This reminds all of us who have given public testimony of our faith in Christ, that we are still in an enemy’s country. You remember how Bunyan (to quote the great Dreamer again) represents Christiana and her children knocking at the Gate; while in a castle, near by, there were those who were assailing them. If any leave a Communion-table to return to the world in their own strength, they shall assuredly fall. But we go not a warfare on our own charges. “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses, but we will remember the name of the Lord our God,” and He who is for us, is greater than all that can be against us.
~ John MacDuff
When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, the mind of Pharaoh and his servants was changed toward the people, and they said, “What is this we have done, that we have let Israel go from serving us?” So he made ready his chariot and took his army with him, and took six hundred chosen chariots and all the other chariots of Egypt with officers over all of them. And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the people of Israel while the people of Israel were going out defiantly. The Egyptians pursued them, all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and his horsemen and his army, and overtook them encamped at the sea, by Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal-zephon. When Pharaoh drew near, the people of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they feared greatly. And the people of Israel cried out to the Lord. They said to Moses, “Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt? Is not this what we said to you in Egypt: ‘Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.” And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”
~ Moses, Face-to-Face friend of G_d, in Exodus 14
Oh beloved, it is true. We serve a G_d, but He is not far away. He did not create the universe like some wind-up clock and then and then toss it on the bedside table to await the alarm. No, He is not far away.
The G_d of the Bible is much closer. He is closer than the air we breathe. He is our breath. He is the Triune One who holds all things together. He did not start a timer and walk away. No, time is in His hands.
But, this same G_d, is more than just close and real and present. He is not just some sort of room ambience enhancer. And while His fragrance is intoxicating, the beauty of His Presence is but one fractured beam of His Light in our lives.
Beyond being close, and real, and present, and beautiful – G_d is a warrior. And the fight He takes to an enemy is one big ole can of whoop ass. His warfare is not a gentlemen’s game either. G_d fights to win, and He never loses. Neither time, nor multiplied lies, nor any intimidation brought by the entire fallen hosts has ever gained ground against His Kingdom.
This fool of a writer has been in a battle for the past four years. It has been the battle for the freedom of a couple of people very close to him. And in this battle, i have seen G_d come through time after time. Even the worst parts, the times where those being freed even wanted to lay in their own spiritual vomit, G_d has broken through.
Each battle in the campaign has been brutal. And i even physical faced death, in a knife attack, a year ago in one moment of creating a boundary needed to continue the healing. In addition, there have been two overt manifestations of fallen spirits in two different countries – both times prayed away and sent to the One who is truly in charge.
Suffice it to say, though, the people being freed were under some very serious bondage.
But let it be said even more clearly. G_d crushed the competition.
There was a problem though, one of the soldiers G_d used in His campaign (me) is not nearly as resilient as my Captain. i am, instead, a bit of a prideful and immature middle-aged man. My capacity for protracted warfare has been completely used up. And, as i watched all the lights on the dashboard of my being pointing to “red” or “overheated” or “empty” or “warning,” i sensed the same sense of fear that the Hebrews did in their fleeing from the Pharaoh of Egypt.
It was a word from a friend, a dear friend, who reminded me of the truth i needed to remember. In my honest attempts to help a couple of people, i had taken on some of the battle lust and fatigue that were never meant to be borne by the troops on the ground. No, the stress i had taken on was WAY above my pay grade – and i needed to let it go. Said more simply: i needed to be still. i needed to be silent – and let my King complete the work He had already begun.
Can we see it? The people i was helping were in sin, but the sin of the rescuer is no less if he disobeys the orders of his captain whilst in combat. Stillness and silence does not mean inaction. But it does mean fully awaiting the orders of His Spirit before moving in battle.
So, for us to be effective, hopefully the answers are emerging here. Firstly, fear is a very very very bad idea. It narrows our vision and sets us up for failure. It is not going to help anything and is actually a decidedly treasonous choice. And secondly, fear’s ugly sister is panic. She is the idiotic actions and thoughts we take up as we fuel our fear with ongoing lies about how things are not going to work out unless we take things into our own hands.
Fear not.
Stay still. Stay silent. He is our Battle Fighter.
G_d has an enormous supply of hurt for the enemies our souls.
Tonight is your night beloved. Time to let G_d be G_d. He is not just present. He is in charge. You (and i) are in His care. Nothing can beat G_d. All is well.
