahs of seed. 33 And he put the wood in order, cut the bull in pieces, and laid it on the wood, and said, “Fill four waterpots with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice and on the wood.” 34 Then he said, “Do it a second time,” and they did it a second time; and he said, “Do it a third time,” and they did it a third time. 35 So the water ran all around the altar; and he also filled the trench with water.
36 And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, “LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word. 37 Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that You are the LORD God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again.” 38 Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench. 39 Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!”
Elijah’s boldness transformed his countrymen’s perception of God. He set up the test and manifested what God had given him – courage in the face of adversity. He was so confident in God’s plan that he left the false prophets go first. As they struggled and saw no results, he mocked them.
When it was Elijah’s turn, he made things even tougher for himself. He had water poured all over his altar and sacrifice. Still, the instant he called on God’s fire, it came. Israel’s people, stunned by the faith Elijah had shown, immediately repented. He broke the power of the occult in that moment.
Do not try to make things easier for God, trust in his Majesty. Stand in his sovereignty. We step into situations under the unction of the Holy Spirit. We are not there to make things happen. We are present in order to trust God. When we manifest our spirit, it is always towards the father. We are in Christ, partnering with the father, through the Holy Spirit. We reveal that identity in the circumstances.
We demonstrate confidence which leads to particular boldness. In other times in our weakness, we step into a place of God’s strength by simply trusting him. He will never leave us nor forsake us. He is with us always – especially when we cannot feel his presence. We have to take his word on trust, which is a really the place from which to live and act!
Firstly, we face God and revel in who he is in himself. Then we proclaim who he is for us. We rejoice in his heart towards us. We give thanks in his name and nature to us. Then we declare who he is within us. We step into our identity as much loved children, sons, and heirs of God in Christ.
Then we face the issue. We are now taller; it is reduced in size. Our perspective in God opens up a greater reality, and we step into the place of revelation and power in partnership with him. Warriors prove God’s majesty. We don’t just point to it. We step into it and are embraced by God strength. When David strengthen himself in the Lord, it was the process he went through to receive an upgrade from a higher dimension – 1 Samuel 30:6 – 8. When his perspective had changed, he was able to receive prophetic instruction on how to act in his circumstances.
Our weakness is not an obstacle to God. Our lack of trust gives him nothing to work with in our circumstances. It is important to stand with God. There will be times when we stand in confidence and times when we connect in our weakness. trust is always the issue. We start with who God is in himself, and the Holy Spirit moves us into the process that leads us to manifest who God is within our inner man.
What would be the dominant thought/belief about the father that would overshadow your circumstances? What would it mean for you to live in the shadow of that revelation?
To prove God’s dominance, your identity needs an upgrade. How will you strengthen yourself in the Lord at this time? What aspect of God’s dominance will be revealed to you and through you? Follow the process of renewal outlined in this chapter and journal its effect on you in your circumstances.