The Power to Defeat the Enemy

The Bible is filled with incredible stories of God delivering His people as they put their trust in Him. Read Isaiah chapters 36-37. It tells of a king who dared to defy God's people. King Sennacherib of Assyria threatened to destroy Jerusalem. He sent messengers before him to intimidate King Hezekiah and his leaders. They weren't empty threats, the Assyrian army was mighty and undefeated. They prided themselves in the ability to conquer and destroy every nation they came up against. As king Sennacherib's officials met with king Hezekiah's they recapped every conquest and informed them that no god was ever able to stop them. They even tried to persuade them to turn against their king and come follow them, because in their opinion, remaining in Jerusalem meant certain death. They also told them that they were being deceived by Hezekiah if he thought his God would rescue them! Their words cut to these men's hearts as they told them that it was actually their own God who told them to destroy Jerusalem! They became so afraid they tore their clothes in despair. 

Hmmm... does that remind you of anything? How often does the enemy come and lie to us about our current situation or future? He can be so believable that it instills fear and purges us of any remaining faith. It's easy to believe the lie because it's all based on facts and without God's intervention it very well could come to pass. So, let's talk about what King Hezekiah did to turn this situation around. 

The Kings first reaction to the bad news was to tear his clothes as well. This was a frightening threat. He knew his army was no match for the destructive force that was coming against him. They had no earthly chance of survival! Hezekiah did not remain in a position of fear, intimidation and depression. The next thing he did was seek God for direction. He asked the prophet Isaiah for a word from the Lord, he prayed then rested in his faith, believing that God's promises would come to pass! The outcome? 

Isaiah 37:36-38 (NLT) That night the angel of the Lord went out to the Assyrian camp and killed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers. When the surviving Assyrians woke up the next morning, they found corpses everywhere. Then King Sennacherib of Assyria broke camp and returned to his own land. He went home to his capital of Nineveh and stayed there. One day while he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer killed him with their swords. They then escaped to the land of Ararat, and another son, Esarhaddon, became the next king of Assyria.

Hezekiah never had to lift a finger to defeat the enemy, he just had to turn his eyes from the earthly facts and onto God who was able to do the impossible... far more than they ever expected or imagined. Don't limit your God! His power is not based on human reasoning or even earthly facts. He is so much more powerful than any force of evil that could ever come against His children, but we must have faith, pray, trust and believe in His promises!!

Psalm 112:7-8 (TPT) They will not live in fear or dread of what may come, for their hearts are firm, ever secure in their faith. Steady and strong, they will not be afraid, but will calmly face their every foe until they all go down in defeat.

Ephesians 3:20 (NIV) Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.