Are you prepared?

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​David was concerned about the enemy's strength and numbers and called for a census to prepare - (1 Chron 21).  Did he have enough battle-ready men to win? This reliance on the flesh by David (who had defeated Goliath by faith) brought a curse that killed 70,000. 

"So make up your minds not to prepare beforehand to defend yourselves" Luke 21:14 NAS

God honoured the Israelites' request to spy out the promised land before entering.  They wanted to be prepared in the flesh while God wants us to renew our minds to His promises and character, always walking by faith. What they saw only made them more aware of their fleshes weakness and frailty. Their cautious preparation backfired, leading to overwhelming doubt, worry, fear, and death in the wilderness, instead of God's abundant promised land.  

God's preparation is by faith.

In Judges 7, Gideon started with 32,000 men to battle the enemy. God slashed it to 300 and gave them the victory. God supernaturally made the Jericho walls fall as they marched around them. Elisha's faith in God's promises and character revealed the heavenly armies, struck blind the enemy, and took them captive - (2 Kings 6).  When King Jehoshaphat's heard of the great multitude coming against him, supernatural victory only came when he admitted his fleshes weakness, turned wholly to God and praised Him for His loving kindness that endures forever – (2 Chron 20)

Satan roams around like a roaring lion, only able to devour those who walk by sight in the flesh. In the flesh, things always look bleak, because God is not flesh. 

"God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." John 4:24 NAS

God is a Spirit, and only right believing lets us worship Him in Spirit and truth.  Let's take our eyes and thoughts off the enemy's roar, and focus intently on who we are in Christ and our sure victory. This is how we prepare, agree with God, walking in Christ's righteousness, peace, and joy.  There is no other way to defeat the principalities of darkness that seek to devour us.

by Michael Edwards
​​Florida, USA - info@grace-lines.net