Day 1 – Ask God first

“After the death of Joshua, the Israelites asked the Lord, ‘Which tribe should go first to attack the Canaanites?’ The Lord answered, “Judah, for I have given them victory over the land.” Judges 1:1-2 NLT

As a young believer, the first time I heard about spiritual warfare, I wanted to jump into action in every situation of my life and engage the enemy head-on. But being as spiritually young as I was – I soon learned that without the proper strategy and weapons – you get hurt, and sometimes those around you too. It’s not called warfare for nothing. The Bible is filled with strategies and the Word itself is the mightiest weapon against our enemy and his army as described in Ephesians.

“Put on all of God’s armour so that you will be able to stand firm against all STRATEGIES of the devil.” Ephesians 6:11 NLT (Emphasis by me)

One thing to always remember is that when the enemy attacks you, he has a strategy in place. There is a specific thing he wants to stop in your life. It could be a blessing, a ministry, or your spiritual growth. And if he has a strategy, so should you! As I was studying the book of Judges, I realised God has given His people specific strategies to engage in warfare to claim the promised land. Between the few verses we are going to look at the following days, God has also exploited the strategy of the enemy.

The first thing the Israelites did after the death of their beloved leader Joshua was to ask God for the next step. Before you decide to go into full-blown spiritual warfare, ask God FIRST for His guidance and strategy. Most of my answers are “I will fight for you, just be still” Exodus 14:14. Often I wondered why when I see the destruction the enemy has already wrought. The answer my friend is in verse 2 where God instructed Judah to be the first to attack. Jesus was born from the lineage of Judah and is known as the Lion of Judah in Revelations. Jesus will (and should) always be the first attack because God had already given Him the victory! And because we are in Him, we fight from a place of victory!

Prayer: Our Lord of Heavens Armies, I thank You for opening the Word to us and teaching us all about warfare strategies. I have faith that You will raise mighty warriors, skilled in Biblical strategy, to fight the war You require us to fight. I thank You for this Lord. Thank You Jesus that You are our Mighty Warrior and that You have already been victorious for us. Today, I ask You first, what is the strategy I would follow in the situation I am facing? Amen.

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