Let the Weak Say: I Am Strong !

Let the weak say, “I am strong.”

When God called out His people to fight, He encouraged them ahead of time to act courageously, telling them to say, “I am strong, a warrior!” Why?

If God is for us, then we have nothing to fear. And if God was calling them out in this situation, obviously He was for them, so victory was assured. But still, they needed to be encouraged.

Often when we feel weak or act weak, it is because we have taken our eyes off of God and we are looking at ourselves. God knows our tendency; God knows that it is hard to live by faith and not by sight when we are surrounded by physical things. When we ourselves are physical things, beings existing in 3-D flesh.

So He helps us, He reminds us to not trust in what we see, but in what we cannot see: His Spirit, which will never leave, will never forsake us.

But still, we worry, still we look at our circumstances, still we look down at our weakness and forget to look up, to God and His power.

Zechariah 4:6 - So he answered me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by strength or by might, but by My Spirit,' says the LORD of Hosts.

Why is it so important to keep our minds on God, on the Spirit? Because that is where the power is. Why is it so important to focus on power? Because we are in a war, like it or not, and our only hope is to fight the good fight of faith. But it is not a physical war. And we are not fighting with physical weapons, or depending on physical strength. Our weapons are spiritual, and they are powerful.

Matthew 26:41 - Stay awake and pray, so that you won't enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."

Ephesians 6:12 - For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens.

Hebrews 11:3 - By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen has been made from things that are not visible.

What we see -- our 3D, physical worlds, our bodies, our cars, our food, animals, everything -- was created from invisible things. The power lay in what was invisible, in the creative word of God, in things of the Spirit.

The power still exists in what we do not see: things of the Spirit.

Luke 17:20-21 - Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God will come, He answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming with something observable; no one will say, ‘Look there!’ or ‘There!’ For you see, the kingdom of God is among you.”

So God tells us over, and over, again and again, to not trust in the flesh, not trust in ourselves, not trust in what we see. He tells us to trust in Him; He is our strength and our stronghold, our fortress, and in Him we will never lose.

Psalm 33:16-22 - 16 A king is not saved by a large army;
a warrior will not be delivered by great strength.

17 The horse is a false hope for safety;
it provides no escape by its great power.

18 Now the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him --
those who depend on His faithful love

19 to deliver them from death
and to keep them alive in famine.

20 We wait for the LORD;
He is our help and shield.

21 For our hearts rejoice in Him,
because we trust in His holy name.

22 May Your faithful love rest on us, LORD,
for we put our hope in You.

1 Samuel 2:9 - He guards the steps of His faithful ones,
but the wicked are silenced in darkness,
for a man does not prevail by [his own] strength.

As we look to God to be our strength, we are acting in faith. In fact, God has set up the promises of Abraham to be received by faith. God created all of the heavens and earth by faith in the power of His word and His might, and He has now made it possible for us to receive by faith. Grace, and not works.

So I receive all the good gifts God gives to me, as His beloved child, by faith. Not because I did good today, or tried really hard to be nice to people, or let someone go ahead of me in the line, or because I felt guilty when I messed up... Now I receive because of who I am. I receive by faith in the name of Jesus, because I am now the righteousness of God through Jesus Christ, my redeemer.

So no matter how many times I mess up, or how many times I do right, I receive from God by faith, because faith pleases Him. Faith in His Son, Whom He sent to buy back His beloved pearl, the people, His treasure.

So we see that as long as we are focusing on our situation -- what we can see -- then we are not looking at the real solution, which is the unseen Spirit of God, Whose power and redemption we access by faith.

Hebrews 10:35-39 - 35 So don't throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. 36 For you need endurance, so that after you have done God's will, you may receive what was promised; 38 But My righteous one will live by faith.

Hebrews 11:1-3 - 1 Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen. 2 For by it our ancestors were approved. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen has been made from things that are not visible.

Hebrews 11:6 - Now without faith it is impossible to please God, for the one who draws near to Him must believe that He exists and rewards those who seek Him.

Isaiah 7:9B - If you do not stand firm in your faith, then you will not stand at all.

Why can we not stand on our own? Why must we be standing in faith? Because if we are looking at things that are seen, ourselves, we will never be up to the task. Remember, our war is not against flesh and blood, even though it may sometimes look that way. Our battle is spiritual, and our victory is spiritual.

When we look to ourselves, or flesh for deliverance, we see our own limitations and we get scared. Jesus asked His disciples, “Why are you afraid? Where is your faith?” (Luke 8:25) In fact, fear and faith cannot co-exist. There will be one or the other in operation in your life at one time, but not both. Faith in God, or fear of Satan. Faith in the truth, or faith in lies. One is Life, the other is death. You choose each time, which you will allow to dominate. (Deut. 30:15)

When we look at the seen (instead of the unseen), we get confused. We start to rely on the flesh, on works of the flesh, instead of on grace, and the rest of God. The place where our soul rests in the faith of His grace, His overcoming power, and we give up the need to work, to fight against what we cannot defeat in the flesh.

Hebrews 4:9-12,14 - 9 A Sabbath rest remains, therefore, for God's people. 10 For the person who has entered His rest has rested from his own works, just as God did from His. 11 Let us then make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall into the same pattern of disobedience.

12 For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating as far as to divide soul, spirit, joints, and marrow; it is a judge of the ideas and thoughts of the heart.

Therefore since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens -- Jesus the Son of God -- let us hold fast to the confession.

What is our confession? Jesus Christ is Lord, alive and well -- we cannot lose!

Revelation 17:14

...He is Lord of lords and King of kings. Those with Him are called and elect and faithful.

1 The one who lives under the protection of the Most High dwells in the shadow of the Almighty.

2 I will say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."

3 He Himself will deliver you from the hunter's net, from the destructive plague.

4 He will cover you with His feathers; you will take refuge under His wings. His faithfulness will be a protective shield.

5 You will not fear the terror of the night, the arrow that flies by day,

6 the plague that stalks in darkness, or the pestilence that ravages at noon.

7 Though a thousand fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand, the pestilence will not reach you.

8 You will only see it with your eyes and witness the punishment of the wicked.

9 Because you have made the LORD -- my refuge, the Most High -- your dwelling place,

10 no harm will come to you; no plague will come near your tent.

11 For He will give His angels orders concerning you, to protect you in all your ways.

12 They will support you with their hands so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

13 You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the young lion and the serpent.

14 Because he is lovingly devoted to Me, I will deliver him; I will exalt him because he knows My name.

15 When he calls out to Me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble. I will rescue him and give him honor.

16 I will satisfy him with a long life and show him My salvation.

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from THE AMPLIFIED BIBLE, Copyright 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)

Scripture quotations marked HCSB have been taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible (R), Copyright (C) 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Holman Christian Standard Bible (R), Holman CSB (R), and HCSB (R) are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.

"And look, I am sending you what My Father promised. As for you, stay in the city until you are empowered from on high." - Luke 24:49 (HCSB)

Word Of Victory Ministries