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:
Then the spirit of Lord came upon jazzeel the son of Zechariah, the son of Mennonite, the son a Jew real, the son of a Mattia, LER it of the sons of tests of the, in the missy assembly. They said, listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, Cain Joss offense! Thus says the Lord to you: do not be afraid nor do speed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. Tomorrow go down against them. They will surely come up by the accent of zoos, and you will find them at the end of the brook before the wilderness of material. You not need to fight this battle. Position yourselves, standstill and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem! Do not fear be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you. And Joss offense bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah not any inhabitants of Jerusalem bow before the Lord, worshiping the Lord. Then Levites of the children of the corn nights and of the children of the core heights stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel with loud voices in 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 his God, follow him; but if Bale, 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:
Then Elijah said to the people, I alone and left a prophet of the Lord; but Bale’s profit our 450 men. Therefore let them give us two bullocks; and let them choose one bullock for themselves, cut it in pieces, and laid Underwood, but put no fire under it; then you call the name your guys, and I will call on the name of the Lord; and a God who answered by fire, he is God. Saw the people answered and said, it is well spoken. Now I just said to the prophets of Bale, choose one bow for yourself and prepared 1st, for you are many; gone the name of your God, but but no fire under it. So they took the ball which was given them, and they prepared it, and called on the name of Bale from morning until noon, saying, oh Bale, hear us! But there was no voice; no one answered. Then he leapt about the altar which they had made. And so it was, at noon, then Elijah mocked him and said, cry aloud, for he is a God: either he is meditating, or is he is busy, or use on a journey, or perhaps he is sleeping must be awakened. So they cried aloud, and cut themselves, as was their custom, with knives and lances common to the blood gushed out on them. And when midday was passed, they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice. But there was no voice: no one answered, no one paid attention. Then Elijah said all the people, come near to me. Saw the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar Lord was broken down. And Elijah took 12 stones, according to number the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of Lord had come, saying, Israel shall be a name. Then with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord; and he made a trench around altar large enough to hold to CS of seed. And he put the wood in order, cut the Bulls in pieces, and later in Underwood, and said, fill your water pots with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice in Underwood. Then he said, do it a 2nd time, and he did it a 2nd time; and he said, do it a 3rd time, and they did it with their time. So the water ran all around the altar; and he also filled trench with water. And it came to pass, at the time an offering of the evening sacrifice, that budget profit came near said, Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, but it be known this day that you are God in Israel and I’m your servant, and then I’ve done all these things in your word. Here me, oh Lord, hear me, that this people me know that you are the Lord God, and that you turn their hearts back to you again. Then the fire to Lord found consume the burnt sacrifice, and the wood in the stones in the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench. Now when all the people saw it, they fell in their faces; and they said, the Lord, he is God! 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 had to take his word on trust, which is a really self 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 hairs of God in Christ.
Then we face the issue. We are 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, that 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.
Assignment – 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?
Commission – 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.