SOLDIER

OF

CHRIST
UNDERSTANDING VICTORIOUS CHRISTIAN LIVING

OZEKEKE AYO-IDOWU
 Praises For The Book
“A timely book. In a world such as ours today when the word of God and the
teachings of Christ Jesus have become so compromised by even those of us who
are called by His name, a book such as this is timely to call us back to our duty
post. It is a call to duty for we need to understand afresh that the reason we are
called by our master is to become soldiers in His great army. Let it be
understood that from the day Satan fought against Almighty God (Rev. 12:3-4)
and fell from heaven to the earth (Rev. 12:9) that the battle line has been
drawn. The same line became more sharply defined when he tempted man in the
Garden of Eden and made him fall. And in the battle before us, He has called us
to duty as His soldiers. We have been armed for the great battle that is raging
before us and will continue until the day of judgment. This is why this book by
Oze Ayo-Idowu is timely. It is a call to duty. She has divided her book into five
major parts and each part is like a peel of onion layer, leaving the remaining
whole intact and cognate. I have found each part a nugget of information,
refined and not raw. This is why I can recommend this book for all. It will bless
you as it has blessed me.
Happy reading!”

Archbishop (Dr) Mrs. Margaret Benson-Idahosa

Church of God Mission International.

“This book deals with the employment of the power of God through faith by
early Prophets, Judges and Kings, etc to defend not only the lives of the
Israelites but also the territorial integrity of Israel as a nation. Hence
references are made by the author to personalities such as Daniel, Shadrach
and Abednego, Samuel, Gideon, David etc. The appearance of this book is
timely, at a time when there is weakness and unpreparedness in the life of
believers. The things of this world has entangled many soldiers of Christ. The
highest sacrifice that can be given to God is when one is enlisted into the army
of Christ. There are different expressions of who a soldier is by different
denominations. The author of this book has written from an in-depth knowledge
and deep spiritual background of who a soldier is; while striking a balance of
the scripture. She presented the centre point of a soldier’s warfare which
involves tactical planning and execution of God’s purpose on earth.
The book is rich and worthy to be possessed by faithful Christians and it is
especially recommended for Knights. We therefore recommend this book for all
Christians, especially those willing to be soldiers of Christ.”
Rt. Revd. Peter O.J. Imasuen
Bishop of Benin (Anglican Communion)

“The Bible has left us in no doubt that there is a spiritual warfare going on. It
is the battle between light and darkness; good and evil; the kingdom of God and
that of Satan. It is also evident that every born-again child of God is called to
enlist in the army of Christ. In this book, the author took time in defining the
terms and the kind of weapons that are used in this warfare. In a practical
sense, Oze Ayo-Idowu, the author, pressed home the points with past Bible
characters and some heroes of faith in our generation.
It is my belief that this book, Soldier of Christ, will be a blessing to the body of
Christ. I recommend it.”
Rev. Dr. Felix I. Omobude
New Covenant Gospel Church
 SOLDIER
OF CHRIST
BY

OZEKEKE AYO-IDOWU
SOLDIER OF CHRIST
A Publication of Oze Ayo-Idowu
ISBN 978-978-912-279-0
Copyright @ Ozekeke Ayo-Idowu 2010

All right reserved under International copyright Law. Contents and/or cover may not
be reproduced in whole or in art in any form without the express permission of the
publisher.

All scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version (KJV) of the
Bible except otherwise indicated.
 CONTENTS
Dedication
Acknowledgements
Introduction

Chapter 1
WHO IS A SOLDIER OF CHRIST

Chapter 2
WEAPONS OF WARFARE

Chapter 3
BIBLE TESTIMONIES

Chapter 4
20TH CENTURY SOLDIERS OF CHRIST

Chapter 5
TESTIMONIES

CONCLUSION & BIBLE BASED PRAYERS

Notes
 DEDICATION

T his book is dedicated to the body of Christ and its soldiers. – “Thou therefore
endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ” – 2 Tim 2:3
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to acknowledge and thank the Holy Spirit for enabling me write
this book. There were many instances when I put the pen down and did not
know how and when I would conclude this writing.
 INTRODUCTION

I was inspired to write this book by the Holy Spirit. I started writing in 2005
and finished in 2010. Now, I realize why it took that long, as I believe that I
had to go through some experiences to enable me elaborate better on the
issues I will address in the book.
Everyone wants to be victorious and successful in all their endeavours, and
most want it on a platter of gold. All Christians want to be promoted, but
nobody wants to be faced with challenges before the promotion to the next
level. You must be able to prove that you can handle greater responsibility at
the higher level. In fact, some Christians would rather remain on their present
level of faith than stretch their faith because of the discomfort involved. A
number fall by the way side in the race because they expect to move to a higher
level without any iota of challenge. The reality is that you have to grow your
faith to conquer your world. It is explicit in the Word of God that challenges
and trials will come, but, once you are well equipped and grounded in Christ,
you will be victorious. “In the world ye shall have tribulation, but be of good
cheer; I have overcome the world” John 16:33b.
Battles start right from when children are conceived in their mother’s womb,
some of the worries of parents include carrying to full term or the health of the
unborn child. When a woman is pregnant with a child of destiny, attacks will
come, because the enemy would try to stop the emergence of such a force. At
times, the devil may try to delay the conception of the child, like in the case of
Hannah, who prayed for a child and it appeared as if God was not answering.
One of the reasons for Hannah’s delay was because of the destiny of the unborn
child (Samuel). Samuel is recognized as one of the great prophets of Israel in
the Bible.

Never accept delay as denial

A mew born child comes out of its mother’s womb with blood and cries to
indicate all is well. Any appearance outside of this, would create a cause of
concern for everyone around. The first cry is also an indication that once you
come into this world, it is a life full of forces that would be against you and an
introduction to the battle field of life. Some battles are avoidable due to the
acquisition of godly wisdom, but to ascend to the next level of Christian
responsibility you must be emboldened to prove you are capable to perform at
this higher level. Challenges emphasize levels of faith that make you work
towards increasing knowledge and faith in God. Many times, one feels he has
reached a level that is adequate and would like to just cruise along because any
vertical movement in our walk with God will involve shedding things we are
comfortable with.
Only death halts challenges; after death comes judgment.
This book is written with the aim of informing you about the realities of the
existence of battles and how to arm yourself with spiritual weapons in order to
achieve what the Lord has promised. Testimonies of some great people from the
Bible and some battles they were involved in, with strategies used to overcome
will be addressed in later Chapters.
In addition, the biographies of three generals of the army of God who are now
with the Lord will enable you to draw on some lessons from their lives. There
are also testimonies of Christians which will help keep you focused on God
whilst holding on for the fulfilment of God’s promises.
I believe that after reading this book, it will assist in giving you a deeper
understanding of what is involved in becoming a victorious soldier of Christ.
“For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory
that overcometh the world, even our faith” 1 John 5:4

Do have a blissful time reading this book.

 CHAPTER ONE: WHO IS A
SOLDIER OF CHRIST?

O ne truth I have since discovered is that everything that happens in the

natural and physical have their origin from the spiritual. Nothing
happens by chance. An example is what you sow is what you would
reap. In the same vein, if you sow hatred into people’s lives do not expect that
in your time of need, love will be reciprocated. When a farmer plants a seed, he
must ensure the soil is right, the seed must get water, carbon dioxide and
sunlight to germinate to become a fruit bearing tree. These are the processes
involved in growth.
If these procedures and processes are easy to understand in the physical, then
why is it so difficult for us to assimilate them in the spiritual? Many times, we
make God out as a magician, but God is no magician, He has principles. He is a
God of order. Whatever we go through helps to build our Christian character.
Understanding these principles, help to remove frustration, anxiety, worry and
doubt from our lives.
Most times when we hear the word ‘sow’ in church, fellowships or bible study,
the only thing that crosses our mind is money. Sowing according to Oxford
Learners dictionary is defined as to plant or spread seeds in or on the ground.
Money is just one of the seeds you can sow into the kingdom, you can sow your
time such as visiting the sick, less privileged, by offering words of
encouragement to people and evangelism. Naturally, people feel more
comfortable sowing seeds of convenience or out of surplus – being reserved or
shy is not an excuse to consider evangelism as a “no go area”. The mindset in
this regard is faulty as it would be evident in the reaping of the harvest. There
should be no excuses in complying with God’s command. You should serve
God and sow seeds both in times of abundance and austerity. Paul had reached
this level of understanding when he said, “Not that I speak in respect of want;
for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know
both how to be abased and I know how to abound; everywhere and in all things
I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer
need” Phil 4:11-12.
Christianity is a continuous learning process. Giving is not easy whether surplus
or otherwise, but after learning, the outlook and understanding become different
by God’s grace. This is highlighted in the book of Proverbs – he that keeps his
seed gets poorer, while he that scatters his seed gets richer.
Remember, sowing does not have to be out of convenience. It is even better to
give as a form of sacrifice, this carries a greater weight in the eyes of God. I
have also found out that this is an area people take for granted. You must ask
God for wisdom, knowledge and understanding as regards when and how much
to sow. You will realize that whenever an opportunity arises to sow it is a
guaranteed route for blessings. I am yet to meet the person who believes he has
received enough blessings and does not want more from God.
Sowing seeds on fertile ground ensures a solid foundation. Above all, it is very
important that there is a right attitude before, during and after the sowing. This
should be an attitude of faith, praise, worship and thanksgiving.
As regards watering the ground, using the word of God gives extra confidence
because you know that God honours His Word – “So mightily grew the word of
God and prevailed”. The first time this word gripped my
Spirit, I enquired, “Oh, so the word of God grows?” Indeed, it does and any
adverse or challenging situation that is contrary to one’s inheritance as a child
of God requires an agreement with and repeating God’s words to receive.

God honours His Word

Paula White writes in her book, DealWith It - “Oh what danger there is in
becoming impatient with God’s timing. Many times, God promises us things
and rather than wait until He gives those things to us, we become anxious and
attempt to make things happen. We try to manipulate people and situations, but
in the end all we create is a mess. God knows the precise timing for the
fulfillment of the things He has promised us and prepared as our destiny.
Nothing can stand in the way of His bringing to pass what He wills. God’s word
tells us that those who inherit God’s promises do so “through faith and
patience” (Heb 6:12).
Circumstances cannot deter what God promises… and a change of
circumstances cannot bring about His promise. The economic situation cannot
deter what God promises...and a change in a person’s economic situation cannot
bring about His promise. The political scene cannot deter what God promises …
and a change in relationships cannot bring about His promises.
Marriage or changes in relationships cannot deter what God promises…and a
change in relationships cannot bring about His promise. God is faithful to fulfil
His promises, in His timing, by His methods (1 Cor 1:9)”1
“It seems to us at times that God moves slowly. And often times He does! He
reveals His word line upon line, precept upon precept (Isaiah 28:10&13). God
moves deliberately, steadily, persistently, always moving in such a way that
everything is in position for His purposes to be accomplished. God’s word says
“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is
long suffering towards us, not willing that any should perish but that all should
come to repentance” (2 Pet 3:9) You may not see your deliverance on the
horizon. You may not see the blessing that’s on the way. But…. Your
deliverance and your blessing are coming nonetheless. God is at work.
Stay in the house. Stay in the house. Stay in the house, because once God brings
you through your crisis, He will raise you to a new level of maturity and you
will be better prepared and more fully equipped to enter into the fullness of His
destiny for you. The pain of yesterday will pale in comparison to the pleasures
God has for your tomorrow.”2
Often, we hear testimonies and listen to men of God and pray to be used by God
in the same way. We tend to forget that people used by God undergo some
training which is never pleasant to the flesh. Most people who say, ‘here I am
Lord, use me,’ are not ready for God’s plan. You might think you are ready
because your heart says so, but you have to be trained, pruned and cleansed to
get to the level God requires. It is important to note, that as a Christian, you are
enrolled into God’s army and enlisted to the Lord’s work. It is God who gives
you the grace to handle whatever He has called you to.

The amount of training you go through is dependent on your present state as a

Christian and your area of calling. Are you ready for the training/pruning?
Enoch A. Adeboye in his book, Showers of Blessings says “The one to whom
the Almighty God will release His special treasure must be someone He can
control. No General will put the latest machine gun in the hand of a soldier who
has just been recruited. A soldier who has not been broken and drilled
vigorously in the military fashion will misuse a sophisticated weapon if it is
issued to him before he is ready”.
Some key words would be defined which will be beneficial to your
understanding the title of this book – Soldier of Christ.
Oxford Advance Learners dictionary (6th edition) defines the following words
… Soldier, Army and Armoury as follows:
A soldier is a member of an army. An army is a large organized group of
soldiers who are trained to fight on land. War can be defined as a situation in
which two or more countries or groups of people fight against each other over a
period of time. It is further described as a situation in which there is aggressive
competition between groups, companies and countries. Armoury is a place
where weapons and armour are kept. It can also be described as the items that
people have to help them achieve something.
In the army of God, there are different positions just like in the military
operations of any nation. Jesus Christ is the Commander in Chief. We take
instructions from God through the Holy Spirit and the Bible, is the constitution.
It is important to remember as a Christian that battles exist so that you can be
prepared. In fact, one of the mottos of the Christian should be likened to the
Boys Scouts motto “Be prepared”
One of the things the devil uses to deceive Christians is the belief that once they
have been saved, and heaven bound, no trial, challenge or difficulty may come
their way.
This is the biggest misconception. I have found out that, many people are
unprepared for these battles, and as a result are slow to react when attacked.
Another area people lack understanding and which affected me, was that I
believed that once I was doing what was right and pleasing unto God, then no
trial should come my way. Experiences and a deeper study into the word of God
showed me that is untrue.
In fact, the more of a God pleaser one strives to be, the more the enemy seeks
ways to distract.
Dr N. Cindy Trimm writes in her book Rules of Engagement – Satanic
Weapons Exposed. “As the enemy wages war against you, remember you are
fighting the good fight of faith. Your concentration should not merely rest upon
what happens to you, but also what is happening in you and your response to
what happens to you. According to Daniel 7:25-27, Satan wants to cause you to
become fatigued and give up. He wants to wear you out, causing you to become
battle-fatigued and to give in. But don’t give up: don’t give in. The same text
indicates that we not only prevail, we also overcome every attack. Remember,
the flip side of victory is warfare, and the flip side of warfare, victory. Either
way, you win. So, my brothers and sisters, “Gird up the loins of your mind, be
sober, and hope to the end” 91 Pet 1:3). Do not give up in this battle, and do not
let the enemy wear you down. If he has targeted you during this season, he will
be very definite about his attack. Just like any natural army, he even has a
reconnaissance team. They are known as familiar spirits. They are responsible
for surveillance and informing Satan of areas of weakness and probable
strategies that can be employed to sabotage the fulfillment of purpose and
destiny. Many weapons the enemy uses against you can often go undetected
because as, Christians, we are deceived into believing that his weapons do not
include obvious things such as thoughts and emotions. Many of these weapons
are in fact spirits that are sent to give diabolical counsel to the mind.”4
The battle of faith is ongoing and you must equip yourself with the weapons of
warfare at all times. When you begin to see yourself as a soldier in permanent
warfare, it helps in changing one’s mindset from that of shock to being
prepared. a soldier of a country defends the territory of that nation and may be
called upon for extra assignments outside its geographical base. This call to
duty can be made at any time.
The Bible talks about fighting the good fight of faith (1 Tim 6:12), which
Christians are encouraged to engage in. This is a good fight because the end
always produces a good report (Hebrews 11:2).
In battle, there is the Victor and the Vanquished. Anyone on the Lord’s side is
on the winning team. To ensure you are victorious, there are things God expects
of you, one of which is stamina. Christians lose battles because they lack the
ability to withstand. If only you realize how close you are to the breakthrough,
you would be encouraged to endure.
The battle is always fiercest just before victory.
One should note that certain outcomes could befall a soldier in a physical
warfare situation – defection, injury, death, promotion- the same applies in
spiritual battles.
Upon declaration for Christ, the real battle commences, hell has been
depopulated and heaven populated. Lots of Christians read the Word of God
and His promises, but refuse to move from the level of reading the promises to
receiving power and then acting on the word for the manifestations of God’s
promises in their lives.
It should be clear to all that God does not tempt; it is the devil that is the tempter
and accuser of the brethren. Nothing happens to anyone without God’s
approval, He allows certain things to happen to His children for their overall
good. It might not feel, look or seem good when it is happening, but once you
remain firm in faith, it will turn around for your good.
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to
them who are the called according to His purpose” Rom 8:28. There are times
one wonders – how can childlessness, joblessness, ill health, marital problems,
etc, be working together for my good? God’s word says “all” not “some things”
are working for your good as long as you love Him and are called according to
His purpose. There is no qualification concerning the things, this is why Joseph
said in Gen 50:20, that what his brothers thought for evil, God meant it unto
good.
Cindy Trimm continues in her book Rules of Engagement. Satanic Weapons
Exposed
“If a military is going to win a war, there are several important questions that
must be answered:
Who is the enemy?
Where is the battle?
What are his weapons?

I believe most Christians would be able to answer questions one and two. The
answer to the first question is obvious. The enemy is Satan and his cohorts.
Since the rebellion of Satan and one-third of angels, this world has been in
combat against demonic forces. Having elaborately established an insidious
military spiritual force, Satan continues to fulfil his mission to steal, kill and
destroy all that belongs to God and is godly. The answer to the second question
is the mind. The enemy forms and forges a great variety of weapons. Some are
more apparent than others, such as abuse and afflictions. Others are not as
evident, such as the spirit of indifference and frustration.”
The message of Christ is that of hope, faith, love and victory. Even though you
see obstacles to your desire, some of them would disappear automatically,
especially if they do not have deep roots, while those that are deep rooted could
take some time to dislodge. In such circumstances, you are assured in Isaiah
43:1-6, that you are not alone. In the battle of faith, you cannot dictate the date,
time and examination centre for the test. The trial of faith is never based on your
convenience or perceived strength. In the case of Daniel, his examination centre
was the lion’s den, for Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, theirs was the fiery
furnace of fire. No matter how holy they were, they still faced trials and that is
how it is for every child of God. For some, their trial may be marriage, children,
job, family, health, financial situation, addiction, etc.

In the battle of faith, you

cannot dictate the date, time
and examinations centre for
the test. the trial of faith is
never based on your
convenience or perceived
strength.

As I wrote earlier, a major problem for some is that they do not realize early
enough that they would be faced with battles and are so overwhelmed when
challenges come, that they offer little or no resistance and are defeated easily.
We are informed that wisdom is a defense, so everyone must seek it. The Bible
also says that if anyone is lacking in wisdom, he should ask God for it (James 1:
5-6). How can anyone survive in this world without God’s wisdom? The Bible
tells us that since the days of John the Baptist, the kingdom of heaven suffers
violence and that the violent take it by force.
The truth is that you are either on God’s side or on the devil’s. There is no in-
between. Satan holds his aides captive and destroys them whenever he pleases.
He is so unfaithful even to his most faithful. Salvation and eternal life elude his
aides. It is important to bring out this analogy, because some Christians wonder
why people of the world get what they desire so easily. Every successful
Christian has a story. Every glorious situation has a story of groaning.
In between sowing and reaping, is a period of tending which could be likened to
a period of groaning.
Cindy Trimm in her book, Rules of Engagement – Binding The Strongman
writes.
“The Bible clearly states that the purpose for which Christ was born was to
destroy the works of Satan. We know that Christ completed His mission on the
cross. The scripture clearly states that Christ’s job description was the exact
antithesis of the enemy’s. According to John 10:10, Christ came to bring life but
Satan came “to steal and to kill and to destroy”. He is relentless in his attempts
to undermine the plans and purposes of God. He is skillful at even disguising
himself so as to remain undetected. As believers, we need not be afraid, but be
aware and empowered to have the ability to identify the works of the enemy so
that according to Luke 10:19 “nothing shall by any means hurt you (us)”.
The time has come when God has stirred up the hearts of all believers to rise up
and take their rightful places as His official representatives in the earthly realm.
Our role is to activate and enforce the authority God has given us.
As an empowered believer, you should no longer be satisfied with standing on
the sidelines, accepting anything from the enemy as if that stance is acceptable.
There is a real battle going on. We have a real enemy. There are no
demilitarized zones in this battle. Thank God we have been given the assurance
that in this warfare, we are fighting the good fight of faith. The outcome has
been decided, and our victory has been downloaded into the equation.”
We are told to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. The Bible says
“Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be
ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” 2 Tim 2:15. As Christians, we are
workmen and should work with the word of truth which is the word of God.
I would use two illustrations on refining products for different purposes to
further explain the kind of processes we go through as Christians. When gold
has been processed into jewelry, people admire it but many times forget that the
process of refining gold is tough. It has to undergo intense fire to remove the
impurities. The refining process can be a simple melt or the process can be more
complex, combining burning, drying, grinding, screening, blending and
sampling.
The selection of the refining process depends on the form and content of the
gold to be refined, the same way the refining process of a Christians dependent
on his level of faith compared to His god given purpose.
The second illustration is that of crude oil, it contains hundreds of different
types of hydrocarbons all mixed together. To separate them into different
products, the crude oil has to go through oil refining. The different hydrocarbon
chain lengths are separated through distillation. Crude oil is heated and different
chains are pulled out by their vaporization temperatures. Some of the products
that come out of this refining process are petroleum gas, naphtha, gasoline,
kerosene, gas oil or diesel, lubricating oil, heavy gas oil and the residual. The
way the process of refining brings multiple uses of crude oil is the same way the
refining process Christians go through, reveal their different purposes and levels
in the army of God.
It is my hope that as you continue to read this book, your knowledge and faith
in God will increase. Also, that you overcome any difficult situation as you
discover your God given purpose.
 CHAPTER TWO: WEAPONS OF
WAREFARE

A S earlier emphasized, there is an evil day for every man. “Wherefore

take unto you the whole armour of God that ye may be able to
withstand in the evil day and having done all to stand” Eph 6:13. A
day when both your faith and belief in God would be tested. A day when you
would have to prove that your words for God in praise, worship and prayer are
real, genuine and not based on circumstances. This means, that things you did
not envisage would occur. Your response to such will be indicative of both the
outcome and process leading to it. At this time, the power from your reservoir
of knowledge of God’s word would come to light. This period is known as the
maturing stage of a Christian. If some people are given what they pray for
immediately they ask, it just might destroy them, because certain blessings must
be accompanied with virtues for the blessings to last and then flow. Once you
have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and personal Saviour, His mark is
placed upon you. The devil starts to attack you because Heaven has been
populated, while hell depopulated. Apart from attaining salvation, you would
also be used in the kingdom of God to further depopulate hell. The spiritual
amour that the Lord has given, covers the head, right to the feet of the soldier.
To be completely dressed means being kitted with the whole armour of God.
Juxtaposing this, with the military of a nation going for war; if a soldier does
not wear his Kevlar vest for protection, a bullet shot could be fatal. Likewise,
one should put on the complete spiritual armour and be on constant alert for
battle. “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against
the wiles of the devil” – Eph 6:11. Even though the armour for warfare has been
provided, this verse emphasizes that you are to activate it by putting it on.

If some people are given

what they pray for
immediately they ask, it just
might destroy them because
certain blessings must be
accompanied with virtues
for the blessings to last and
then flow.
The Bible categorically tells us who and what we are battling “For we wrestle
not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against
the rulers of the darkness of this world against spiritual wickedness in high
places” Eph 6:12.
Dr Cindy Trimm in her book – Rules of Engagement (Binding the Strongman)
writes on the binding and loosing strategies. “Binding can be likened to a person
issuing a restraining order from the court of heaven on behalf of God, who sits
as the judge of the earth. A restraining order is a legal document and the
recipient must comply with the terms outlined therein. Likewise, whatever you
decree and declare, the enemy along with his cohorts, must comply. They are
bound by the blood, the word and the Spirit. To loose is the opposite of bind.
Demonic spirits have received orders from Satan and other demonic
personalities existing in the higher echelon of the satanic kingdom. When you
loose, you superimpose a new set of orders that are also binding by the blood,
the word and the spirit. When employing this strategy you are not only loosing a
spirit, but you are also loosing the effects that spirit had on a person, place or
thing”.
Binding can be compared to being tied up and no longer having free movement,
while casting out, is to send out of a territory.
Whenever you cast out a spirit, it should be replaced with another to fill the
void. Many times, people bind and cast out evil spirits but never banish them to
a specific place, thereby enabling them linger around finding a place to dwell.
They sometimes find habitation in loved ones who are nearby and spiritually
weak or they return back emboldened.
Remember the story in the Bible, when Jesus cast out evil spirits, they pleaded
with Him that it was not their time to leave, yet they were sent into a herd of
sheep. These sheep ran into the sea and drowned. You should ensure that you
replace the cast out spirit with the spirit desired. For instance, if someone is
suffering from depression, you should bind and cast out the spirit of depression
into a place (territory) and replace it with the spirit of joy. I have found out that
there is never a vacuum in the spiritual, so whatever is taken away must be
replaced. Whenever you have been cleaned out, ensure you maintain the
cleanliness, lest a worse situation befall you.
Ephesians 6:14-18, tells about the weapons of warfare which are outlined as
follows:
 Loins girt about with truth or belt of truth
 Breastplate of righteousness
  Feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace
 Shield of faith
 Helmet of salvation
 Sword of the spirit
These weapons of warfare should be worn at all times and their source is the
Word of God. Once again, this elaborates and confirms the importance and
power of the Word of God.
It is worthy of note, that the first five weapons outlined above are defensive,
while the sixth is offensive. The combination of the weapons will bring victory
to the user. We have not been given any weapon for the back, because we are
expected to face frontal assault. You are supposed to go through them and come
out victorious, that is the promise from God. The armour of God gives the
victory. God has promised in Isaiah 43:2 that when we pass through waters, He
will be with us and through the rivers, they shall not overflow us and when we
pass through fire, we shall not be burned, neither shall flame kindle upon us.
“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal; but mighty through God to the
pulling down of strongholds, casting down imaginations and every high thing
that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity
every thought to the obedience of Christ”.
2 Cor 10:4-5. From the above, it is obvious that the mind is the battlefield. You
must watch what you imbibe, because what you feed your spirit goes to your
mind. If your mind absorbs things that elicit fear, it would make you fearful, but
if your mind absorbs the word of God and things that would build up faith, you
would become faithful.
The armour of God gives
confidence to stand in a war
situation as exposed in
Ephesians 6:11, but it is the
God of the armour that
gives the victory.

There are different types of battles and levels of intensity. The assault you go
through is dependent on your calling and present level of faith. Many times, the
enemy knows your destiny and starts attacking early in one’s life to discourage
and delay the manifestation of God’s promise. You must always be assured that
delay is not denial, God’s promises shall surely come to pass as long as you
remain steadfast.
LOINS GIRT ABOUT WITH TRUTH
A Loin could be described as a belt. I like how my son, Oluwatise’s, Noah’s
Ark Bible, (God’s Word Translation), describes this “Fasten truth around your
waist like a belt. Truth is constant. It does not change, even in a million years it
remains the same. The Word of God is referred to as the Truth in the Bible.
When fastened with the belt of truth, it means that any other thing that deviates
from the truth is a lie and no matter how long it takes to manifest, truth will
always prevail. You can only remain standing when you stand on the truth. Let
us recall in Eph 6:12 God says we should stand therefore. A major characteristic
of truth is that it stands the test of time. Our loins are in our minds. “Wherefore
gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is
to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ”, 1 Peter 1:13.
Uncontrolled minds could run berserk and easily misconceptualize things,
especially feelings from our surroundings or senses, therefore, we must harness
our mind with the Word of God.
When equipped with truth, you should be assured that every contrary situation
would give way in the long run. Truth is likened to light, as lies to darkness,
darkness cannot comprehend light, whenever light appears darkness disappears.
Truth is likened to light, as
lies to darkness, darkness
cannot comprehend light,
whenever light appears
darkness disappears.
The NIV version of the Bible says that the belt of truth is buckled round your
waist. We must view the significance of the waist, when wearing clothes such
as a pair of trousers, knickers or a skirt. A belt is used to firm up the outfit on
your body which in turn makes you look smarter. The belt of truth holds the
armoury in place covering some delicate parts of the body, as well as ensuring
that the other weapons remain firmly placed.
Imagine a situation where a lawyer is prosecuting a defendant and seeks the
truth out of the cross examination. He begins to ask the same question in
different ways, if the defendant is innocent, no matter how many times he is
asked different questions on the same matter, he should always produce the
same answer, but if guilty, after a series of questions, it would be evident from
the answers that the defendant is lying. Even technology has come up with new
ways to detect lies. When negative situations appear, it provides a wonderful
opportunity to declare God’s truth concerning such situations. Christians who
are not wearing the belt of truth are likely to live unstable lives. They would
always be moved by their senses and situations around them instead of the
Word and promises of God.
Satan is described as the father of all lies in the Bible. Every lie emanates from
him. There is nothing good about a lie, some people give all kinds of names to a
lie. White lie, elephant lie, etc. A lie is a lie, it is from Satan and as such nothing
good comes from him. Anything, be they words, thoughts, sight or physical
manifestation that is contrary to the word of God concerning His children is a
lie.
Another benefit of being girded with the loins of truth is that when the enemy
sees that you are infused with truth, he runs away.
If the devil appears with an evil report and you hold on to God’s true report
concerning whatever situation, with time, the evil report would disappear. There
are always two reports in any situation – the good report from God and the bad
report from the devil, it is your responsibility to accept and hold on to either of
the reports.
This weapon is not easy to wield as there is a price attached to it and most
people prefer freebies. Anything worth having usually costs something. Truth is
constant and not limited by time, you would notice that there would be times
when you might have to wait before its full manifestation. Even though we
expect quick manifestations of God’s promises, we must always remember that
our times are in God’s hands and He will bring His promises to pass at the due
season. Truth has character and integrity, and this will always be tested.

Truth is constant and is not

limited by time, you would
notice that there would be
times when you might have
to wait before its full
manifestation.

BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
Righteousness is right living. Jesus Christ has made us righteous before God,
but you must regularly check yourself to see how you are living. Does your way
of life bring glory to God? You should know as Christians what righteous living
is all about, but do you say that because you righteous by God’s grace you
would live your life as you please because the grace of God abounds? The Bible
answers this, “God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer
therein? “Rom 6:2.
The breastplate of righteousness, deflects the enemy’s accusation, because our
righteousness is in Jesus. The Bible says our righteousness is like filth before
the Lord. You should strive to do the right things because you love God and He
expects this from you and not that trying to live right is what makes you
righteous. The enemy is the accuser of the brethren, he is also looking out for
your faults, to take them before God. Recall what he did to Job, Job was
referred to as perfect and upright, a man who feared God and stayed away from
evil. One day, as the sons of God came to present themselves to God, Satan also
came with them. This shows that Satan is always lurking around. When God
asked Satan where he was coming from, he replied from going all over the
world. Of course, he was doing this to fulfil his threefold ministry, to steal, kill
and destroy. Then God asked him if he had considered Job, and Satan said Job
was considered perfect because God had blessed and protected him. Satan’s
accusation concerning Job was that he remained faithful to God because of the
benefits he was getting from God.
Well, Job was tested and was found faithful. As much as Job was living a
righteous life, his righteousness could not exempt him from the trial. God had
earlier put limitations to Job’s trials, ensuring that the enemy could not take
Job’s life. It is only the righteousness we have in Jesus that is a weapon.
We strive to live holy because we love God and know that He expects this from
us. It is not in being holy or righteous in ourselves that we are protected from
the wiles of the devil.
Some people fear and worship God only for what they get from Him. You have
to get to the level where your relationship with God would not be determined by
just what you can get from Him at the moment. Consider the lives of the three
Hebrew boys. Shadrach, Meshack and Abednego, they chose to trust God even
if it meant losing their lives. How do you take up living right without letting
your circumstance or situation affect what God means to you?

You have to get to the level

where your relationship
with God would not be
determined by just what you
 can get from Him at the
moment.

The breastplate of righteousness covers the heart. The heart is one of the most
important organs in the body and when it stops beating, a living being could be
considered dead. This highlights the importance of this weapon in the lives of
Christians. It is the heartbeat of the Christian life. We could not be saved by our
own righteousness, Christ came and died to make us righteous in Him. The
enemy is constantly thinking of how to strike at the heart of a Christian knowing
that a blow to the heart could be fatal.
Fill your heart with the Word of God through meditation. Meditate on what you
have read in the Bible, so that you understand the word. “This book of the law
shall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou shalt meditate therein” Josh 1:8.
When you meditate upon the Word of God, it then sinks into your spirit and
allows you obey what God has commanded. You will be a partaker of the
blessings of obedience.
What do you feel towards God? Do you love Him? If you do, I believe you
would always think about what He expects before you say a word or act. When
you love someone, you tend to have that consciousness and think about the
person before you act. If you can do this for your loved ones, why do less when
it comes to living for God.

Some people live righteously in front of church members, and the pastor, but
outside church they exhibit other behavioral tendencies – in action and words,
but it is important that you realize that God sees and knows everything you
think and do. Why should you care more about what the pastor and church
member think about you and care less about how God sees you? Could this be
because we think we can hide things from them? At times, you tend to wonder
why people would knowingly commit certain sins and expect that the grace of
God would cover them. Even after the act of sin, they refuse to acknowledge it
and for those who do, they will not have genuine feelings of repentance because
the sin was pre-meditated.

FEET SHOD WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF

PEACE
Ephesians 6:15 talks about our feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of
peace. This means that the gospel of peace should accompany us wherever we
go. Our Christianity should extend beyond church meetings and gatherings into
daily living. Really, church should be in us. it has often been said that one of the
benefits of living the authentic Christian life is that it would attract people into
wanting to know more about Jesus Christ. Do you think that if an unbeliever
studies you today, he would be encouraged to want to know Jesus?
The feet being shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace means that we
should be ready to spread the good news that brings peace. The Word of God
through our work should affect our walk.
When the word of God has taken root in your mind and heart, it would be
reflected in you through your walk.
When the word of God has
taken root in your mind and
heart, it would be reflected
in you through your walk

Our feet are meant for standing and moving and as such we must be ready and
prepared to spread the word of God to all nations, especially as opportunities
spring up. Matthew 28:18-20 admonishes Christians to go to all nations,
baptizing and teaching people to observe all things that have been commanded.
This is an instruction for all Christians – it is often referred to in Christian
circles as the “great commission”. The earlier verse says all power is given unto
Jesus in heaven and earth. Evangelism is backed by the power of God. It is not
good enough to be knowledgeable about the Word and keep it to yourself.
The gospel is referred to as that of peace because whenever people are
confronted with trials, if equipped with the Word, the peace of God would
replace the anxieties earlier experienced. It is the Peace that the world does not
understand.
Likewise, the only fight we are encouraged to engage in is the fight of faith,
because it is a good fight with a sure outcome. After salvation, you must realize
that since you did not join the heavenly hosts on that day, then you have been
called to live a life of service to God and mankind. Christian life is one of
service. Our Lord Jesus came to save us and He paid the ultimate price. This
same gospel you heard that brought about your salvation, must be spread to
others by you. Also, remember that as you engage in this service, your action
serves as a weapon. It is noteworthy to acknowledge that evangelism requires
some level of sacrifice – it could be your time, convenience, some people are
naturally shy, reserved or private. I used to be a very private person who did not
know how to share my faith, but God made me realize that it was the trick of the
devil to hold me down and attempt to abort His call in my life. How can you say
you are a child of God doing His work and will, without being actively involved
in evangelism? Evangelism is simply telling and bringing people to the
knowledge of Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.

The only fight we are

encouraged to engage in is
the fight of faith because it
is a good fight with a sure
outcome

There are many ways of engaging in evangelism. As people have different

countenances, attitudes, knowledge and beliefs, so also are there different ways
of carrying out this responsibility of evangelizing. The most important thing is
to get the message of Jesus Christ all over the world. Some of the basic things to
do before engaging in evangelism include praying that the Holy Spirit will
touch and soften the hearts of the prospects to listen and receive the Word.
Oftentimes, we are so filled with zeal that we forget to do this important bit.
Then when we go out and meet brick walls, we come back feeling deflated and
discouraged. You must prepare before embarking on this duty. When you
remember that it is the Holy Spirit that does the teaching and conversion and all
you are to do is spread the Word, it breaks down brick walls. A man who does
not where his next meal is coming from will not be as receptive until he has
been given some food. Spreading the gospel and winning souls is a business that
involves marketing and selling a product. You are God’s salesman. Here, the
Holy Spirit is the empowerment you need to get the job done. Remember that
there are different strategies to meet different target markets. When you realize
that the Holy Spirit is the One who convicts an individual to accept Jesus
Christ as Lord and Saviour, then you would be encouraged to continue the
work.
The way you live your life can be a tool for evangelism – if people expect you
to behave in a particular way when things happen, but you choose to behave as
you have been instructed by the Lord, you are likely to find people in that
environment asking why you are so different from others and that is another
opportunity to introduce the Word and saving power of God.
Evangelism can be done through distributing tracts containing the Word of God,
sharing testimonies, sharing the Word of God directly, sending text messages
through telephones, sending emails from the internet and also the Word can be
spread through speaking at parties, picnics, conferences, etc. The enemy creates
stumbling blocks and constantly seeks ways to discourage us, but we must be
diligent in doing that which god has called us to. As you start sharing the Word
and bringing people to God, hell is depopulated, while the Soldiers of Christ
increase. Another route for participating in evangelism is by partnering in
financing Christian outreaches and other activities that are focused on spreading
the word of God and winning souls.

The importance of evangelism cannot be over emphasized, if we do the business

of God, we should be certain. He would take care of us. I once heard the
testimony of someone who had some health issues and this was providing an
excuse for a lack of evangelism. One day he received a powerful message on
evangelism and its benefits and decided to become more active in this regard.
As he began moving around and spreading the Word, before long, he discovered
that all the ailments and symptoms of the sickness had disappeared.
With improvement in technology, evangelism has been made easier and more
reachable, but the question remains who is ready to do the work of the Father in
the area of spreading the gospel? Some people think it’s the sole responsibility
of pastors, evangelists, etc., but according to the Bible, this command is given to
all Christians.
It would be assuring to know that if you share the Word with someone who later
heeds the call through some other Christian, you still have made an input into
his being led to Christ. Anytime you share the Word, a seed has been deposited.
Do not be discouraged, you are actually sowing good seeds and would reap the
fruits of your labour.

SHIELD OF FAITH
“Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all
the fiery darts of the wicked” Eph 6:16. Why above all? It is because, without
faith you cannot please God and how do you expect to win a battle without
being a God pleaser. It is God Himself that fights your battles for you. Faith is
emphasized as a weapon, because without faith you would not be able to
withstand the arrows of the enemy. It is your faith in God and His promises that
enable you address any unfavorable circumstance and situation and it
disappears. The promise from God is that as a shield protects one from the
enemy’s darts, so the Shield of Faith is used to deflect any arrow from the devil.
There are times when you have to move the shield from one place to another for
protection and this is what faith does. It can be used to cover any part of the
body. The truth is that the devil is always throwing things at Christians.
Faith is a topic I will not tire of defining and discussing in detail in this book,
because it is important in attaining and maintaining a victorious Christian life.
Faith, according to the Bible is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence
of things not seen. Faith is always in the present, it is not in the past neither in
the future. It is a ‘now’ word, and even though our physical eyes might not see
what we expect and believe at the moment, we know that once we have prayed
according to God’s will. He has heard and answered our supplications. Our
Faith eyes see the answers to those requests and then we can act on them. The
Bible says “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he that cometh
to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently
seek Him” Heb 11:6. Exhibiting faith makes you a God pleaser. You cannot
seek God diligently and leave empty handed. Faith always produces a good
report, this is why you are encouraged to tight the good fight of faith. Can any
Soldier of Christ go through the world with its attendant battles without a good
dose of faith? In fact, it is the battles that one goes through and overcomes
together with the Word of God that takes you from one level of faith to a higher
level. It occurs this way, because after the Word of God has been grafted in
your spirit, the trial of faith makes you put it to work. When you study the Word
of God to build your faith, this is the theoretical part, then comes the practical
aspect when tests and trials come your way.

King David said in the book of Psalms that he had been young and old and
never had he seen the Lord forsake the righteous nor his children begging bread.
We are all entitled to this testimony. The Lord is ever faithful and since God
does not change, you would discover that it is the children of God who change
and become unfaithful, especially when the solution is taking longer than they
envisaged. “If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful, he cannot deny Himself” 2
Tim 2:13. Many times Christians, we are not aware of our potentials, abilities
and capabilities until we face certain battles. Gideon was described as a mighty
man of valor by the angel of God who visited him. He did not believe that
description suited him. Well, after asking for signs to show God was with him.
He went to battle with just 300 men and defeated the enemies, a thing unheard
of at the time. At other times, our level of faith remains the same until we pass
through battles and come out victorious. Many believers are currently operating
below their level of faith and certain trials are needed to push them to where
they should be.
Faith though abstract, in Christianity has a measuring level. “…according as
God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith” Rom 12:3. Every Christian
has been given the measure of faith but what you do with this measure is what
differentiates one person’s level of faith from another’s increasing in faith is
achieved through different ways from reading, studying and meditating on the
Word to listening to Biblical teaching. “So then faith cometh by hearing and
hearing by the word of God” Rom 10:17.

Every Christian has been

given the measure of faith
but what you do with the
measure is what
differentiates one person’s
level of faith from another’s

Faith must not be misconstrued with positive thinking and confessions, even
though they are an integral part in the faith process, but faith is obtained through
the Word of God and the conviction that every promise given is real. I would
like to illustrate this with an example, instead of just reacting to an ugly
situation of financial distress by saying I know I am rich, a man of faith who is
knowledgeable in the Word of God would say I know God’s plan for me is to
prosper, be in health even as my soul prospers and God has promised that as I
obey Him I would be a lender to nations. There is a confidence you have when
you speak God’s promises in situations because you are giving Him back His
Word. This would be explained in greater details under the sub-title, Sword of
the Spirit.
The Word of God is food for our spirit man. Some Christians are lazy about
studying the Word. It is not good enough that you only hold and open your
Bible once a week and that is on Sunday in the church. You must study the
Word of God regularly. When you are equipped with the Word, it will be used
to shield you from the attacks of the devil. The devil usually attacks the mind
and the senses. “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world, and this
is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith” 1 John 5:4. Faith
brings about the victory. Whereas God works with the faith we have; the devil
works with the fears we exhibit. The enemy feeds fat on fear, which is the flip
side of faith. Fear creates a gateway for the devil to attack and if you say you
have no fear but faith, yet refuse to increase your faith level by studying,
memorizing and speaking the Word, your mind and senses would soon become
overwhelmed with any situation. A positive attitude without faith in God’s
promises can undermine your stand. I have discovered that often times, the first
prayer point of people is motivated by fear. The best way to address this is to
agree with the Word of God on the issue. As you do this, faith would grow over
those situations.
Then, you would transcend from repeating the same prayer daily to agreeing
with the Word of God and thanking Him for answered prayers. In many
instances in the Bible the phrase ‘fear not’ is repeated, in fact it is referred to
365 times and some scholars have insinuated it is to be used each day in a year.
The phrase ‘fear not’ is to further emphasize faith which is the key to victory.
Studying the numerous people Jesus healed when he was on earth, a
prerequisite for the healing was that they had faith, even those interceding for
their wards equally had large doses of faith. Faith is pertinent to reversing
unfavourable situations. Developing individual faith in God and His promises
should be of paramount importance to believers. There are instances when we
could ask others to join their faith with ours, especially when you feel your faith
in His promises over a particular issue is low. This occurs when you focus more
on circumstances rather than God’s promises. Remember the story of Peter
when he was walking on the sea, as long as his focus was on Jesus he was safe
and afloat. Upon being distracted by the wind, he began to sink, because fear
crept in. Once fear came in, faith and its law of suspension disappeared. Fear
and faith cannot be in operation at the same time in the life of anyone. What
happened to Peter is exactly what happens when you listen to the lies of the
devil. These things become a reality, as fear is the major catalyst in the devil’s
terrain. Our responsibility as Soldiers of Christ is that we must always carry the
shiel of faith. Faith diminishes the effect of senses, touch, sight, audio, taste,
smell. It is focusing on the physical senses that brings about fear and a foothold
for the devil. Faith does not deny facts, rather faith operates at a higher
prominence. Whenever you want a contrary situation reversed, you would have
to apply the higher law of faith.
A shield is a defensive weapon and this is stated in the Bible “They shall come
out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways” Deut 28:7. The
enemy will throw darts from every angle but the shield of faith would stop them
no matter how fierce and when the devil sees the kind of resistance put up, he
then flees in all directions.
Challenges assist in moving a Christian from one level of faith to another. As
buttressed earlier, there are people who have a high level of faith in a particular
area. One could have a high level of faith as regards financial prosperity and a
low level of faith in health. In the areas you have high level of faith, continue
building your faith and in areas of low level of faith, begin to focus more on the
Word in that area. You should be a faith filled Christian in every area of your
life. Challenges never seem pleasant at the time of appearance, but if you hold
onto the Word of God in faith, you will end up thanking God because of the
inherent blessings. Many beautiful gifts come wrapped in the form of
challenges. I once heard a man of God say that he gets excited when challenges
come his way because he knows that it is an opportunity for him to be
promoted. You can begin to imagine his kind of faith and the level of
understanding in operation. Many people are currently operating below their
level of faith and would remain at such unless a challenge surfaces to push them
to the next level. It is easy to say “I love you, Lord” when all is well, but it is
more inspiring to hear while undergoing difficult times. Circumstances should
not change the way you feel about God, “And we know that all things work
together for good of them that love God, to them who are the called according
to his purpose” Romans 8:28. Whenever I am going through ‘testing’ period, I
always remember this word “but without faith it is impossible to please Him,
for he that cometh to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of
them that diligently seek Him” Heb 11:16. This scripture keeps me in check and
I start to build my faith as regards the matter again, because it is best to be a
God pleaser as He would do extraordinary things for you, but without faith you
cannot please God.
Never be deceived that the enemy cannot tempt you, for everyone will be
tempted irrespective of your level of Christian faith. In fact, the devil is such a
master tempter, he will sugar flavor acid to make it attractive to the non-
discerning. He has tests for different levels of faith.

HELMET OF SALVATION
Everyone knows how important the head is to the human body. Apart from the
brain, the head inhabits all the five sensory organs.
A helmet is used for protecting the head from anything harmful, be it a fall or a
strike. It is a very powerful weapon for every Christian. We have received the
gift of salvation and are assured of victory.
God loves us so much that He sent Jesus Christ to pay for our sins through the
shedding of His blood. The process of salvation involved a price. Jesus paid the
price through sacrifice to set us free. That is why we can talk about this gift of
salvation which has been freely given. The fact that it is given as a gift does not
mean it did not cost God anything. When you give someone a gift, even though
it does not cost the receiver a penny, all he has to do is to accept the gift, but it
usually costs the giver something. In this case, it is the costly gift of the life of
Jesus, consisting of his body and blood. The blood of bulls and goats that were
used in the Old Testament was not sufficient to pay the price and it was a
continuously repeated process anytime a priest was to come into the presence of
the Lord. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten son, that
whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” John
3:16, because of this gift, Apostle Paul writing to the Hebrews says that we have
obtained a more excellent ministry where Jesus is the mediator of a better
covenant, which is established upon better promises. Oh, what a beautiful gift
and assurance of our salvation. This is emphasized because the devil oftentimes
makes people feel unworthy of this gift of salvation. No one is saved by
himself, but by the precious price our Lord and Saviour Jesus paid. You do not
have to be perfect or good to be saved, in fact, Jesus came to save sinners, heal
the sick and set the captives free. This love of God is unconditional and it is
different from the human kind. It is a deep spiritual love, often referred to as
Agape love. We can experience this Agape love, only, because God first loved
us. Salvation is known as the greatest gift God has given mankind. Before any
engagement in spiritual battle, you must be sure that you have received the gift
of salvation. If there are any doubts about this, it is better you settle the matter
before embarking or continuing in battle. To settle this, you have to be true to
yourself. “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe
in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shall be saved. For
with the heart man believeth unto righteousness and with the mouth confession
is made unto salvation,” Rom 10:9-10. If you are not saved and have never
confessed Jesus as Lord and savior, I hope that you would use this opportunity
to become saved by saying this heartfelt prayer aloud ‘Father Lord, I come
before you and ask that you have mercy upon me, forgive me for my sins.
Henceforth, I accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and personal Saviour’. The
salvation prayer is easy, but a pre-requisite is that it must emanate from your
heart.

The story of the sons of Sceva in the Bible, illustrates the importance of
knowing your stand with God. As they were trying to cast out demons, the
demons retorted that they knew Jesus and Paul, but did not know the sons of
Sceva and then the demons gave them the beating of their lives. Satan and his
demons know everyone and their position, so make sure you are on the right
standing before engaging in any spiritual warfare.

Also, once you have received Christ as your Lord and personal savior, the
stamp of salvation is placed on your forehead irrespective of whether you can
see or feel it. You must always remember the rights, privileges and inheritance
that come with salvation because the ruler of the world will always want to
challenge you to know how knowledgeable you are in this regard.

Before any engagement in

spiritual battle, you must be
sure that you have received
the gift of salvation

There is no reason why a child of God should accept any situation that is not
promised of God and if such a situation rears its head, you should know how to
deal with it. Where a child of God develops ill health, there are so many
provisions in the Word made to receive healing. Isaiah 43:5, 1 Peter 2:2b “by
whose stripes ye were healed”. Also, if a child of God does not have any
evidence of prosperity in his life, a promise of all round prosperity is given in
the Word “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in
health even as thy soul prospereth,” 3 John 2.
Salvation is key as a spiritual weapon because that is the reason you are assured
of victory. Attacks come your way mostly, because of the gift of salvation.
Remember, the battle is not yours but the Lord’s. One of the benefits of being
saved is that immediately after, you are entitled to all the rights and privileges
of being a child of God. The Bible says your life is hid with Christ in God (Col
3:3). This means that nothing can happen to you without the knowledge of God.
There is this scripture that excites me always “for ye are bought with a price;
therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s” 1 Cor.
6:20. The price is blood bought. The blood of Jesus was shed to purchase you
and so all the benefits and rights of that sale must accrue to you.

In legal terms, it would be right to say that a legal mortgage has been obtained
and it is non-transferable and non-negotiable. Also, if you go to a supermarket
to buy goods and make payment, you would be given a payment receipt, as long
as you have that, no one would demand another payment in the shop for the
same goods. The receipt shows that you paid the appropriate price, the transfer
has been made and the goods are now yours. Jesus paid the price for your soul,
receiving this is not only prerequisite for eternal salvation, but also for
victorious living in this world.

SWORD OF THE SPIRIT/WORD OF GOD

It is important to state that the earlier noted weapons all come from the Word of
God. This means that the Word of God is both defensive and offensive.
We know that a sword is often sharp and can be used to pierce and cut off
things. The Bible states this “for the word of God is quick and powerful, and
sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of
soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts
and intents of the heart” Heb 4:12.
Some other characteristics of the Word of God are outlined as follows:-
1. It is a lamp to our feet and light to our path Ps 119:105.
2. It is life to them that find it and health to all their flesh Prov 4:22.
3. It is firmly fixed in heaven Ps 119:89.
4. God magnifies His word above His name Ps. 138:2.
5. The word of God never returns to Him without accomplishing the
purpose for which it was sent and prospering in it. Isaiah 55:11.
6. All God’s words are true Ps 119:160.
7. It is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction and instruction in
righteousness. 2 Tim 3:16.

There is no idle word from God. when you have attained a better understanding,
you would realize the importance of being fully equipped at all times. The Bible
admonishes us to keep the word of God in our hearts. There is no challenge you
face that does not have a corresponding promise in the Bible. The Bible has
solutions to every problem in life.
Words spoken are generally very powerful. When we speak the word of God
concerning a situation, it activates the power to address the situation. Our words
have both creative and destructive abilities. This is why we are instructed in the
Bible to be slow to speak . Some people in a fit of anger hurl out words they do
not mean at their loved ones and later when those words begin to manifest, they
start complaining and running helter-skelter. You are who you are today based
on what you said yesterday and words spoken today would determine your
tomorrow. Having a clear understanding of the power of words, would make
you realize that the Word of God is a weapon.
The Word of God is described as the sword of the spirit, this is because as the
Word proceeds from your mouth, it is an attacking force in the spirit.
No one fights with a sword from behind. The Word of God faces situations
frontal and they begin to shrink no matter how big, eventually disappearing.
Meditating on Isaiah 55:11 which states that when the Word of God is uttered, it
does not return until it accomplishes what it was sent for and prospers in it
shows its effectiveness and efficiency.

Another characteristic of the Word of God is that it grows. “So mighily grew the
word of God and prevailed” Acts 19:20, Acts 12:24 also emphasizes that there
is a multiplier effect in the more of the Word of God.

Having a clear
understanding of the power
of words would make you
realize that the Word of God
is a weapon.

This buttresses the fact that until you get the desired result and promise from
God in a particular situation, you have to keep speaking the Word.
Proverbs 4:22 describes the Word of God as medicine to a man’s flesh.
Medicines usually are taken with prescription. In illustrating the dosage on the
Word of God, assuming two people have the same ailment and one was
diagnosed earlier than the other. Medication given for both could be the same,
but the latter might have to take the medication for a longer period than the
earlier one because the diagnosis would show a deeper infection than the one
just beginning. The word of God does not only drive away symptoms but it
destroys the tap root of afflictions such that it never arises again. “What do ye
imagine against the Lord? He will make an utter end: affliction shall not rise up
the second time” Nahum 1:9.
God is not a careless talker. All His words are backed with His power. But you
must also note that God is not a magician. There was a time, I was believing
God for a particular miracle and I expected it to manifest immediately. I was so
expectant that each day I did not see the manifestation, I would become
agitated. Then one day, the Holy Spirit told me clearly, “Oze, you would have
to wait on God in this matter for God is not a magician”. Even though it hurt
because I wanted an immediate solution my own way, I had to encourage
myself to hold on until the manifestation of the promise. After all, God knows
the genesis of every situation and has the broader picture of what has gone on to
bring the change expected. God is in control of the answers to the How, When
and Where of situations in our lives. The Bible tells that God answers
immediately when we pray, according to His Word, He determines if the
physical manifestations come immediately or you might have to wait a while.
Remembers that He is all knowing and all seeing.
Many times, you think you are ready and well equipped for the answers to your
prayers, but there are times you have to go through delays to ensure your
character is built to manage the answered prayer. Quick solution to prayers has
taken people who did not have strong characters back many miles. I heard a
story of someone who was very diligent in church activities, always first to get
to the church and last to leave the church premises anytime there was a
gathering, when his pastor wanted to know the reason for his coming to church
so early he explained that he had to leave his house very early with the bus to
get to church since he did not have a car. The church members sympathized
with him and then contributed some amount of money and bought him a car.
The moment he got the car, excuses became the order of the day for not
attending church meetings.

Most times, there is a period of waiting between the spiritual and the physical
manifestation. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that
love God, to them who are called according to His purpose,” Rom 8:28. Your
responsibility is to engage in holy living, trusting God and to be kitted with the
whole armour at all times. The enemy does not take permission from you before
he attacks, that is why you have to be ever ready for battle.

Some people always want God to speak to them or to other gifted Christians
about them, but if they get into the Bible, read and meditate on the Word, they
would find out that God is speaking to them from every page. Kenneth Hagin
writes in his book – Biblical Ways to receive Healing: “They’re always looking
for some ‘new’ revelation, yet they haven’t mastered walking in the light of
what they already know. But when you walk in the light of what you know more
light will be given to you. You see, it’s the truth of God’s anointed Word, that
sets people free and destroys every yoke of bondage”.

Even when one is going through trials, it is important to note that there are
“tests” and there are “difficult tests”, it is your faith in the promises of God and
your position as a child of God that would give victory. The Word of God is
food for all Christians – milk for babies, meat for teenagers and bone for adults.
It is a manual for righteous, victorious Christian living.

Paula White in her book – Deal With It writes “As long as you are straddling
the fence and have no purpose in your life, why would the enemy bother you?
It’s when you begin to work the word into your life – sowing it into the fertile
soil of your mind, accepting it in your heart, bearing fruit from it in your
actions, and receiving a harvest from it thirtyfold, sixtyfold and a hundredfold –
and to move in what God has promised you that the enemy will come against
you to resist you (Mark 4:2-20). When you begin to speak the word, that’s when
the enemy makes you a target to stop it from going forth. The enemy will make
your life hard, and you will have to resist and press and fight against him to
move forward. It’s the resisting and pressing against the enemy that wears us
out.

Yes, there will be trials, temptations and tests that come your way. But God’s
word says you must “count it all joy when you fall into various trials” (James
1:2) Why? Because those trials are a sign that you are doing good and the
enemy is coming against you. And no weapon the enemy can throw at you will
be effective in defeating you. Isaiah 54:17 says “No weapon formed against you
shall prosper”. That’s a promise of God! But – make no mistake-there will be
weapons that are used against you.

The Word of God is used to feed our spirit. Do not be satisfied with just reading
the Bible, it must be engraved in your heart, while memorizing some verses.
You must meditate upon the Word, this is where the wisdom and knowledge
you need would emanate from. ‘The Word of God is a powerful weapon used in
praying for your hearts desires. While praying, ensure that you relate the prayers
with the Word, then the prayers become more effective. The enemy cannot
withstand this, when the Word attacks him, he flees because it is a continuous
bombardment of the power of God. For example, when in a fearful situation and
the devil starts saying you are a failure and then the effects of believing him
begin to show, you should turn around and start giving him the Word of God,
Jesus used the Word when the enemy came to tempt him. The devil cannot
remain standing when you keep firing the Word of God at him. Kenneth Hagin
writes in Biblical ways to receive Healing “Many have failed to receive healing
because they have based their faith on prayer instead of God’s Word. They
expected prayer to do for them what God’s Word will do for them. But prayer is
successful only when it is based on the promises in God’s Word”.
I have found out in my interaction with Christians, that a lot of people want to
know more about the scriptures but cannot find time to study, some want to
study but do not know where to begin. Others have difficulties understanding
certain versions of the Bible. Well, for those who complain of lack of time, even
in the busiest of schedules, people find time to fit in what they consider priority,
if you consider bible study and quiet time with God as priority which it should
be, then you would create time for it. It does not have to be a fixed amount of
time, if not, it could become rigid and a routine. You must enjoy your time with
God to want to continue. There are some days you will likely study more than
others, but never ignore your study time. Why is it when people lose what they
feel is important to them or begin to feel threatened about an impending loss
that they feel they have time to spend with God? The old adage, prevention is
better than cure is relevant in this case. You do not have to have a problem in a
particular area before you start searching for prayer points and scriptures in that
area.

For the group of Christians that do not know where to start reading the Bible
between Genesis and Revelation, I advise that you use write ups in daily
devotionals to encourage reading the Bible and areas that have to do with the
topic of the day. In doing that, you would begin to familiarize yourself with the
Word and build on that, because for some, it is complicating reading the Bible
from Genesis to Revelation. For the category of Christians that have a problem
understanding some versions of the Bible, I advise that you read the Bible with
a dictionary by your side. Get the version that you are more comfortable with
and that has a good concordance for reference.
Before reading, studying or meditating on the Word of God, you must pray and
ask the Holy Spirit for wisdom, knowledge and understanding. If you do not
pray before you start reading, you could read it like a story and block out
spiritual truth. In the book of Proverbs, the three words – wisdom, knowledge
and understanding are emphasized and re-emphasized and are needed to enjoy
the full benefits of the Word. In Proverbs 4:22, the power in the Word and its
effects are enumerated. If the Word of God is kept in your heart and
continuously before your eyes, you are promised that it would give life and
health to your flesh. This Word heals a man’s flesh, not simply treating
symptoms, but removing sickness from its roots.

One of the tricks the enemy uses against Christians who are quite
knowledgeable is that they are likely to become over confident and begin to
reduce their time with God. It has been noted that only trials draw some people
to God or keep them in a close relationship with God. Closeness to God is not
predicated on happenstance. It is dangerous to assume you know all, no matter
your level as a Christian. Since we are all growing, never get to the point where
you feel comfortable neglecting the growth of your spirit man.

PRAISE, WORSHIP AND THANKSGIVING

Praising God is a strong weapon of warfare. It is useful at all times but
particularly during the waiting period. It reminds us of what God has done in
our lives and that He remains faithful. Praising God also gives hope, because
you are assured that if God has done something for which you are praising Him,
He can also do what you are believing Him for. God is not a respecter of
persons or situations. Praising God is an excellent replacement for grumbling
and murmuring which God does not expect from us no matter what we are
going through. Grumbling, complaining and murmuring prolong the wilderness
experience. You are encouraged to replace all the complaining and grumbling
with praise. When you praise God in a difficult situation, it sends confusion into
the camp of the enemy, because the enemy expects you to be despondent and
deflated, but while you are praising God, He will continue to do mighty things
in your life which will bring about the deliverance
Praising God helps to keep you focused. There are times it seems difficult to
praise God because you are overwhelmed by the situation, but you must
encourage yourself to praise God even more at this time. Sometimes, you would
have to get members of your family or friends to start the praise songs and then
you can join, at other times you might need to play Christian music to
encourage yourself to praise God. I would like to give you, just one reason to
always praise God. The fact that you are alive is worthy of God’s praise, the
dead man cannot praise God. As long as there is life, there is hope. Once you
are alive, it is obvious that God has not finished with you, and also, that
situation that makes it look difficult to praise God could vanish in a twinkle of
an eye.
When you spend time praising God, the power and presence of God become
available. I remember when I heard the story of Kathryn Kulhman, it was
reported that any day she spent less than six hours praising God was regarded as
wasted in her life. You can relate this to the powerful crusades she held. When
just approaching the altar, without saying a word, people would fall under the
anointing and receive their miracles. This buttresses the fact that time spent
praising God is not wasted.
When praising God, you could get so carried away, that you start to do things
which you normally would not do because praising God is spiritual. When
David was praising God, he danced so much in front of his servants that his
wife Michal was upset, but David was quick to tell her that, he could do
whatever he liked because he was dancing to God who chose him over her
father, Saul. It is reported in the Bible that Michal remained barren till she died.
(2 Sam 6:20-23)
Anybody who laughs or mocks you when you praise God is attracting a curse
unto themselves, so never let where you are or who you are with, deter you
from praising God.
Praising God can be through prayer, singing, dancing, clapping or playing an
instrument. The most important consideration is what is emanating from your
heart.

Praising God has been used several times in the Bible and is still being used in
the lives of believers as a weapon of warfare that brings victory. In the case of
Joshua and the Israelites, there was no way they could enter into the city of
Jericho because the city was surrounded by high walls, but God told the prophet
to let the people go round the wall seven times and then should and praise the
Lord. On the seventh day, the walls of Jericho fell down flat and the Israelites
went into the land to take charge (Joshua ch.6). Also, in the life of Jehoshaphat,
when the Israelites saw their enemies, they knew they could not defeat them
with their own strength, they ran to God for help and God told them to start
praising Him. As they obeyed, this set confusion in the camp of the enemies,
such that their common goal of fighting the Israelites was abandoned and they
began to fight and kill each other. At the end of the day, the Israelites went to
the valley of Berachah, and spent three days gathering the spoils of the enemy
for themselves. 2 Chron 20:22-24.
 Praising God can be
through prayer, singing,
dancing, clapping or
playing an instrument.
The most important
consideration is what is
emanating from your heart.

Whenever you find yourself in a situation, and you have prayed, where it looks
like the answer is not forthcoming or is delayed. Intensify your praise and see
what the Lord will do. One thing I am so sure of, is that it scatters the gathering
of the enemy, confuses them and lifts God up in the circumstance and then
victory is certain. God uses the foolish things of this world to confound the
wise. Praising God is an evidence that you are alive, the Bible commands in
Psalm 150:6 and Psalm 88:10, everything that has breath to praise the Lord.
When a situation looks dead, breathe the life of God into it with praise and
watch the situation turn around for your good. I usually advise people who have
stubborn problems, to embark on a night vigil of praise and worship and watch
what happens. Do not add any prayer request, no petition, just praise because
this creates the kind of atmosphere for the move of God. Paul and Silas were
thrown into prison for doing the work of God, they could have been grumbling,
after all they were doing God’s work when they were arrested. But instead at
the mid night hour, they began praying and praising God, and the Holy Ghost
came down and all the chains were broken (Acts 16:25-31). Determine to
replace grumbling and murmuring with praising God and you will live to share
your testimony.

WORSHIP
Worship is the process of showing respect to God, by saying prayers, singing,
dancing, bowing down or lifting up hands in total surrender.
We worship God for who He is. Not for anything particularly that He has done
for us, but because He is God, the creator of all things, the heaven and the earth.
He is all knowing, ever present and all sufficient. He is the potter and there is no
difficulty in Him – the Almighty God. He has solutions to every problem. He is
never late or early, for time is in His hands. He makes everything beautiful in its
time. He can build and yet destroy. He does not sleep or slumber. The heaven is
His throne and the earth His footstool. He knows the thoughts and intentions of
every man. He is a God of detail. He numbers every strand of hair on your head.
He is a Holy God, Immortal, The Invisible and only wise God.
The Word of God says that God is a spirit and they that worship Him must
worship Him in spirit and truth. Worship is spiritual. God remains God and you
cannot add or remove anything from Him. No situation can make Him smaller,
the same way no situation can make Him bigger. He is who He is. In our eyes
and hearts when we see His glory, we magnify Him but He remains Himself.
When worshipping God, you must forget about yourself and focus only on Him.
The process of worship is so deep such that people could find themselves
crying, kneeling, hands lifted up and most times are not aware of what they are
doing. It is usually done in a solemn way.
There is a deeper understanding and description of worshipping God in the book
of Revelation. It is described that as the angels and the twenty- four elders raise
their heads viewing a side of God, they bow down immediately in worship. God
is so awesome. The angels and twenty- four elders cannot behold the beauty of
God. Worshipping God gives you His total attention because the focus is on
Him alone. You would always notice the difference between a true worshipper
of God and just a child of God inwardly and outwardly.
The Book of Revelation shows that the act of worship takes place continually in
heaven. When you worship God, he is glorified and magnified while you forget
about yourself and surrounding. As you magnify God, whatever difficult
situation you may be in diminishes as He comes into the situation, takes charge,
giving you victory. You must begin to spend quality time worshipping God
because when you get to heaven that is what predominantly takes place. Begin
to live your life as heaven on earth.

THANKSGIVING
If all you do is pray, consistently asking for things but do not spend equal
consideration of time thanking Him for things done, then there is a problem
with your relationship with God.
Thanking God for what He has done is to show appreciation. Some people want
to thank God for specific things and in the process block out their minds to
other benefits they receive. This is a strategy of the devil to steal and delay
further blessings of the children of God. Some others say words like ‘thank God
for small mercies’, any time I hear such words I marvel.
Is there really any small mercy? Whoever you are and whatever you have is by
the mercy of God, what you consider small is big to someone else. The Bible
tells us that daily God loads us with benefits, the fact that you are alive is a
benefit, hale and hearty is a benefit, you do not have to beg to eat or bury a
young one is a benefit and that you have hope in Christ are examples of some
benefits taken for granted. There are so many benefits derived from being in
Christ that you must never be short on thanksgiving. “In everything give thanks
for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you’’. 1 Thess. 5:18. What
you see with your physical eyes is a tiny fraction of what really goes on in life.
That which you do not see is greater. No matter what is happening around you,
give thanks for this is what God expects. Whenever there is an expectation, it is
because there is a likely reaction attached. As you begin or continue to thank
God you would start to see things clearly. Your faith would be reignited, hope
reassured and you would be better positioned to receive divine blessings.
Giving thanks in all things requires you thanking Him for what He has done,
what He is doing and what He will do. It encompasses the past, present and
future. As you spend time thanking God in whatever situation, it also brings
about confusion in the camp of the enemies, because the enemy expects you to
murmur and complain all the time about what you cannot see or feel.
When the Israelites left Egypt to the ‘promised land’ – Canaan, they met
stumbling blocks on the way. They spent time complaining and grumbling
about these. If they had rather concentrated more on praising, worshipping and
thanking God in the wilderness, their journey would have lasted days not years.
The duration of a battle is directly related to your attitude while the battle lasts.
Ingratitude has never delivered blessings. It only assists in delaying released
blessings and withholding further ones.
Expressing gratitude to God also brings about wholeness. In the story of the
lepers in Luke Chapter 17, ten lepers saw Jesus and asked for mercy. Jesus told
them to go and show themselves to the priests. It is recorded that as they
obeyed, they were cleansed. The ten lepers were healed, and nine of them went
away with the healing, while only one of them turned back and glorified God
giving thanks. Then Jesus asked ‘’were ten of you not cleansed. Where are the
other nine?’’ There is a difference between being healed and being whole. In
this instance, being healed meant the leprosy had ceased but the effects were
still evident, while being whole meant that the leprosy had ceased and there was
no trace it ever existed, no scars whatsoever.
Many times, people do not get the fullness of the blessing God has in store for
them due to ingratitude.
Thanksgiving moves God to handle the situation you are believing Him for.
This happens in a situation whereby you begin to give God credit for things
before the physical evidence. Thanksgiving is an act of faith. You are thanking
God in anticipation of what He will do because you trust Him and know that it
is His will for you according to His Word. God’s promises in the Bible are for
all His children, but a condition is always attached – faith, obedience, etc.

PRAYER
Prayer can be described simply as communicating with God. This can be done
from your understanding which is limited and also by the Spirit of God which
helps your infirmities. The Spirit of God teaches us how to pray, because, we
are limited in knowledge, but the spirit man captures them all. I would not
assume that we all know that we must pray to God in the name of Jesus. Jesus
told his disciples, ‘’I am the way, the truth and the life, no man cometh unto the
father but by me’’ John 14:6. Jesus is the only way to God, our father and any
prayer that is not routed through the name of Jesus does not get to the Father.
“If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it’’ John 14:13-14, Jesus was
talking about using his name as a basis of authority. Also, Philippians 2:9-11
states ‘’wherefore God also hath highly exalted him and given him a name
which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of
things in heaven, and things in earth and things under the earth and that every
tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the father’’.
Cindy Trimm in her book, Rules of Engagement states “Using the name of
Jesus means that your activities are backed up in the power and authority of the
Anointed one of God who declared the extent, power and magnitude of His
anointing’’.

This shows that everything and everybody must bow and surrender to the name
of Jesus. It is the most superior name.
There are many scriptures that encourage us to pray 1 Thess. 5:17, Luke 18:1,
James 5:16.
1 Thess. 5:17 says pray without ceasing. Someone may ask continually pray
about what? There are so many things to pray about. Remember to pray for
unbelievers, your ministry, fellow believers, intercede for those facing
difficulty, the nation, the church, the local
Church, missionaries, the sick, the poor, the pastors and workers in the ministry,
the world, Israel, your family, yourself etc. These are just to mention a few of
the things to pray about. Anytime you are overwhelmed about prayer, ask the
Holy Spirit to intercede. Praying in the Spirit captures all you should pray
about. If you do not know how to pray in the Holy Spirit, ask God for this gift
and He will give it to you. Some people find it difficult to pray. Anyone who
finds it difficult to pray, should quickly check his relationship with God – Does
it exist? Whatever the answer, you must jumpstart the relationship again.
A misconception about Christian faith is to assume that because you were born
into a Christian family, then you are a Christian. Have you accepted Jesus
Christ as your Lord and personal savior? It is a personal decision you have to
make. God is always available to relate to. There are times that you want to
switch off, but you must encourage yourself never to give up or give in to the
antics of the devil. You must dig in to jumpstart your relationship with God. At
other times, you may feel discouraged and begin assuming that what is
happening to you is strange, this also happened to David in 1 Samuel 30. David
and his men had just returned home to discover that the Amalekites had raided
the Israelites and taken captive of all their wives and children. The men wept
until they could weep no more and started thinking of stoning David. David
found strength in the Lord by encouraging himself.
Some people have the ability to pray for a long time. As you continue to build
your relationship with God, you would discover that you would be able to spend
quality time with Him. It is not the length of time but the quality of the time
spent that matters. One of the benefits in having a relationship with God is that
you can communicate with Him at any time, any place and anyhow. There is so
much liberty and freedom in relationship with God. You should check your
mind to be sure you are in synch. One thing that separates people from God is
sin (Isa 59:1-2), therefore you must confess your sins to God and ask for His
forgiveness as in 1 John 1:9. Never take that aspect for granted. You cannot
come to God’s presence with sin, so you must participate in confession of sins
and asking for God’s mercy before you proceed in prayers. Also strive for
holiness, the Bible says without holiness no one can see God. Ensure you
engage in praise, worship as you come before God. You should enter His gates
with thanksgiving. I found out that when one is selfish in prayer, prayer time is
likely to be short, but when you pray and intercede on behalf of others, you are
likely to spend a longer time in God’s presence.
After prayers, you should spend some quiet time in His presence. This is to
enable you hear from God. This is an area a lot of people are found wanting,
because usually after prayers, we just get up and go about our daily business.
Prayer is communication and it should be two-way. God is always talking back
to us, but many times we are in such a hurry and do not wait for a response
before we take off. The response from God usually comes in the form of
wisdom nuggets and answers to your prayers. After hearing from God, you
should thank Him before going about your daily chores.

Another area that must be clarified is that prayer is not a deep meditation,
because it involves speaking out. Whenever you speak your thoughts stop
racing until you are through with your words. You can participate in this
exercise to buttress the superior power of words over thoughts. No matter what
is going on in your mind right now, start to speak certain words and you would
find out that the thoughts would stop until you finish speaking. That shows its
superiority. It is often said that a praying Christian is a powerful Christian. In 2
Cor. 10:5, we are told that our weapons of warfare include casting down
imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of
God. You are not going to win by engaging in mind wars with the devil but in
speaking out in prayers to God and commanding negative situations to cease
with the Word of God and authority that has been bestowed unto you.
Paula White states in her book, Deal With It, “It’s not enough for you to pour
out your heart out to God. You must persevere in pouring out your heart to him
until you get His answer back. The answer may come to you as you read God’s
word, or as your hear a sermon on television, in church, or at a conference, or it
may come from the still small voice of God speaking in your heart. The answer
may come into your mind and heart in a flash, or it may come to you slowly
over time. But the answer will come.

God’s word says “Call upon me in the day of trouble, I will deliver you and you
shall glorify me” (Ps 50:15).
“The Lord is near to all who call upon Him” (Ps 145:15).
“Call to Me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things,
which you do not know” (Jer 33:3).
“The same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For whosoever calls
upon the name of the Lord shall be saved’’ (Rom 10:12-13).
God hears and God answers. When you call upon Him from the depths of your
heart, He will answer you.
And, He will answer you in a way that will make you know it is His answer.
What He says will happen, will happen.”

There are some situations that require a combination of prayers and fasting. You
may ask – why fasting? This is an area a lot of people do not like, but once you
pray to God before you embark on a fasting program , you would be enabled to
do a good program without it affecting you drastically. There are times you
have to stop feeding your flesh with what it desires and focus more on God.
You must ensure while you are fasting that you are spending time in the Word
of God, praise, worship and thanksgiving and offering prayers and supplications
to God. This is the difference between fasting and starving. Fasting helps to
train your physical body while improving your spiritual life. Also, some issues
have a deep spiritual root, that would require spending quality time focusing on
God to uproot the cause of the problem.
To be filled with the Holy Spirit gives you a great advantage over the devil. The
twelve disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, when
they became empowered by the Holy Spirit that they began to record miracles.
Once you are filled with the Holy Spirit, you will be lifted to a plane above the
ordinary. At this level, you would know the voice of God.
Smith Wigglesworth’s book – Smith Wigglesworth on Healing explains that
“Those of you who are seeking the baptism of the Holy Spirit are entering a
place where you will have persecution. You will enter into a realm of
illumination, a realm of revelation by the power of the Holy Spirit”.
Cindy Trimm writes in her book: Rules of Engagement Volume 2, “As you
pray, you must totally rely on the Holy Spirit. Even as the Holy Spirit led Jesus
in all things. He must also lead you. Do not be presumptuous when it comes to
determining who needs deliverance and who does not. The Holy Spirit operates
like the sonar equipment deep sea divers use to fathom the depths of the ocean.
The Holy Spirit is he who has the ability to search and fathom the hearts of
men. He will help you discern, test, resist, and reject demonic spirits and their
activities. Since the Holy Spirit knows the heart of men. He can communicate
His knowledge to you as a believer during your prayer and intercession. You
then will be empowered by God to act in accordance with the promptings,
stirrings, leading and insight the Holy Spirit gives. Remember, one of the
greatest defense mechanisms is to stay connected with the Holy Spirit as you
pray.
Just as a car battery can run out of power, or a cell phone runs out of power,
necessitating a recharge, the believer can recharge his spiritual battery by
praying in the Holy Spirit.
This discipline should be part of your daily prayer vigil. It is also a wonderful
means by which spiritual power is accrued for prayer and during prayer.
 CHAPTER THREE: BIBLE
TESTIMONIES

I n this chapter, you would read about different characters in the Bible who
were engaged in various battle scenarios. This is not a general study of the
characters chosen, but a summary of particular battles they were engaged
in, why they were chosen by God and the different strategies(weapons) used by
them to defeat the enemies. As a result of the studies, you would derive lessons
that are applicable to battles you may face and learn how to apply these
strategies to ensure your own success.’’ Now all these things happened unto
them for ensamples; and they are written for admonition, upon whom the ends
of the world are come’’ (1 Cor. 10:11).

JOSEPH (Genesis Chapters 37-45)

DESTINY MUST BE FULFILLED
Jacob loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old
age. Joseph was blessed with the gift of having dreams and interpreting them.
He had a dream one night, where his sheaf arose and stood upright and the
sheaves of his brothers stood round about his and made obeisance to it. He told
this dream to his brothers who were already envious of him. They despised him
for this. He had another dream where the sun, moon and eleven stars made
obeisance to him and conveyed the message of the dream to his brothers and
father again. This time his father rebuked him while his brothers envied him
even more. One day, Jacob sent Joseph to check if his brothers were okay as
they were feeding the flock. When his brothers sighted him afar of, they
conspired amongst themselves to kill him and said to each other, behold this
dreamer cometh. The brothers initially wanted to kill him, but Rueben, one of
his brothers came up with an idea, he advised that they should not kill him but
drop him in a pit in the wilderness. Another brother of Joseph’s, Judah, decided
they sell him to the Ishmelites. The brothers took Joseph’s coat, killed a kid of
the goats and dipped the coat in its blood and brought the stained coat to their
father with an evil report that Joseph had been killed by an evil beast. Jacob
believed the evil report, he tore off his clothes and mourned his son for many
days. Joseph was sold into Egypt unto Potiphar, an officer of Pharoah and
captain of the guard. As if the trials were not enough, Potiphar’s wife had an
eye for Joseph and wanted him. Joseph refused to do this saying that Potiphar
had been good to him and he could not sin against God. In this case, Joseph
considered both man and God. One day, Potiphar’s wife wanted to force Joseph
to sleep with her, and as he fled from her, she grabbed him and a piece of his
garment remained with her. Potiphar’s wife reported a lie saying that Joseph
was trying to seduce her and showed the piece of cloth as proof. Potiphar
believed his wife and instructed that Joseph be put in prison. In prison, Joseph
used his gift of dreams and interpretation properly, when he interpreted the
dreams of the chief butler and chief baker of Pharaoh who were also in prison
with him. When the butler was released, Joseph asked him not to forget about
him, but he forgot about Joseph as he embraced freedom. Later, Pharaoh had a
dream that no one could interpret. Then the butler remembered Joseph. The
butler told Pharaoh about Joseph and he ordered Joseph’s release from prison
and he was taken to the palace where he interpreted the dream. This made
Pharaoh happy and he promoted Joseph and set him over the land of Egypt.
There was famine in the land and Joseph’s brothers had to come to Egypt to
look for food. They did not recognize Joseph, but he recognized them. They
paid obeisance to him as interpreted in Joseph’s earlier dream when he was still
with his brothers. Joseph later revealed himself to them and let them know that
all those things that happened to him was to prepare them for the famine ahead
which would have killed them. Joseph was placed in a good position in Egypt
such that he could sort out his family members during the famine. Then his
brothers feared that Joseph would kill them because of what they did to him, but
Joseph told them not to be afraid that even though they planned evil against
him, God meant it for good.
There are so many lessons from this story in the life of Joseph that remain
relevant. Joseph’s problems with his brothers began because of his father’s love
for him which was obvious. His dreams of his father and brothers bowing down
to him increased the hatred. Joseph was seventeen years old when these
problems began. Even though God showed Joseph the dreams, he did not
understand that God was revealing secrets to him that were not meant to be
shared with his brothers. There are some things God reveals to you that need to
be nurtured before they manifest. There are also some dreams that must remain
with you, while others can be shared with spiritually mature people. Joseph was
physically and spiritually immature when he had these dreams. This kind of
immaturity can be linked to a lot of problems that people currently have. It is
important to realize that even though the devil cannot stop what God has
ordained, he can delay the manifestation if you allow him. For every
information that God gives, you must ask for wisdom from the Holy Spirit on
how to handle it. God can reveal where He is taking you to but you should
apply Godly wisdom to the knowledge. You could think it would happen
immediately and become lazy in striving to obtain all the Christian attributes
and characteristics that would help you remain in your God chosen destiny. The
Bible says wisdom is the principal thing and in all the getting, get
understanding. The same Bible says wisdom is a defense. A wise man bridles
his tongue. You should be spiritually sensitive to what God has revealed to you.
The enemies within are usually more dangerous. They are family members and
close friends, which makes it very easy to feel safe, due to the close proximity
and in the process you reveal your secrets. They also know your weaknesses
and strengths and strategize on how to bring about your downfall. They know
how to cover up their evil deeds, until when God exposes them. They are
referred to as household enemies. Many people have household enemies all
around them. You need to ask God for revelation and direction away from them.
It is often difficult to assume one’s father, mother, brother, sister, spouse, in-
law, relation and close friends will go to the extent some of them go just to hurt
their supposed loved ones. The root cause is usually envy and greed which leads
to hatred. You must not expend your energy trying to know them, rather be
sensitive to know what to expose and say when with people.
The Bible says in Rom 11:29 that the gifts and calling of God are without
repentance. The anointing and favour of God was on Joseph that was why his
brothers changed their mind about killing him with their own hands.
The favour of God accompanied Joseph wherever he went, from Potiphar’s
house to the prison and then to the palace. Never believe that God has changed
his mind about what He promised you no matter how long it may take to
manifest. The route you take may be different from what you expected, but you
must always remember that God’s ways are not your ways. There will also be
evidence of God’s faithfulness in whichever route you may be embarking
before you get to the ‘promised land’. The fact that God shows you what He
plans for you does not always mean that it would come on a platter of gold. You
must hold on to the promises of God in your life. There would be all kinds of
attacks on the vision. Joseph held on to those dreams and did not give up. You
must never give up because when you do, you do not give God anything to
work on. The fact that it is not recorded in the Bible that Joseph complained
about his ordeal shows that he had on the Shield of Faith.
Everywhere Joseph went in fulfillment of his destiny, he was always ahead of
others. In Potiphar’s house, Joseph was put in charge of everything, the same
also in the prison. Joseph already had the anointing of a leader, so wherever he
went he was the leader. Whatever you have been called and anointed to be, even
if you are not presently at the peak, you would still see the hand of God upon
you.
Remember, it was God who showed Joseph this dream, but Joseph was
immature, and being excited let out the secret to his enemies before its
manifestation. The enemies acted upon the information. They could delay the
date of manifestation, but could not stop it from being fulfilled because his
destiny had already been ordained by God. God is faithful, the same God that
came through for Joseph will come through for you also, do not despair, just
hold on. He had on the belt of truth which God showed him in the dream.
When faced with evil temptation, flee. The Bible says in 1 Thess. 5:22 ‘’Abstain
from all appearance of evil’’ Potiphar’s wife had been on Joseph’s case for a
while, the pressure was so much that Joseph could have given in, if not that he
feared God and remembered all the good things that Potiphar had done for him.
He simply ran away from the evil advances. He could have sinned by heeding to
Mrs Potiphar’s demand and try to keep it under cover until he left Potiphar’s
house, but Joseph refused to give in to sin. He knew that even if no man saw
him, God would see him. A lot of us need to learn from this action. People do
things thinking God does not see them. You should remind yourself at all times
that there is nothing you do that can be hidden from God. God is all knowing
and all seeing. Joseph had on the breastplate of righteousness.
If Potiphar’s wife did not accuse Joseph, he would have remained a star in
Potiphar’s house though he was destined for something bigger. He had to go
through the prison to get to the palace. Do not be overburdened about what you
may be undergoing, everything will work out for your good at last. Joseph had
an overflow of favour, he did not only prosper but wherever he was the
household prospered as well. There are times when you have to go through the
prison to get to the palace. It is in the prison that you get trained for all the
qualities required to rule successfully in the palace. The prison experience
breaks and makes you realize that it is just the grace of God upon your life that
makes you succeed and that you are nothing on your own.
When Joseph got to the prison, the gift of interpretation of dreams which he had
earlier wrongly applied, was what he used to indirectly bring him out of the
prison. Do not ever neglect your gifts. If you do not know how to use them, you
might get into trouble, but as you mature, the gift would become a blessing.
These gifts are sometimes rough and raw and have to go through pruning,
refining and maturing to be used effectively and efficiently. There are times that
a challenge is what is needed to bring out your God given gifts. You can possess
a gift which is lying dormant in you, as it is often said that treasures are found in
hidden places. A trial sometimes is what is needed to make you dig in to
discover the treasure in you.
Never put a time to the fulfillment of God’s promise in your life. In Joseph’s
case, he received the revelation when he was seventeen years old, but the dream
was fulfilled when he was thirty (Gen 41:46). The period between the revelation
and manifestation of this dream was thirteen years. A child of destiny must be
ready to wait on God, any period spent waiting on God is usually used to
prepare you for the palace. Never be in a hurry because even though you might
be concerned with the timing, God has time in His hands and is not moved by
time. The Bible says He has made everything beautiful in His time.
Joseph was ready to forgive his brothers for what they did to him because he
had an understanding that all these things had to take place for his destiny to be
fulfilled. You must always be ready to forgive your enemies. There are times
the hurt is so deep that you do not know how to go about it. The first step is to
take it to God in prayer and tell the Holy Spirit to help you. Some people are in
a comatose situation today because they have refused to forgive those that hurt
them in times past. It is for your own good to forgive your enemies. Whenever
someone who has wronged you asks for forgiveness, you should always be
quick to forgive them. The weapons of warfare used by Joseph in this regard,
was that of the feet shed with the gospel of peace

MOSES (Exodus Chapters 12 -14)

LIBERATION OF THE ISRAELITES
Moses was engaged in a war of liberating the Israelites from the tightly twisted
hands of the Egyptians.
Every child of God should be prepared for a fight of faith at all times. You do
not go to the warfront unprepared because then you would be preparing for
defeat. In the case of Moses, he spent 40 years in Egypt living in the house of
the king. This was to enable him understand how the enemies lived and
indirectly what it meant to come from royalty. He spent the next 40 years on the
run living with the Midianites and Jethro his father -in-law. These experiences
were to hone his leadership skills and teach him to serve. A leader must learn to
serve. The next 40 years he spent liberating the Israelites from the Egyptians
and also enduring the wilderness experience. Most times when divine
assignments come, people are so scared to take them up for numerous reasons.
At times, they believe that they are unworthy to be used by God and at other
times are not ready to be moved from one comfort zone to another of
discomfort. The call of God over your life demands a change in the status quo
and you would have to go through the change process, many are scared of this.
Moses went through the same process, he brought excuses against the call on
his life, but God informed him that he had deposited in him whatever it took to
do the job.
People do not realize that God has given them gifts and weapons for warfare to
fulfill their destinies. At times, some expect certain weapons fashioned out in a
particular way to enable them overcome the devil. Most times, the weapon God
gives could be in things as simple as your words, wealth, dreams, visions and
their interpretation, faith, etc. and these would be used in accomplishing a lot
whilst fulfilling your destiny. You do not decide the area that God wants you to
function. It is He who determines where you are best positioned. If you decide
to become a pastor when God has called you to be an evangelist, even though
both are assignments in the kingdom, before long, one would encounter
difficulty functioning adequately as a Pastor.
Moses also complained about his speech, his lack of eloquence. He needed to
articulate his demand forcefully and accurately to Pharaoh. God provided Aaron
as Moses’s mouth piece. Now, the lesson here, is that whatever weakness you
feel you have, should not deter you from doing what you have been called to,
as, God would always make a way for you to overcome. When God empowers
you to do anything for Him, He already knows the SWOT (Strengths,
Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis of the situation and has made
provisions to turn your weaknesses to strengths and your threats to
opportunities. Even though, Moses had all these issues, he trusted God and did
not fight with Aaron for becoming his mouth piece.
God sent Moses to Pharaoh, with a demand, to let the Israelites depart from the
land of Egypt but Pharaoh refused. Some other person would have complained
that after all, it was God who sent me to Pharaoh, why is he not acceding to my
request? Does this mean that God did not honour His part? Some situations
require a persistent approach, some problems could be stubborn. It is God who
decides which challenge disappears immediately you speak and that which
would take some time before it is overcome. It all depends on how deeply
rooted the matter is. Remember the Israelites had been in Egypt for centuries.
Once you have done your part in faith, continue to believe and trust God. The
Bible tells us that “The eyes of all wait upon thee, and thou givest them their
meat in due season. Thou openest thine hand and satisfieth the desire of every
living thing’’ Ps 145:15-16. These verses let us know that every problem has an
expiry date and so you should just hold on and stand firm on the Word. Moses
held onto the Word in faith as he continued demanding for the liberation of the
Israelites. He used the sword of the spirit as a weapon Pharoah finally let the
Israelites depart from Egypt, and on their way they passed through the
wilderness. God went before them in the day in a pillar of cloud and by night in
a pillar of fire (Ex 13:21). This was done to show the way and keep a distance
between them and Egyptians. A wilderness situation is one where it is difficult
to see, know where you are or what to do. The pillar of cloud showed the
Israelites where to pass during the day time and the pillar of fire for illumination
during the night time. People pass through wilderness situations daily via
diverse trials and tests. When going through a wilderness situation, you must
trust God to show the way and He would surely lead the way. If you expect to
go through the wilderness without being led by God, you would be sure to get it
wrong. If you spend time focusing on the problems encountered, you will lack
the ability to hear or see Him. Once you focus on the problem, you would be
operating at a level below the level of faith in God. You must look up and focus
on God and His promises.
When you go through the book of Exodus you would notice that God always
spoke to Moses and he listened. Whenever Moses did not know what to do, he
asked God for direction and the Lord kept directing. Many do not listen to God
when He speaks, they allow their voices dominate conversations and in the
process lose out on victories that were meant to be. After seeking God’s
intervention on any matter, be still and allow the Holy Spirit give you a
feedback. When you receive and act on this, you would know that you are on
the right path to victory.
The Israelites got to the Red Sea and were confused as they did not know how
to crossover. When they looked behind, they saw the Egyptians coming towards
them. The Bible states that the Israelites were ‘sore afraid’ – what a way to
describe the kind of fear that enveloped them. Moses was initially confused
about what to do but he asked God for direction and He responded. Moses had
to lift up the rod and stretch forth his hand over the sea to part it for the
Israelites to crossover. There are some situations when you realize that you have
been delivered from some evil circumstances, after sometime you could begin
to see symptoms reoccurring, you must use the tools that God has empowered
you with to make your blessing and deliverance permanent. You must hold on
to God and His word, no matter what is around you or what you are perceiving.
Many times, it is a test of faith. We have all around us the tools which can be
used to deliver from evil, but you must be perceptive to find it. In the case of
Moses, it was the rod that had been with him. God had to tell him to pick up his
staff and raise his hand over the sea. The rod was always with him and yet he
did not know its ability. You must always look inwards to find out what you
have been empowered with.

CALEB AND JOSHUA (Numbers Chapters 13-14)

THE VISION OF GOD
Caleb and Joshua were two chosen men of God who saw the Promised Land
and led the Israelites into it.
The life and activities of the two buttress the fact that you should see things
only from the angle of the Lord. Joshua received the promise from God that he
will possess every place the soles of his feet tread upon. God also promised
Joshua that no man would be able to stand before him and He will not forsake
Joshua (Josh 1:3-5). These are very strong promises from God which should
keep anyone standing no matter the confrontation. Moses sent Caleb, Joshua
and ten other Israelites to spy the Promised Land (Canaan) and come back with
a report, while the other ten men saw giants and came back with an evil report.
Caleb and Joshua came with a good report and brought fruits from the land as
evidence that the land was good.
There are many lessons in the story, the first is that whatever looks physically
impossible with man is possible with God. Since God promised the Israelites
the land, Caleb and Joshua used their eyes of faith to possess the land. Through
those eyes the Canaanites looked small as long as God was with them, while the
ten Israelites used their physical eyes and saw the Canaanites as giants. Instead
of looking at situations the way they present themselves and forming an opinion
based on what you see, you should focus on God’s promises for you no matter
the situation. God’s promises for you are Yes and Amen, which is affirmative
and means, so be it. There is always certainty concerning His promises. As you
focus on God and His Word, your faith would grow, while the challenges begin
to shrink until they disappear – fear feeds fat on the enemy’s report, while faith
starves it and ensures the manifestation of God’s promises. Caleb and Joshua
had on the shield of faith which was used to attain victory.
The other ten Israelites focused on what they saw and physically it would have
been impossible for the Israelites to take over the land but when God promises a
thing that looks impossible it automatically becomes possible. It was not the
Israelites going to make the takeover possible, but God. The responsibility of
the Israelites in this case and Christians in general is to use their eyes of faith in
every situation they find themselves in. Have you noticed that when God gives
you a vision or a go ahead on a matter, suddenly all kinds of obstacles appear to
make the promise look unattainable. This is not the time for you to run helter-
skelter but it is a time to hold firmly to the promises of God and move on. The
enemy knows that if you hold on, he will be defeated, while, God allows those
obstacles because He wants to take all the glory and build one up. God had to
tell Joshua how to go into the city and Joshua was obedient. They went round
the city six times and on the seventh day, they went round seven times, then
they shouted and the wall of Jericho fell. The Israelites thereafter moved in and
possessed the land. In situations that look difficult and you do not know what to
do, God will always tell or show you what to do, to become victorious, but you
have to be sensitive in the spirit to know that it is God speaking. After spending
time with God, you should wait and listen to what the Holy Spirit is saying
before attending to other things. The Israelites used praising God as a weapon
for the high walls of Jericho to fall down flat.
This story also shows the difference between the called and the chosen of God.
’’So the last shall be the first and the first last, for many be called, but few
chosen’’ Matt 20:16. The twelve Israelites were called but only Joshua and
Caleb were chosen amongst them to enter the Promised Land. You should strive
to be amongst those chosen.
To be chosen by God, you must be ready to be despised by others as pleasing
God would be your top priority.
The Bible says ‘’this book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou
shalt meditate therein day and night; that thou mayest observe to do according
to all that is written therein; for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous and
then thou shalt have good success’’. Josh 1:8. This verse teaches on some of the
strategies to attaining good success. You must continually study the Word and
meditate upon it at all times, you should have quiet time with God and speak
His Word. It must be engraved in your spirit. It is in meditation that you will be
empowered to observe all that God has told you to do and then you will have
prosperity and good success. Many Christians know certain promises in the
Bible, but let us be sincere, how many study the Word and meditate on it,
because there are big differences between reading, studying and meditating. I
am sure everyone wants to be prosperous and successful. The key is found in
the scripture. Joshua put on the Sword of the Spirit as a weapon to overcome the
enemy.
Everybody has a ‘Promised Land’, but you do not just sleep and get there.
Everyone is in this world for a reason, never underestimate yourself once you
are in Christ. You are from the heavenly kingdom, you are the heir to the
kingdom. Do not let the cares of this world make you forget who you are and
the power that resides in you. Challenges would show up anytime you take a
step towards your ‘promised land’. It is biblical, nothing is wrong with you.
There are times the devil makes people think something is wrong with them
because challenges come up anytime they make a move towards the fulfillment
of their destinies. Check out the lives of Bible characters, they all received a
good dose of challenges. No one had a smooth sail to victory.

GIDEON (JUDGES Chapters 6-7)

THE LEAST BECOMES THE MOST EMPOWERED
Gideon was chosen by God to deliver the Israelites out of the hands of their
enemies (Midianites, Amalekites and the children of the east) at that particular
time. The Israelites did evil in the sight of God and he delivered them into the
hands of the Midianites for seven years. The enemies terrified the Israelites to
the extent that they hid in dens and caves in the mountains. After the Israelites
had sown the seeds, the enemies encamped around them destroying their
‘increase’. We would look at some of the lessons from the life of Gideon.
Many times, people underestimate themselves. You tend to look at whatever
situation you find yourself in and let the situation dictate or describe who you
are. The angel of God appeared to Gideon and addressed him as a mighty man
of valor. Gideon felt he could not have been talking about him, because his
family was poor in Manasseh, he even considered himself the least in his
father’s house. Gideon queried the angel that if indeed God was with Israel,
how come all these terrible things had befallen Israel. He wondered about all the
miracles that their fathers had told them. Gideon was busy querying the angel of
God forgetting that God can use one person to deliver a nation, no matter the
evil that had been committed. God uses what looks foolish to the wise to
confound him and because He always wants to take the glory for all things,
there are times when God would use ordinary things or people and turn them
into something special. The promises of God are for anyone who believes. No
one chooses how he comes to this world whether through a rich or poor parent,
but once you are in Him, His promises are indiscriminate. The blessings and
promises of God are for everyone who believes.
God can use one person to deliver a family or nation. He will not come down
from heaven physically to do what He plans or promises. God uses people and
circumstances to work out His plans. He does not even use people who think
they are good, but usually those who men have rejected but have an obedient
heart towards Him. Whereas, men judge from the outward appearance. God
searches the hearts of men. One man can intercede for a nation to bring about
deliverance.
The Israelites had done evil in the sight of God and He delivered them into the
hands of their enemies (Judges 6:1). When the importance of this verse hit me. I
wondered, does it mean God delivers His children to the devil when they
commit sin. I realized that this usually happens when one sins and is
unrepentant. A lot of times, people pray to be blessed and when they get the
blessing, return to their evil ways. The Israelites committed sin and God
allowed them to be delivered to their enemies. Sometimes, it is only when
facing challenges that people remember God and God allows these challenges
bring you back to Him. You have to be careful that a blessing does not drag you
back to Egypt. There are lessons in receiving your blessing, keeping it and
repositioning yourself for higher level blessings.
Even after God has given you a divine assignment you usually would want a
confirmation and reaffirmation. Gideon asked for confirmation thrice from God.
He wanted to be sure that God sent him because only then would he be certain
of victory. Gideon knew that once it was confirmed that God sent him, he would
be on the winning side. There are times when you are not sure about what God
has called you to do that you have to ask for confirmation from God. This
usually happens when you know that your strength, wisdom or ability would not
be able to deliver what you have been sent to do. It is advisable to move beyond
the confirmation stage quickly so that you receive empowerment to carry out
the mission.
God told Gideon to throw down the altar of Baal and cut down the groove by
the side. This was a big thing to do because it was against his household and the
men of the city. Nevertheless, Gideon obeyed this instruction and performed it
in the night when there was no opposition. The next morning, when the people
saw what had happened to the altar, they enquired who had done this and it was
revealed that it was Gideon. They wanted to kill him. His father, Joash,
defended him and said if Baal was a god, let him plead for himself. The defense
given by Joash dispersed the crowd. It is good to obey God, even though
Gideon obeyed God by throwing down the altars of Baal, he used wisdom and
did it in the night when there was no opposition. After the act, Gideon expected
his household would be against him. His father, Joash was his number one
advocate. This shows that once you are in God’s will, only then will you get
empowerment from the Spirit of God to perform and also a way of escape
would be prepared for you against any evil trap. Gideon held on to the Sword of
the Spirit, which is the Word of God as a weapon that was used to ensure
victory.
When Gideon was certain that he had been chosen by God, he gathered many
men for war. Then God gave him strategies to reduce the number to three
hundred. If the Israelites had gone with the initial thirty- two thousand, they
would have thought the victory recorded was due to their strength and number.
When the Israelites blew their trumpets and said “The sword of the Lord and of
Gideon”, the enemies were confused and started fighting themselves. This was
how three hundred men with Gideon defeated all the enemies of Israel. God has
very simple but effective ways of defeating the enemies. Just consider the
number of men and the strategy of blowing the trumpet and praising God. God’s
ways are always different from ours.’’ “He made known His ways unto Moses,
his acts unto the children of Israel” Ps 103:7. God shows His ways to his
chosen and His acts to His children.

SAMSON (Judges Chapters 13-16)

A COVENANTED CHILD
Samson was sent by God to deliver the Israelites from the hands of their
enemies. For him to accomplish the goal, certain conditions were given to
retaining his strength, one of which was no razor was to touch his hair. Samson
started out well and was living right until he got entangled with the wrong
people and gave out the secret of his strength which was used against him. He
later repented and got back in line. Salient lessons are gotten from Samson’s
life.
There are certain things God gives which are not common, they can be called
‘secret weapons’. You do not need to disclose them to other people. They are
often referred to as wisdom for strength. As long as Samson did not disclose his
source of strength, he remained strong. On one of his weak days under the
influence of continuous bombardment from his wife Delilah, Samson gave in
and divulged his secret. By mixing with the wrong set of people, Samson had
started deviating from the way of God. There are times that you think you are
strong and evil actions and manipulations will not sway you, even if you are
always with people who indulge in them. You start to say things like ‘I can read
pornographic magazines or watch X-rated movies and still be faithful to my
spouse, but before you know it, these perversions would penetrate your heart
and you would start longing to commit adultery.
Some would say ‘I can control my drinking or I can stay with drug dealers and
users and I still will never do those things or in some cases like Samson , marry
an unbeliever and remain strong in God and win them over to Christ. The Bible
says abstain from evil appearances, it is expected that you are to flee from these
things, if not, you are likely to be influenced by them. You cannot assume you
will convert someone to Christianity, because it is the Holy Spirit that does the
work. All you can do is keep praying and speaking the Word to others, but if
you think that by moving around with them, you would be able to convert them,
then you would be taking the responsibility of the Holy Spirit and setting
yourself up for failure.
Many times, angels come in form of men to tell you what to do and show you a
way out of a difficulty and you do not even recognize them as angels (Judges
13:16). That is one reason why you must be careful about the way you treat
others, irrespective of where they are coming from. An angel was sent to bring
the good news to Samson’s parents, that their barren situation would soon be
exchanged for a fruitful one. Never underestimate anyone you see, for you
never know what purpose they have in your life. It was an Israeli maid working
with Naaman’s wife who told him about the prophet Elisha, who God used to
cure his leprosy. If Naaman did not listen to the girl, he could have died as a
successful general with leprosy. Never put the ways of God in a box and assume
He can meet you only through a particular means. As good as God is, so are His
ways diverse.
Even though Samson was chosen by God, he still had to fight and kill a young
lion with his bare hands as part of training for the bigger job ahead. He was also
able to overcome the young lion because of the Spirit of God in him. God is not
wicked, there is no unpleasant situation that you find yourself in, that He has not
provided an escape route. You just have to dig deep to find it.
Treasures are never found on the surface and no training seems easy while you
are going through. Whatever you are going through presently is a training for
your future. Samson had to kill the lion for the swarm of bees to produce honey
from the carcass. In any situation that you overcome, the victory is euphoric.
The Spirit of God empowers a man. Whenever the Holy Spirit descended on
Samson, it came with so much power that he once killed a thousand men with a
jawbone of an ass. Without the Spirit of God, there was no way Samson would
have recorded such a feat. This is why the Spirit of God is needed at all times,
He makes things that were hitherto difficult, easy. It is the Spirit of God that is
responsible for any huge achievement you record through Christ. You must
always be careful to give God all the glory for whatever you achieve. The Spirit
of God releases empowerment. A small man in the physical could be a spiritual
giant, and you would see him defeating the giant in the physical who could be a
spiritual midget.
When Samson was thirsty he cried out to God for water, God provided water to
quench his thirst. The great lesson here is that you should always ask God for
what you want, even if it seems impossible. God can use any difficult thing or
situation and turn it around for your good. Never look at a seeming difficulty
and think you have reached a dead end. It is just the end to your present level,
God is taking you to a higher level. Never give up on God. When the Philistines
saw and heard of the strength of Samson, they were envious and wanted to find
out the source of his strength. They knew there was a secret to his strength but
could not go to Samson directly so they had to go through Delilah, Samson’s
wife to get the information. I have often wondered why Samson gave in to
Delilah’s constant nagging on this matter, because she had done this a couple of
times unsuccessfully. Was it not enough for Samson to realize that Delilah was
out for him? He could have created a distance between himself and her. Delilah
used her closeness to Samson to nag him, until his soul was vexed unto death
and for his peace of mind, he revealed his secret to her.
Looking deeper into the life of Samson, he had no business marrying Delilah in
the first instance. He knew he was called to fulfill a purpose. Marriage should
help individuals and take you higher and not bring you down. When you marry
or go into business partnership with someone who does not know or fear God,
you risk the chance of being betrayed and drawn away from God. I often
wonder what Samson was thinking because he had deceived Delilah on more
than one occasion on the secret of the source of his strength.
After the enemies shaved Samson’s hair and his strength left him, they took him
and put out his eyes, brought him to Gaza and bound him with fetters of brass.
He repented and cried out to God to remember and strengthen him once again
so that he could avenge the Philistines for taking out his eyes. His hair had
started growing again and God gave him strength. He pushed the pillars and the
whole house came crumbling, it is recorded that he killed more people at his
death than when he was alive. God is faithful and there is no repentance to His
gift and calling. Once Samson’s hair started growing again, God had to meet his
part of the covenant which was to give Samson his strength again. If you have
sinned and are genuinely repentant, God would forgive and restore you because
He loves you. Before Samson died, he put on the shield of faith as a weapon,
which brought back his strength.
DAVID (1 Sam Chapters 16-17)
THE MAN AFTER GOD’S HEART
The prophet Samuel was sent by God to Jesse’s house to anoint the next king of
Israel after King Saul. When he got to the house, he asked the sons of Jesse to
come forward. When Samuel saw Eliab, he was about to anoint him, when God
told him not to look at his physical attributes because he had rejected him. God
informed Samuel that His criteria for choosing the next king of Israel would be
based on the heart of the man.
After seven of Jesse’s sons had walked past Samuel for scrutiny, Samuel
informed him that none was chosen and then enquired further if these were all
Jesse’s children. At this stage, Jesse responded that the youngest kept the sheep
and was not present. Samuel asked that David be brought, after which he arose
and anointed him.
The Israelites were fighting against the Philistines and David was sent to deliver
food to his three brothers who were drafted into the army. When David got
there, he discovered that the battle was fierce and as Goliath, the champion of
the Philistine army came forward, the Israelites fled from him and were very
scared. David wanted to know what benefits would accrue to him if he killed
Goliath. His eldest brother Eliab was angry with him, but the Israelites reported
what David said to king Saul and the king sent for him.
When Saul saw David, he told him he was a young boy and who could not fight
a man of war. David was confident and told him about a time when he was
watching his father’s sheep, and a lion and a bear came and took one of the
lambs and how he went after them and killed both animals. After David
recounted his ordeal, King Saul agreed to allow him fight the Philistine. David
chose not to use the armour Saul provided, preferring his staff, sling and five
smooth stones. David advanced towards the Philistine who regarded him with
great disdain, because of his youth and size.
Then David said “Thou comest to me with a sword and with a spear and with a
shield, but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the
armies of Israel whom thou hast defied” 1 Sam 17:45.
David hastened and charged towards the Philistines. He pulled back his sling
and fired at Goliath who upon being hit dead centre on the forehead, fell down
dead. David drew up Goliath’s own sword to cut off his head. This brought
about great rejoicing and singing in the camp of the Israelites to the annoyance
and envy of Saul. There are many lessons in the life of David, but the focus will
be on the anointing of David and the fight between David and Goliath.
When Samuel got to Jesse’s house to anoint the king, he initially wanted to
anoint David’s eldest brother, Eliab, because he had all the physical attributes
expected of an earthly king. Samuel had to be told by God that he had rejected
Eliab. Samuel was a prophet, yet he was about to miss anointing the next king
of Israel. This shows that God’s decisions might not look right in our eyes but
because God knows all and wants to take all the glory, He would sometimes
take the things and people that are least considered and make them great. We
tend to focus more on physical attributes, while God focuses on the spiritual
things. Whenever, you are about to carry out a spiritual assignment, you must
ensure that you have heard clearly from God, otherwise, you are likely to make
a mistake. Even after God has told you what to do, however strange it may
seem, you have to obey Him in order to get the full benefits.
How could Jesse have forgotten about his son, David? Why did it take Samuel
asking if these were all Jesse’s sons before David was remembered? There are
times, it could look like you have been forgotten, it could be in your family,
office or even church. Yes, men can forget you, but God will never. He sees and
knows all you are doing and at the right time He will bring you out of obscurity
to prominence. Just keep doing what God has called you to do and keep your
focus on Him. The Bible says that promotion comes from God alone.
When David was in the field, he learnt how to look after the sheep and spent
time praising God. He learnt how to play the harp. This looked like the most
horrible job at that time, but this so called ‘horrible job’ was what trained David
to become a great soldier and king, while his brothers were at home building
their physical bodies for war, David was developing his spiritual muscles.
David could have used this period for self-pity, imagining why he was sent to
the field and practically forgotten. Whenever you are going through an
uncomfortable situation, use this as an opportunity to develop your spiritual
muscles.
The Bible refers to David as a man after God’s heart. He focused on how to
please God. If you are a God pleaser, you will never be ignored by God. Whilst,
he was in the field, he was away from distractions, spending time praising,
worshipping and thanking God. Rather than wallowing in self-pity over
situations you have no control over, spend your time honouring God with
praise, worship and thanksgiving, you too could be referred to as one after
God’s heart. God will always do the extra-ordinary for the man who is after His
heart.
Even after David was anointed by Samuel, it took many battles and years before
he eventually became king. This shows that even if it has been revealed to you
what God is going to do, the promise may look almost impossible. It is
important to remember that life is a journey and there is a right time for
everything. The Bible says God makes everything beautiful in His time, so be
encouraged to trust God and hold on, for He can never lie. As long as you are a
Christian, do not settle for less than what God has promised you. The price has
already been paid. Most trials that you go through are actually trials of faith. Do
you know who you are in Christ and the value of your inheritance? There are
things you have to prove in this Christian race not only by confessions but also
in action.
On sighting Goliath on the battle field, the Israelites fled, but David said he
would kill Goliath. David could say this confidently because he had been
anointed king and had already killed a bear and lion with his bare hands, which
unknown to him at the time, was preparation for his future battles. The battles
you are going through are a means of preparation for what you will do in the
future. If David had killed those animals with bare hands, why would he be
afraid of killing a man? If you have grown your faith to a level where you can
overcome diseases, when symptoms of headache appear, you will attack them
with confidence and they should disappear immediately. David had on the
shield of faith as a weapon.
David chose to dress up with spiritual weapons instead of physical ones. That
was why he felt uncomfortable with the armour Saul gave him to wear, but
rather chose what he was comfortable and familiar with. It was important to kill
Goliath because he was the strength and pride of the Philistines. It is recorded in
the Bible that when the Philistines saw that David killed Goliath, they fled.
When you overcome the devil in a particular area, all the demons attached to
that area would run away from you. Whenever you see a child of God
exhibiting some gifts, it usually comes after some training. To be victorious
over situations, you have to overcome. To overcome means to go through and
come out victorious and this is what we are promised.
When Goliath arose and drew near David, it is recorded that David ran towards
Goliath. It is only a confident person that would advance towards an enemy to
fight him. He said to Goliath “Thou comest to me with a sword and with a
spear, and with a shield, but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the
God of the armies of Israel whom thou hast defiled”. After which, David killed
him and the Philistines fled. Whatever weapon the enemy is planning to use
against you shall instead be used against them. In this situation, Goliath’s own
sword was used to kill him. Whenever the enemy sees that his power has been
undermined, he flees. When the Philistines saw their pride, Goliath, had died.
They all fled the battle ground.
David’s problem with King Saul started after he killed Goliath and the people
started praising him more than the king. Remember, when the spirit of God
departed from Saul and an evil spirit tormented him, Saul could only feel better
when David played the harp. Then Saul knew that David was his replacement
on the throne, because he could see God’s hand on David. After being,
victorious in a battle, it is an invitation for more enemies. The irony of it, is that
enemies could even be those that you have helped in time past.

SOLOMON (1 Kings Chapter 3)

WISDOM OF GOD AS A WEAPON

Solomon became king after his father, king David died. Solomon loved God and
was walking in the statutes of David. On a particular day, he offered a thousand
burnt offerings to God. Later that night, God appeared to him and asked what he
wanted. Solomon appreciated God and was humble in that he said he is but a
little child and does not know how to go out or come in. He asked for an
understanding heart, to be able to discern between good and evil. The Bible
records that the speech pleased the Lord. The fact that Solomon did not ask for
long life, riches or the life of his enemies pleased God. God gave Solomon an
uncommon wisdom to discern and added other blessings such as riches and
honour. God also told him, that if he walked in His way and kept His
commandments which his father, David had done, He would lengthen his days.
Solomon gave burnt and peace offerings to the Lord and a feast to all his
servants. Immediately after, two women were brought in claiming to have given
birth to two children at the same time and one had died and was exchanged for
the living child. The women stated their cases and none accepted to be the
mother of the dead child. Solomon then decided to kill the living child. The real
mother begged that the child be given to the other woman instead, while the
other agreed that the child should be killed, so none would have custody.
King Solomon could judge from the responses who the real mother was and so
he ordered that the child be given to the woman who did not want the child
killed. When the people heard the decision, they feared the king and knew that
he had wisdom from God.
There are a bunch of lessons from the story of Solomon, it was after he offered
God a thousand burnt offerings that God appeared to him in the night and gave
him a blank cheque for whatever he wanted. The offering invoked the blessings
thereof. Ask yourself this question, what have I been offering God? Is it
sufficient to cause a move from Him? Have you been offering praises, worship
and thanksgiving with the right attitude? Do you give God yourself in the true
sense of it? Are you ready to part with all He has given you? After all, He is the
giver of all good things. You need to understand that as you give to God in one
way, you receive from Him in diverse ways.
Solomon was not moved by the riches of this world, but he was more interested
in doing the work he was chosen to do with excellence. He knew that once he
acquired wisdom, all other things would follow. If given a blank cheque by
God, what would you request? God gave Solomon wisdom, riches and honour,
things he requested and more. What this teaches is that there is a way to ask
God for something that would attract blessings beyond your request. “Now unto
Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think
about , according to the power that worketh in us” Eph 3:20. The power of God
triggered by your level of faith determine what you get from God and whatever
you ask of Him is the least you should expect to receive.
God is interested in the sincerity or motive of your request. Is it all about you?
Many requests made to God are very selfish. Some prayers start with me,
continue with myself and end with I. The Christian life is one of service, if you
cannot see yourself being used by God in any form, then you must ask yourself
what is the purpose of being alive. A lot of times prayers are unanswered
because of selfishness. “Ye ask and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye
may consume it upon your lusts” James 4:3.
God told Solomon that if he walked in His ways and kept His statutes and
commandments, He would lengthen his days. God expects certain things from
you for His promises to manifest in your life. When you have a relationship
with God, there would be expectations from both sides. You cannot claim to be
a Christian and appropriate God’s blessings and expect God not to have
expectations of you. If God does not have expectations of you, He would not
have instructed that you do them. An action is required to receive any promise
from God, for instance, you have to give your life to Jesus to be assured of
salvation and eternity with God. Also, you have to be willing and obedient to
eat the good of the land.
The gift of wisdom which Solomon received was what empowered him to make
the right decision in the difficult case of the two women and the child. This
decision, made the Israelites fear Solomon, now realizing that God was indeed
with him. Any gift, God gives you is a weapon at your disposal. It should make
you stand out. Everybody has been given a gift. Never discard your gift. You
may think it is small but it will make a way for you and it is what God has given
you, until you discover and use it, you might find life difficult.

ELIJAH (1 Kings Chapter 18)

A MAN JUST LIKE YOU
There was famine in Samaria and God sent Elijah to King Ahab with an
assurance that rain would fall again. When Elijah saw the king, he informed him
that he and his father’s house were troubling Israel in that they had forsaken the
commandments of the Lord and had followed Baalim. Elijah asked Ahab to call
the children of Israel and the prophets of Baal and another for him. He then told
the prophets to call on the name of their gods, while he would call on the name
of the Lord and the one that answers by fire is God. Elijah asked the prophets to
choose their bullocks first. They dressed their bullock and called on the name of
Baal from morning till noon, but there was no response. They jumped upon the
altar that was made. Then Elijah began to mock them, telling them to cry louder
because Baal could be talking, pursuing or on a journey, or sleeping and must
be woken up. Getting frustrated they began to cut themselves with knives and
lancets till blood gushed out upon them. They continued until evening but there
was no response from Baal.
Elijah then invited the Israelites, he repaired the altar that was broken down,
took 12 stones and built an altar, made a trench about the altar, put the wood in
order, cut the bullock in pieces, laid the bullock on the wood and poured four
barrels of water on the burnt sacrifice and on the wood. This water was poured
three times and the water ran round the altar and he filled the trench also with
water. Elijah then said ‘’Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know
that thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again’’
then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and
the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench. When
the Israelites saw this, they fell on their faces and worshipped God. The
prophets of Baal were taken to the brook Kishon and slain there.
One learns a lot from this story. The size of an army is not a determining factor
for victory. As long as the Lord is with you, you will always be on the winning
side. Some people only feel they are doing the right thing and are on the Lord’s
side by the number of people cheering them. Whereas, God is not moved by
numbers because His power and ways are not what we would necessarily
understand. If you do not know the principles of God, then you are on a shaky
foundation and if you seek only to please man or receive man’s approval that is
a sure way to destruction. Elijah was the only prophet of God attacking 450
prophets of Baal. He was bold enough to challenge the prophets of Baal,
because he knew he was on the winning side.
You have to boast in the name of the Lord at all times. That is exactly what
Elijah did, he needed God to do something that would touch the Israelites and
show that He is the only God. You can only boast in the One in whom you are
confident. If you do not know God as the God of Integrity and Honour, you
would find it difficult to boast in Him. Elijah said ‘’let it be known this day that
thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant and that I have done all these
things at thy word’’ 1 Kings 18b. If you cannot boast concerning God’s
promises for you, it is either you are in unbelief in all or some areas. Then you
have to dig in and begin to work on a deeper relationship with God. When God
knows that you have done something to bring glory to His name, He will always
back you up, because it is not about you but Him. Elijah had on the breastplate
of righteousness which he used as a weapon.
When God answered Elijah’s call by fire, not only did fire come down, but it
consumed everything on the altar. The fire of God is such a refiner. In this
instance, to show that God remains God, the fire consumed everything offered
including the water. The Bible tells us that our God is a consuming fire. Fire
consumes anything that is an impurity. When the fire of God comes down, it
would burn off all impurities, like in the case of Baal, everything was consumed
because there was nothing pure. In other cases, the fire of God would come
down and purify matter. Never be moved when the fire of God comes to refine
you, though it is an unpleasant and uncomfortable process, you will become
better and more useful.
There are times people have to see notable signs from Go to make them believe
He has not abandoned them. In this case, after the Israelites saw the
demonstration of God’s power they returned to God and worshipped him and
captured the prophets of Baal, killing them at the Brook Kishon. The turnaround
was so amazing. It is hard to believe that the same people who worshipped Baal
and supported his prophets would pursue and kill them all. There are times
when you read the Bible stories and ask yourself if these things still happen. Are
they just not Bible stories?, ‘’The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man
availeth much, Elijah was a man subject to like passions as we are’’ James 5:16-
17. This comparison makes it obvious Elijah was human like you and I. It was
the anointing that he was operating under that produced such power. The Bible
also tells us in Heb 8:6 that we are under a better covenant which was
established upon better promises. If God could use Elijah in this way, God can
do even greater things through you because you are under a better covenant
which was established upon better promises.

ELISHA and the Syrian army (2 Kings chapter 6)

A MAN WHO ASKED FOR THE UNUSUAL
Elisha was the next prophet of Israel after Elijah. The king of Syria warred
against Israel. Elisha knew all the plans of the Syrians and sent word to the king
of Israel that they should not pass the same route that the Syrians were using,
thereby making it difficult for the Syrians to waylay the Israelites. The king of
Syria believed Elijah had a spy among his own army leaking out his secret to
his enemies. It was one of his servants who told him that it was Elisha who told
the king of Israel the words that were spoken in the king of Syria’s bed
chamber. This caused the king of Syria distress and he sent horses, chariots and
a great host to capture Elisha and they immediately set out and encompassed the
city. When Elisha’s servant saw this, he was afraid and asked what to do, but
Elisha told him not to be afraid for they that were with them were more than
they that were with the Syrians. Elisha prayed and asked God to open his
servant’s eyes. God opened the servant’s eyes and he saw the mountain full of
horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. Elisha then asked God to smite
the Syrians with blindness. When the Syrians got to where Elisha was, they
could not recognize him, Elisha even told them they were passing a wrong way
and he led them to Samaria. Elisha then prayed that God should open their eyes
and they were open again. When the king of Israel saw them, he asked Elisha if
he should kill them. Elisha replied that there was no need since they were
already captives. He advised that they be fed with bread and water and sent
back to their master. After eating, they left Israel and never returned.
Some many lessons from this story. After the Syrians were captured, Elisha
asked that they be fed and sent back home. This is a new strategy of getting
hold of the enemy, feeding them and letting them go instead of outright
punishing or killing them. The Syrians were so shocked with this treatment that
they retreated. The strategy of ‘kindness’ worked as it is recorded in the Bible
that after this act, the Syrians did not come to the land of Israel anymore. The
Bible says “Bless them which persecute you, bless and curse not” Rom 12:14,
many Christians do not do this. In fact, this is one area people have difficulty
obeying, verse 19 and 20 says in summary, that vengeance belongs to God and
by doing good to an enemy, you heap coals of fire on his head.
Elisha had asked for a double portion of Elijah’s anointing. He had worked with
Elijah and saw what God did through him, but was not satisfied and wanted
more for himself. Are you satisfied with what you have? Do you ever ask God
for more anointing and gifts? Elisha was so gifted that he knew the plans of his
enemies even before they commenced operation. Thus, making it difficult for
the enemies to win battles, no matter how crafty or intelligent they appeared.
Anything, spoken in secret by the enemies was revealed to Elisha who then
relayed it to the king and this helped the Israelites avoid defeat. People receive
revelations through dreams,
Visions, etc., but what do you do with such revelations. If Elisha had kept these
to himself, the Israelites would have been defeated. You should know which
dreams to cancel and which to claim, you should be led by the Spirit of God on
what to say to others about your dreams and visions and which to conceal. God
reveals secrets to His children. If God reveals your enemies secrets to you, you
can be sure to live a victorious Christian life. The Bible says that when your
ways please God, even your enemies would be at peace with you.
Elisha’s servant was scared when he saw the enemies approaching. Elisha told
him not to be scared but prayed to God to open his eyes to see who they had on
their side and what the servant saw gave him comfort. This means Elisha knew
who was with him at all times. He knew that those with him always
outnumbered and outpowered those of the enemy. This is a prayer you should
say at all times, that your spiritual eyes and ears would see and hear things that
have been ordained by God. When your spiritual eyes are open, things you see
in the physical would not move you because you will focus more on what God
is showing you, likewise, when your spiritual ears are open, you will only hear
the word of God which will oftentimes be contrary to what the world and
situations are talking about. Elisha was someone whose spiritual senses were
alert, whereas, his servant who was moving with him was spiritually blind and
deaf. You can be so close to a man of God and be spiritually blind. You must be
careful to begin to numb your physical senses and ignite your spiritual. When
spiritually alert, you would have peace. This is the kind of peace that passes
human understanding.
Elisha asked that God should smite the Syrians with blindness, such that when
they got to him they did not recognize him and he led them to Samaria where
they could have been killed. The easiest way to get an enemy is for him not to
recognize you, as well as, lose direction. Once the Syrians were blinded, they
were already in the net of Elisha and he determined their next step. Elisha was
confident even when the enemies were approaching, as he declared that those
with him outnumbered the enemy. Someone else having realized this would
have been satisfied, but Elisha continued by offering a prayer that they be
blinded. This shows that even if God has given you special gifts, you must
activate them to become successful.
The king of Israel referred to Elisha as my father, which shows that the king had
great respect for the prophet. The king knew Elisha was a man of God who
divulged the secrets of his enemies to him which resulted in his peaceful reign.
The king sought Elisha’s view on how to deal with the enemies. How you treat
the men of God in your midst is important. Do you show them respect and give
them their due? God is watching and looking at your attitude towards spiritual
leaders. For a king to call a prophet ‘my father’ reveals humility. God has
promised to oppose the proud; but give grace to the humble.

DANIEL, SHADRACH, MESHACH & ABEDNEGO (Daniel Chapters 1-

3)
EXHIBITING THE DARING KIND OF FAITH
Daniel and the three Hebrew boys were among those favoured with wisdom and
knowledge. As a result, the king ordered that they be fed with a portion of his
meal for 3 years so that they would be well nourished when they appear before
him. Daniel purposed in his heart not to let anything defile him. When Dniel
told the king’s men that he would not eat the special meal, they insisted that
they did not want his mates having a better countenance. Daniel suggested that
they test this for 10 days. For 10 days, Daniel and his 3 friends ate only pulse
and drank water, while their mates ate the king’s portion. At the end of the
period, the countenances of Daniel and his 3 friends appeared fairer and fatter in
flesh than all who ate the king’s portion.
There are times when you have to forgo some comforts to prove that you serve
a living God. Daniel could have chosen to eat the king’s portion, but he did not
want to defile himself. It was an opportunity to show that it is the grace and
Spirit of God upon a man that gives a good countenance and fatter flesh and not
necessarily the food eaten. The soul receives nourishment spiritually which in
turn has a great impact on the physical body. Some people are so scared of
‘fasting’ which involves abstaining from pleasurable things for a period. At
times, it is the physical body that is in-disciplined, at other times, it is the mind
or spirit. You must be ready to deprive your flesh of some pleasure occasionally
for the benefit of your spirit man.
Daniel and his friends had certain gifts – knowledge, skill and wisdom. Daniel
in particular had the additional gift of understanding visions and dreams. It is
recorded that the gifts of Dniel and his friends were 10 times better than all the
magicians and astrologers in the kingdom. King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream
that troubled him, which could not be interpreted. Daniel prayed to God about
the dream and the secret was revealed to him in a night vision. Daniel
interpreted the dream and, the king confessed that Daniel’s God is a God of
gods and a Lord of kings. The king elevated Daniel and gave him many gifts.
Every child of God has been blessed with gifts. These gifts are at different
levels. Your gift is to be used for yourself and others. It will promote you. In the
case of Daniel and the 3 Hebrew boys, their gifts made them stand out among
their peers and the king relied on them. Initially, they were among other gifted
people, but their connection to God showcased their gifts as more superior such
that they could not be ignored. This automatically brought about physical and
financial benefits.
SHADRACH, MESHACH, ABEDNEGO AND THE FIERY FURNACE
King Nebuchadnezzar set up a golden image and a decree was passed that at a
particular time when the people hear sounds of the harp and all kinds of music,
everyone should fall down and worship the golden image. Anyone who
disobeyed this order would be cast into a burning fiery furnace. The three
Hebrew boys refused to obey the king’s decree and were reported to the
authorities for disciplinary action.
The king was furious that this command was disobeyed and he sent for the
boys. When he asked them if it was true that they disobeyed the order, they
replied in the affirmative which further infuriated the king. They told the king
that if they were thrown into the furnace, God would deliver them, but that even
if He did not, they would still refuse to bow to the golden image. The king
ordered that the furnace be heated seven times higher than the usual level. To
ensure that there was no way of escape for the boys, they were bound in their
coats, hosen, hats and other garments. The furnace was so hot that the men who
took them in were burnt by the flames of the fire. Later, the king went to check
on them and was astonished to find 4 men walking in the midst of the fire and
the form of the fourth was like the son of God. As a result of this, the king
ordered that they be brought out of the fire and saw that the fire did not burn
their bodies, hair, coats and even the smell of the fire was not on them. He then
blessed the Lord for the great escape and issued another decree stating that
anyone who speaks evil about the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego
would be cut in pieces and their houses would become a dung hill. After this,
the king promoted the trio in the province of Babylon.
Most times, when you find yourself in a difficult situation, you expect God to
intervene and deliver you. I am usually amazed, when I remember what the
Hebrew boys told the king, they expected God to deliver them, but they said
even if He did not, they still would not bow to the golden image set up by the
king. Their stand for God was firm and did not mind paying the ultimate price
than to bow to this golden image. At the end of it all, the king decreed that
everyone should worship the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego,
testifying that there was none other who can deliver after this manner. There are
some things you are going through presently and when you come out of them
victoriously, would make principalities openly declare for God. God always
works out for good, every evil plan the enemy has for His children.
There are times that the ‘fire’ you find yourself in, is hotter than usual. In this
case, the furnace was heated seven times more. Some Christians would melt at
such a situation and give in before attempting to step into the fire. The fire we
go through does not have to be physical.
Very difficult and tough situations can be referred to as ‘fire’, and we know that
fire burns and consumes. The fire one undergoes is meant to refine and remove
impurities, making you shine brighter with the light of God. Any fire you are
going through is not supposed to kill you, but to show forth the glory of God.
When the Hebrew boys were thrown into the burning furnace, they trusted God.
Not only was God present with them, He ensured that the fire only loosened the
ropes that were used to bind them. This made the king release them, and decree
that everyone should serve their God. Difficult, challenging situations help build
your faith. Whatever situation, you find yourself in, you are not alone, God is
always with you. You must realize this, even if you do not feel it. God has
promised that when you pass through the fire, you would not be burned neither
will the fire kindle itself upon you (Isa 43:2). It is quite difficult while in the
midst of trials to understand this, but remember, all things are working together
for your good because you love God and are called according to His purpose
(Rom 8:28)
God has promised in Isaiah 43:2, that when you pass through difficult situations
you should not be afraid because He is with you. While in fire, a fourth man
was walking with them. If God could intervene and deliver them, He will do the
same for you. He is not partial, neither is He a respecter of persons. The Hebrew
boys had on the shield of faith as their main weapon.
Hebrews 11:2 says that faith always has a good report. You have to build your
faith through the Word of God. You must determine to move higher in your
relationship and walk with God, only then would you be sure of a good report.
No matter the evil report staring at you, hold on to the report of the Lord
through His word. After the fire incident, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego
were promoted again. Promotion is usually attached to every trial. No matter
what you are going through, always remind yourself of where God is taking you
and do not give up.

DANIEL IN THE LIONS DEN (Daniel Chapter 6)

King Darius made Daniel the first president and he was preferred to the other
presidents and princes because of the excellent spirit in him. This brought about
jealousy and the others were determined to damage his reputation because
Daniel was good and faithful at his job.
The other presidents made the king decree that for a period of thirty days,
everyone should ask petitions from him alone. They knew this would affect
Daniel because he had a close relationship with God. Irrespective of the decree,
Daniel prayed to God three times a day, ensuring his windows were open such
that people saw him. The people then went to report to the king. The king was
sad because he liked Daniel, but Daniel had to pay the penalty. As Daniel was
being taken to the den, the king told him that the God he continually serves shall
deliver him. This suggests that the king already believed in the God of Daniel,
but was bound in traditional and religious beliefs.
The king fasted in the night. As he arose early in the morning, he rushed to
check on Daniel. Upon arrival, he asked with a lamentable voice if God had
delivered Daniel from the lions and Daniel answered that God sent his angel
who shut the lions’ mouths such that they did not harm him. The Bible says no
manner of hurt was found on Daniel because he believed in God.
The king was glad and commanded that Daniel be taken from the lions’ den and
all his accusers, their wives and children be thrown in the den and the lions
devoured them. The king then issued a decree that everyone must serve the God
of Daniel.
There are many lessons in this story. The first being standing for your belief. As
a Christian, you must hold on to God’s Word and nothing should stop you from
obeying His commands. As far as Daniel was concerned, he could not hide to
pray or serve God. Even as that decree was passed, he knew it was because of
him and refused to succumb to the intimidation of the other presidents and
princes. Some people who were once passionate in their relationship with God,
begin to slow down when they realize that the superiors are not passionate about
God. At times, even the views of family and friends begin to affect people’s
relationship with God. They do not want to be seen as “too spiritual” as they
seek approval from men. Daniel could have reasoned that since a decree was in
place and he was highly placed in the government, he should obey that
command. Instead, he did not let the decree affect his relationship with God. He
was wise enough to know that the only kingdom that will not pass away is the
kingdom of God. Did he suffer for what was right? Yes, he did. This is what a
lot of people cannot bear, but one of the ingredients of Christin faith is to share
in the sufferings of Christ. Daniel held on to the Belt of Truth as a weapon and
did not mind the temporary suffering he had to undergo.
If you do not deny the Lord, He would fight for you and see you through
whatever situation. It is your divine calling that attracts the devil to fight you.
The devil does not waste his time on people who have small destinies and no
anointing, he just destroys them as he wills. The Lions were fierce as shown
after the accusers were thrown in, the Bible says the lions had mastery of them,
but God had earlier shut the mouths of the same lions as regards Daniel. We are
not promised a smooth free coaster ride, but promised victory over trials,
coming out stronger and the name of God glorified. God’s intervention in
situations, dazes the enemies in such a way that they sometimes get converted.
In this case, the king decreed that everybody should serve the God of Daniel. It
is worthy to note that no matter what is happening, you are being watched on
the sidelines. There are those who want you to quit, while others are cheering
you on. As you remain focused on God, you will succeed in converting some
people.
Testimonies are very necessary and powerful in encouraging others. King
Darius was waiting for such a testimony to break away from tradition and
religion. He made a powerful declaration afterwards saying everyone must
tremble and fear the God of Daniel, for He is a living God, His kingdom is
forever and His dominion shall be to the end. He delivers and rescues and He
works signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who delivered Daniel from the
power of the lions. As you hold on to God and your enemies see the great work
of God in your life, they shall openly declare His supremacy.

ESTHER (Esther Chapters 1-7)

GOD USES THE LEAST PREFERRED FOR HIS PURPOSE
Esther was a young orphaned Jew who lived with her uncle Mordecai. She was
described as fair and beautiful. The king had a problem with his wife, Queen
Vashti, and he divorced her. A condition for the king’s new queen was that she
must be a fair young virgin. Esther was brought with others into the custody of
the keeper of the women. She found favour in the eyes of the keeper and
everyone who mattered. When she met the king, he loved her above all the other
women as she obtained grace and favour, such that he crowned her queen.
The king promoted Haman (the enemy of Israel) and set him in a high position.
All the servants revered and bowed to Haman except Mordecai, Esther’s uncle.
Haman’s hatred for Mordecai was intense. Then Haman influenced the king to
decree that the Israelites be destroyed and he will pay ten thousand talents of
silver to the killers. The Jews were to be killed in all the provinces in one day.
When Mordecai heard about this decree, he tore off his clothes, put on a sack
cloth and wept. When Esther heard about what happened, she was sad.
Mordecai sent a copy of the decree to Esther and requested she goes to see the
king, so he could revoke the decree. Esther informed him that nobody could see
the king except he holds the golden scepter towards the person and she had not
been called to see the king in the last 30 days. Mordecai pleaded with her, that if
she did not intercede, the impending massacre would also affect her and her
household and that God could have put her in such a position in the kingdom for
a time like this.
Esther then instructed that all the Jews gather and fast for her for three days,
after which she would go to see the king and then she declared “if I perish, I
perish”. After the third day, Esther dressed up and went to see the king.
Immediately, the king saw Esther, she obtained favour in his sight such that he
asked what she wanted. Esther requested that Haman and the king come for a
banquet. Haman later saw Mordecai who still refused to bow down to him. This
angered Haman so much that he made gallows to hang Mordecai. Mordecai had
earlier given an information that led to the killing of two traitors of the king, but
was never rewarded by the king. Then the king asked Haman what should be
done to someone who performed such an act? Haman thinking the king was
referring to him advised that the king’s apparel and horse be delivered to the
person and that the man be brought on horseback through the street of the city.
Then the king instructed Haman to make haste and bring Mordecai and do all he
had advised be done to the person.
The king and Haman later went for the banquet as requested by Esther. The
king enquired from Esther what she wanted and that he was ready to grant her
request up to half of his kingdom.
Esther requested that her life and the life of her people be spared. Then the king
asked who wanted to destroy her and her people and she mentioned the
adversary and enemy was Haman. The king was so angry and as Haman was
thinking of begging Esther, he fell and his face was covered. Haman was
hanged in the same gallows he had earlier prepared for Mordecai.
Lessons from the story of Esther include:
Queen Vashti had to be disobedient to the king for Esther to become the queen.
It is assumed that normally Queen Vashti would have obeyed her husband, but
because God was preparing a way for Esther to become Queen, there had to be a
replacement for Vashti. I believe that the king was confident that Queen Vashti
would have come forward when he sent for her. When she disobeyed him, the
Bible records that the king was very wroth and his anger burned in him.
God can use anybody for His divine purpose, Esther was an orphan but found
favour in the eyes of all including the king. Once the favour of God located
Esther, anywhere she went, she obtained favour. All the maidens were kept
under the custody of Hegai, Esther obtained favour and kindness from him. She
also obtained favour in the second house of the women under the custody of
Shashgaz and most importantly in the sight of King Ahasuerus.
Whenever the favour of God is upon you, it would accompany you wherever
you go and you should always remember that it is not for you alone but to be
used for the benefit of others, as in the case of Esther and the Jews.
Haman wanted to destroy the Israelites, but Esther was used by God to subvert
Haman’s goal. Haman was constantly looking out for the Israelites because of
the problem he had with Mordecai. He told the king that the Israelites law were
different from others and they did not keep the king’s laws. That was the
biggest mistake Haman made, because he now had to contend with the God of
the Israelites. Once you are on the Lord’s side and obedient to Him, anyone and
anything contending with you would have to contend with God first. The Bible
says in Col 3:3 that “your life is hid with Christ in God”. This means that your
life is in Christ that is why nothing happens to you that God does not know
about or permit.
When Esther realized the situation confronting the Israelites, she had to forget
about herself and come up with what would save her people. Esther had to be
prepared to die for her people, if need be, but she did not take this position
without first preparing. She made sure she had taken care of the spiritual side
through fasting and prayer. Not only did the Israelites fast, but she and her
maidens as well. Some mountains can only move after fasting with prayer.
Some people would rather pay others to fast in their stead for things they want.
How do you tell or pay people to wait on God on your behalf, while you refuse
to get involved. Salvation and deliverance are personal. You can get others to
join you in prayers, but to exclude yourself and get others to work for you, is
not right. You have to get ready to begin to train your spiritual muscles as you
move in the kingdom.
Haman was so sure the king was on his side. In fact, he was expectant of
promotion but was still upset about the fact that he would see Mordecai sitting
at the palace gate. With advice from his wife and friends, he decided to make a
gallow where Mordecai would be hanged the next morning. Little did he know
that Mordecai had the backing of God and Esther, the favour of God. Then he
got to the presence of the king and the king asked Esther what she wanted.
Esther said her adversary was Haman. The king was so angry that he ordered
that Haman be hanged. Do not fret over the plans of the enemy. As you stay
focused and in the will of God, the same trap that the enemy was planning for
you, would befall him.

JOB (Job chapters 1-42)

TURNING OF CAPTIVITY
Job is described in the Bible as a perfect and upright man who feared God and
eschewed evil. He had ten children; 7 boys and 3 girls. Job sanctified them and
rose up daily to offer burnt sacrifices on their behalf.
There was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves to the Lord
and Satan came among them. God boasted about Job to Satan; Satan replied that
Job had those qualities because God protected him and if God removed his
hedge of protection, Job would curse God. Then God decided to remove the
hedge of protection. Immediately this was done, Satan struck. In a moment, all
Job’s possessions including his ten children were destroyed. Job rose up, rent
his mantle, shaved his head, fell down and worshiped God. In all this, it was
recorded that Job did not sin. On another day, the devil was moving about in
fulfillment of his threefold ministry of stealing, killing and destroying, and
came with the sons of God again. Satan said if Job’s bone and flesh were
touched, he would curse God. God gave Satan permission to touch Job’s body
but not his life. Then Satan smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his feet to
the crown of his head. Job’s wife added to the pressure on Job retaining his
integrity by asking him to curse God and die.
Job maintained his integrity and refused to do this. He had three friends, when
they heard what happened to him, they decided to comfort him. It is recorded in
the
Bible that Job’s grief was great. Job then cursed the day he was born and the
night it was said that a male child was conceived. Job began to ask questions
such as ; why did he not die in his mother’s womb or give up the ghost when he
came out of the belly? Job’s friends rebuked him and Job tried to justify his
complaints, he later acknowledged God’s justice and professed confidence in
God saying “for I know that my redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the
later day upon the earth”.
Job’s captivity was turned after he prayed for his friends. God gave Job twice as
much as he had before. It was after this, that people came back to Job and ate
bread with him in his house. Job was blessed more in his latter end than in the
beginning.
Job’s qualifications could not save him from being tempted by the devil. No
matter how much you engage in doing what is right, you will be tempted by the
devil. Every man born of a woman will face temptation and when the devil
knows you have strong faith in certain areas, he is not likely to test you in those
areas but in the weaker areas of your faith. This is why you are encouraged to
build your faith in all areas. Some people have strong faith concerning divine
health but weak faith in obtaining financial prosperity. Do not find it strange
when you pass through various temptations, in fact, the bible in James 1:2 says
you should count it all joy when you pass through various trials. Trials make
you more robust in your relationship and knowledge of God. Trials do not only
come your way when you have done something wrong, but they can also come
your way after you have done right. No matter the trial that comes your way,
God says in 1 Cor 10:13, that with the temptation, He will also make a way of
escape that you may be able to bear it.
When the sons of God came to present themselves, Satan also came with them.
This implies that the devil is always close by and being the accuser of the
brethren, he always has something to say about you to stop your blessings from
flowing. There is nothing that has happened, is happening, or will happen to
you that God does not know about, in fact he must take permission from God to
touch you. It is important that you remember this, because many times, the
enemy wants you to think that God has forgotten about you because you are
going through one challenge or the other. The enemy cannot touch you unless
God permits it. Whatever the enemy intends to do, God puts constraints and
limitations on the devil. There is an expiry date for every problem. Whilst going
through the challenge it may seem unending, but God who has the entire world
in His hands has put a termination date to every trial His children undergo. The
devil feeds on fear. People are fearful over one thing or another. Job said “For
the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of
is come unto me” Job 3:25. Job was afraid of losing his children, wealth and
health. You must search and identify the areas where you exhibit fear and begin
to replace with confession of God’s word to build your faith. Whatever makes
you scared has its solution in the Word of God. Instead of repeating the same
prayers, pray about the issue and keep speaking the Word of God over the
situation and watch your faith grow to overcome.
The devil is a deceiver and an accuser. There are times, God would allow the
devil to operate but God gives limits. In the case of Job, the devil could only
inflict him but did not receive permission to touch his life. Job’s response to
these trials was remarkable, in fact, the Bible says he worshipped God. How do
you react when it looks like you have lost a prized possession? Crying definitely
does not help, but building your faith and holding on to God will always work
in your advantage.
When Satan realized Job was still worshipping God after the first attack, he set
him up for a tougher challenge. This second attack was on Job’s body, even
Job’s wife advised him to curse God and die. Job replied his wife that she was
speaking like a foolish woman. Why didn’t Satan get the message after the first
test that Job was not going to stop worshipping God? Instead, he went for
another challenge. The devil will always want to test your faith. He knows that
when a strong Christian’s possessions are gone, he can still worship God and
move on, but it tends to get a bit tougher when his physical body is attacked.
Compare Job’s reaction to when his physical body was attacked to when he lost
his possessions including his ten children. In the case of his body being
afflicted, he began to curse and regret his existence, but when his children died,
Job said ‘Naked, came I out of my mother’s womb and naked shall I return
thither, the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away, blessed be the name of the
Lord”. The enemy will always test your faith.
Friends and foes will always wonder what sin you committed that brought about
the trial that you are in, as was the case of Job and his three friends Whilst
undergoing challenges, people will disappoint and abandon you, this should not
be a surprise, as it is part of the faith package. The devil expects a trial to take
you out of faith, while God allows trials to take you to another level of
relationship with Him. Trials encountered are a reflection of the destiny you
carry. Trial stretch your faith.
Job’s captivity was turned after he prayed for his friends. There are things that
might not feel right or just, but are key to turning the captivity. Activities such
as praying for and forgiving those who have wronged you or helping someone
who planned to hurt you are catalysts in turning around captivity. You cannot
begin to justify everything you do by what looks right. There are times you
would have to do things that make you foolish in the eyes of men, but these are
acts of spiritual wisdom and aid in berthing a quick breakthrough.
Ps 126:1 says that “when the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were
like them that dream”. Would Job had ever imagined he would get well again,
or get double of his lost possessions amongst other things. His house was
deserted but after turning of the captivity, the same house became full with
people dining with him. I heard someone once say that if he had known that his
earlier sufferings would bring forth what he is presently benefitting, he would
have asked for more suffering.

PAUL AND SILAS (Acts Chapter 16)

PRAISING GOD AS A WEAPON
A girl possessed with a spirit of divination, followed the disciples saying “these
men are the servants of the most high God which shew unto us the way of
salvation” (Acts 16:17).
She did this for many days and Paul being grieved turned to her and rebuked the
spirit and it departed from her. When her masters saw that the hope of their
gains was gone, they arrested Paul and Silas and brought them to the
magistrates with a charge of causing trouble in the city and teaching unlawful
customs. The people rose against Paul and Silas and the magistrate charged that
they be beaten and cast into prison. The jailor was charged to monitor them
closely, as a result of which he put them in the inner prison. At midnight, they
prayed and sang praises to God, and the prisoners heard them. As they were
praising, suddenly an earthquake occurred, such that the foundations of all the
prison were shaken and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s
band were loosed.
When the jailor saw what had happened, he brought out his sword and would
have killed himself if the prisoners had fled. Paul told him not to kill himself
because all the prisoners were still around. The jailor fell down before Paul and
Silas and asked what he should do to be saved. He then took Paul and Silas to
his house, washed their stripes and he and his household were baptized. He also
gave them food to eat. The next morning, the magistrates sent word ordering
their release. Paul and Silas were earlier beaten and thrown into prison openly
and refused to leave the prison until the magistrates being afraid, came to
release them.
LESSONS: It is not everyone with powers that possesses a clean spirit. In this
case, even though the girl was saying the truth, it was being used to make
money for her masters. You must always check the spirit behind every
demonstration of power. The Bible says every spirit should be tested. Do not
just listen to anybody that exhibits spiritual powers, always check out the source
and use of such powers. Submitting yourself to unclean spirits would only
contaminate and take you backwards. Then you would need to spend time
disentangling and cleansing yourself from such spiritual poison.
Do not expect to be appreciated for doing the right thing, all the time. When
Paul rebuked the spirit from the girl, her masters charged him. They conspired
against Paul and Silas which led to their being imprisoned by the authorities. If
you stand for the truth, you are likely to have problems in your family, office
and sometimes even in the church. Anytime the truth is spoken, a lot of people
are ruffled, because the truth is normally unpleasant for deceitful people.

Praise provokes deliverance. Paul and Silas were thrown into the inner prison to
ensure they did not escape. This would be likened to a maximum prison today.
They started the prayer and praise at mid-night. I have often wondered why at
mid-night? It is important to note, that so much happens in the spiritual and
even in the physical realm during the midnight hours. At this time, most people
are asleep and that is when the devil, the thief comes in to steal, kill and destroy.
Midnight prayers and praise are very effective. The prayer and praise of Paul
and Silas brought about an earthquake, the doors of the prison were opened and
the prisoners’ bands were loosened. There are times when others would benefit
from the deliverance that comes your way. You could be praying to God for
deliverance from something and when it comes, others near-by would be
delivered as well. Whenever you are blessed, always see it as an opportunity to
be a blessing unto others.
 CHAPTER FOUR: 20TH CENTURY
SOLDIERS OF CHRIST

T his Chapter will give biographies of three generals of the army of God I
have chosen and the impact of their ministries around the world. They
are 20th century Soldiers of Christ, but the impact of their work is still
being felt around the world. It is important that you realize that whatever you do
on earth has the power to affect other people even after you have gone to be
with the Lord.

SMITH WIGGLESWORTH
“Smith Wigglesworth was born in England in 1859, immediately after his
conversion as a boy, he had a concern for the salvation of others and won
people to Christ, including his mother. Even so, as a young man, he could not
express himself well enough to give a testimony in church, much less preach a
sermon.
Wigglesworth said that his mother had same difficulty in expressing herself as
he did.
This family trait coupled with the fact that he had no formal education because
he began working twelve hours a day at the age of seven to help support the
family, contributed to Wigglesworth’s awkward speaking style. He became a
plumber by trade, yet he continued to devote himself to winning many people to
Christ on an individual basis.
In 1882, he married Polly Featherstone, a vivacious young woman who loved
God and had a gift of preaching and evangelism. It was she who taught him to
read and who became his closest confidant and supporter. They both had
compassion for the poor and needy, in their community and preached.
Significantly, people were miraculously healed when Wigglesworth prayed for
them.
In 1907, Wigglesworth circumstances changed dramatically when, at age forty-
eight, he was baptized in the Holy Spirit. Suddenly, he had a new power that
enabled him to preach, and even his wife was amazed at the transformation.
This was the beginning of what became a worldwide evangelistic and healing
ministry that reached thousands. He eventually ministered in the United States,
Australia, South Africa and all over Europe. His ministry extended up to the
time of his death in 1947”.
“Wigglesworth’s unorthodox methods were often questioned. As a person, he
was reportedly courteous, kind and gentle. However, he became forceful when
dealing with the devil, whom he believed caused all sickness. He said the reason
he spoke bluntly and acted forcefully with people was that he knew he needed
to get their attention so they could focus on God. He also had much anger
toward the devil and sickness that he acted in a seemingly rough way. When he
prayed for people to be healed, he would often hit or punch them at the place of
their problem or illness. Yet no one was hurt by this startling treatment. Instead,
they were remarkably healed. When he was asked why he treated people in this
manner, he said he was not hitting the people but he was hitting the devil. He
believed Satan should never be treated gently or allowed to get away with
anything. About twenty people were reportedly raised from the dead after he
prayed for them. Wigglesworth himself was healed of appendicitis and kidney
stones, after which his personality softened and he was more gentle with those
who came to him for prayer for healing. His abrupt manner in ministering may
be attributed to the fact that he was very serious about his calling and got down
to business quickly.
Although Wigglesworth believed in compete healing, he encountered illnesses
and deaths that were difficult to understand. These included deaths of his wife
and son, his daughter’s lifelong deafness, and his own battles with kidney stones
and sciatia.
In 1936, Smith Wigglesworth prophesied about what we now know as the
charismatic movement. He accurately predicted that the established mainline
denominations would experience revival and the gifts of the spirit in a way that
would surpass even the Pentecostal movement. Wigglesworth did not live to see
the renewal, but as an evangelist and prophet with a remarkable healing
ministry, he had tremendous influence on both the Pentecostal and Charismatic
movements, and his example and influence is felt to this day”

LESSONS

1) Wigglesworth’s started his ministry with supposed flaws. He could not

speak well enough to give a testimony in church, much less preach a
sermon. Yet God used him to win many souls to Christ on an individual
basis. It would have been easy for him to give the excuse that because of
his speech defect, he would not be able to work for God in that area. You
 will discover that God rarely calls you for what you consider your
strengths to be used for His purpose. Once you forget about your
limitations and realize that God will empower you, you would begin to
record success. We must learn to stop looking at ourselves in situations of
supposed difficulty and look up to God for empowerment to overcome
the stumbling blocks.

He had a family trait of speech defect, even his mother had the same
problem. When God saw that he continued to work for him, despite the
defect, the Holy Spirit came upon him and the speech defect was
corrected and he started preaching without flaws. Never look at yourself
from a disadvantaged position, no matter your situation. If you show God
that you are ready to serve Him, He would strengthen you and turn that
disadvantaged position to one of strength. Do not come up with excuses
such as I am shy, so I cannot evangelize or I am not financially
empowered and as such cannot contribute towards the work of the
kingdom or to help the less privileged. You need to use whatever you
have to glorify God and He would turn the situation around. The truth is
that it is a privilege to be called by God, if you refuse to take up the call,
some other person would do the work but it would be at your expense.

2) Your spouse is very important in assisting your area of your calling. Smith
Wigglesworth’s wife, Polly, had similar interests with him and this helped
to build him. It is very important that you marry someone who fears God
and has accepted Jesus as Lord and personal Saviour. The Bible says that
one person would chase a thousand and two would chase ten thousand.
There is such a great multiplier effect when you come together in
agreement. In the spirit, the husband and wife are one and whatever they
agree upon yields multiple results.

3) His wife helped to introduce some education to him. While she preached
at sermons in their mission, Wigglesworth prayed for people and they
were miraculously healed. Everybody has their role to play in the body of
Christ and should be supported. There must be division of labour in the
work of God and it must be done with love and the support of other areas
of ministry, because we are one body with different parts. “For as the
body is one and hath many members, and all the members of that one
body being many, are one body; so also is Christ” 1 Cor. 12:12.
 4) Even though it was reported that by the power of the Holy Spirit he raised
up twenty people from the dead, he could not stop his wife and son from
dying, because it was their time and all power belongs to God. When God
gives you a gift, you must always remember that God is the giver and He
alone dictates its area of operation. Wigglesworth’s daughter also suffered
deafness, but there were so many people that were deaf that his
ministrations brought forth their deliverance. As he was helping the body
of Christ to receive deliverance, he was also being attacked by the devil,
which was why he battled kidney stones and sciatia. God alone deserves
all glory and you must always remember that all power belongs to God.
There is this popular saying - we all are pencils in the hands of the
Almighty. No matter how great a man of God is, he is still a vessel that
God is using.

5) He lived for 88 years and fulfilled his calling. Decades after, he is still
being remembered and referred to as one of those who prophesied about a
mighty revival in the spirit and the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The works of
Smith Wigglesworth are still in circulation and building up the body of
Christ. When you fulfill your calling, because it is God’s work, whatever
you do transcends your time in this world. The Word and work of God
are not limited by time, because they are unending, and filled with God’s
power.

KENNETH HAGIN
Kenneth Hagin was born with a deformed heart and an incurable blood disease.
He was sickly until he was seventeen years old. Due to the fact that he had these
problems, he could not run or play like other children.
The blood disease made his blood pale orange in colour instead of red, and there
were other complications. About four months before his sixteenth birthday, he
became totally bedridden.
Several doctors had been called in on his case. The great Mayo Clinic in
Rochester, Minnesota, in the United States of America, said one of the doctors
on his case was one of the best surgeons in the world. The doctor said that no
one with his condition in the history of medical science had ever lived past the
age of sixteen.
Hagin testified that on August 8, 1934, he learned how by faith to plug into
God’s power for healing. If a man believes he is well, then he will he’ll act like
he is well. Even though he was paralysed, he had regained some use of his
upper part of his body, so he pushed his feet off his bed. He described his
situation as being “dead” from his waist down. As he struggled to stand up, he
managed to get hold of one of his bedposts and scooped his body off the bed.
He wrapped his arms around that post, but his knees sagged to the floor. Then
he began saying aloud “I want to announce in the presence of the Almighty
God, the Lord Jesus, the holy angels and the devil and all his cohorts that
according to the word of God, I am healed”. He noticed a power strike him in
the top of his head and ooze down all over him. After that happened, he was
standing up straight.
He acted upon Mark 11:24 and received his total healing. Kenneth Hagin also
noted that if he had listened to the Holy Spirit earlier, he would not have stayed
bedridden for sixteen months. He was so busy trying to get someone to help him
that he failed to listen to the Holy Spirit on the inside of him. Most people miss
it here, as they are looking for something in the natural to help. If you are saved,
the Holy Spirit abides in your spirit and the Bible says He’ll guide you in all
truth.
God’s Word is truth. Kenneth E. Hagin ministered for almost 70 years after God
miraculously healed him of a deformed heart and an incurable blood disease at
the age of 17. Even though Rev. Hagin went to be with the Lord in 2003, the
ministry he founded continues to bless multitudes around the globe.
LESSONS
Kenneth Hagin was a Christian while all these problems occurred, the best
doctors had given up on him to die. He did not know that healing was his right
as a Christian because he was never taught that. Ignorance is not an excuse in
law and also in your Christian life. You have the Bible which addresses every
situation in this world.
A lot of good people who are ignorant and lack the power of God live
unfulfilled lives and die prematurely, while some live in abject poverty. You
have to get wisdom nuggets from the Word of God and plug them in to get the
power of God activated in your life to turn around every negative situation. The
Word of God empowers you to overcome life’s challenging situations.
He was born with a heart defect and incurable blood disease, this was no fault of
his. When challenges come your way, you do not necessarily have to have done
something wrong to warrant them. The best doctors were on his case, yet they
came up with a fatal report. When situations arise, you have either an evil or a
good report and it is up to you to choose which report to accept. The fact that
you have chosen to hold on to the good report does not mean that the enemy
would leave you alone. He would still come up with symptoms of the situation,
sometimes worse than earlier, just to introduce fear and make you resign to fate.
You must not live a life of fate but one of faith. You just have to hold on and
keep speaking God’s Word over the situation until you see the manifestation of
His promise.
Whenever a situation appears that does not favour you, it is because you are
being set up for something bigger. Never look at challenges for what they
represent but look at them for the opportunities they present. Most times,
fervency comes from experiences you have gone through. There is always a
story of groaning before a story of glory.
“Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning” Ps 30:5. Faith
comes and grows through the Word of God, but many times what draws people
to the Word are challenges that have resisted every other alternative. Hagin’s
situation was terrible, everyone had given up on him, and his situation became
worse such that he was bedridden for eighteen months, but then he had to dig
into the Word for himself. You may ask, why does God allow some situations
become terrible before He steps in? Remember that the resurrection power
comes alive in dead or near dead situations. Terrible situations require a big
dose of faith to overcome. When you look at Kenneth Hagin’s life after he was
cured, he ministered for about 70 years. To overcome that kind of illness, he
almost had to die to live.
There is always a special word for you from God when you are in a storm. In
Hagin’s situation, it was Mark 11:24.
Anytime a Word drops in your spirit, always hold on to it, it is a special word
that God has sent especially for that situation you find yourself in. Not only are
you to hold on to the Word, but you should act on it. It was Hagin’s action on
the Word that brought his wholeness. Sometimes, you would notice you are
always singing a particular song that could be your victory song over that
situation. Even singing in the dream and waking up with the song on your lips.
These are spiritual songs that are working in your favour, you should continue
with the singing. These are some strategies given by the Holy Spirit to
overcome.

ARCHBISHOP BENSON IDAHOSA

He was a Charismatic Pentecostal preacher, who was born to non-Christian
parents in 1938. He was rejected by his father, John, for being frail and sickly.
He constantly had fainting spells as a child and on one of his spells, his mother,
Sarah abandoned him at a rubbish heap presuming him dead. Hours later, he
came through and began wailing and was rescued by his mother. He got
converted to Christianity as a youth and received the call of God upon which he
established the church in a store in Benin City and went on to become the first
Pentecostal Archbishop of Nigeria. He is reported to have performed so many
miracles, including healing the blind and raising up to twenty-eight people from
the dead at different times in his ministry.
I grew up watching him on Television. He has a popular weekly televised
programme called “Redemption Hour”. I was in primary school then, every
Sunday evening, we would gather in my family lounge and watch him preach.
His preaching and order of service was different from what I was accustomed
to. It was full of life and hope. When he wore western clothes, his suits were
well tailored and fitted and when he dressed in traditional attire, they were
flowing and of the best quality. He was the first person I ever saw praising and
worshipping God in tears. It looked strange to us all and we would ask, why and
what is making him cry? He preached on the Christian’s rights to prosperity and
why one should never give up. It was not easy, at the time, because the wave of
Pentecostal Christianity was just coming into the land. All kinds of things were
said about him to bring down his name and drag it in the mud and I wondered
then as a child if they were true. He had such a strong presence, you could not
ignore him, he was so confident in God and boasted in the name of the Lord at
all times. He had strong links with international gospel ministers like Billy
Graham, T.L. Osborn, Kenneth Hagin, Benny Hinn, Richard Bonnke, Morris
Cerullo, Oral Roberts, amongst others. He had big dreams and a big vision. In
the 1980’s, the television station used to have debate programmes and some of
the people from other side would invite him for the debate. Thinking about it
now, I wonder what the television station was doing. It was like the people of
the land enjoyed such debates, because we all sat down to watch the program.
During the program, the men would say all kinds of things, just to make people
disbelieve the message Idahosa was preaching. I remember clearly on one of
such nights, it was declared that the dark kingdom were going to have a global
meeting in Benin. Idahosa boasted aloud that as long as he was in that land, the
meeting would never take place. It was like a drama, but it left a strong
impression on me as a young girl. I also remember them saying that one of the
signs to show that the people were converging for the meeting was that there
would be an increased amount of mosquitoes in the city. This should not have
sounded strange since we live in the tropical part of the world where mosquitoes
thrive. True to type, during that season, it seemed there were more mosquitoes
than normal and then it reduced again. Idahosa continued preaching the Word,
bringing more people to the knowledge of Christ and training other generals for
the kingdom.
About fifteen years later, I stumbled on a book that a Christian convert had
written. He confessed in the book that he was on the other side, during the days
of the debate and that the meeting was supposed to be held in Benin, but
Idahosa truly made the place ungovernable and unbearable for them, that they
had to move the meeting to another African country.
I was shocked.
An event I had even forgotten about was brought back to my knowledge. I
never knew that one day I would have to refer to it and so did not take note of
the author’s name or title of the book. I have since learnt never to do that,
especially when you find any information that is newsworthy. When he died in
1998, I was shocked to hear that most of the people who criticized him were in
disbelief and tears and wanted him to resurrect. There was so much grief in the
land that he could not have just died like that. One wonders, that, why is it when
people die that they are celebrated. Thank God, he never listened to their
criticisms but pursued what God had called him to do. At the time of his death
in 1998, it was reported that he had preached the gospel in 143 nations and was
reputed as having preached to more whites than any black man, and to more
blacks than any white man.
LESSONS
Your background should not be an excuse for not becoming a Christian or to be
used mightily by God. Even though, if you have the right background, you are
likely to have a good foundation early in life. Archbishop Idahosa was born to
non-Christian parents but this was not a barrier to him becoming a Christian.
Many times, people give all manner of excuses for not becoming Christians. If
you do not notice that there is a void in your life that can only be filled by
making Jesus your Lord and personal Saviour.
He was abandoned in a dustbin by his mother who presumed him dead. In fact,
to his father he was a problem child, instead of trusting God to turn things
around, rejected the child. Whenever, you are going through a storm, God will
always provide someone to be of assistance to you. In this case, it was his
mother who thought he was dead, she could not withstand the cries of her child
when she heard him, that she went back to pick him up. In the case of Moses,
his sister and mother were nearby were nearby when he was found by Pharaoh’s
daughter. God has placed someone in your life who is close by to provide you a
soft landing in every storm. It is your responsibility to be sensitive and discover
who God has placed in your life. You are never alone.
The Bible says do not despise the days of small beginnings. This is applicable to
all areas of your life. In this case, he started his church from a store, he could
have said I would not start the church until I have money to rent a house. I am
sure his goal was not to start and end the church in a store. I once heard Joyce
Meyer say that even though she had a dream of having a worldwide ministry,
she spent the first five years doing bible study with twenty- five people. It is
God who does the increase and empowerment. You are to take the first step and
allow the Holy Spirit take control of everything you do. The Bible tells us that
Paul planted, Apollos watered and God gave the increase. I have not read any
successful business man or man of God who does not have a story that starts
with a small beginning. Your attitude during the time of your small beginning
determines how fast your breakthrough will come.
Whenever you are on the right course, you are likely to be heavily criticized by
those around you. Do not be bothered about what people say once you are
focused on your God given goal.
Focus on what God has told you to do. If you decide to be a people pleaser
instead of a God pleaser, you would lose track and end up being a loser, because
the same people that you were trying to please would still criticize you.
Consider an athlete during a sprint competition, this requires concentration and
you can see this on the faces of the athletes, even before the race begins. Once
the rain starts, if he loses concentration by looking at his competitors, he would
lose pace and strength and might even be disqualified for crossing lines.
 CHAPTER FIVE: TESTIMONY OF
FINANCIAL BREAKTHROUGH -
GOD’S INTERVENTION IN
FINANCIAL DIFFICULTY

T his testimony is shared by a friend who resides in the United Kingdom.

At the height of the economic boom in 2007, the property market was a
profitable alternative. She then decided to invest in the market by
obtaining a mortgage. This seemed like the right time to “lock in” to what
appeared to be a favourable interest rate. Her decision was based on the fact that
the rent she was paying could now be used as mortgage repayment or she could
let out the new property at a higher rental rate which would cover the repayment
and also have a little extra income.
Unfortunately, in 2009, the global financial crunch occurred and this affected
the property market. The value of the property dropped by GBP25,000. She
realized that if she sold the property she would have no equity. At the same
time, interest rates dropped dramatically and her fixed rate was considerably
higher. Her current lender informed her that she could not change her position.
After sleepless nights filled with worry and anxiety, she started seeking God’s
intervention. A few days later, she received a letter from the lender informing
her that if she transferred the mortgage facility to another lender within a
stipulated time, she would get a substantial discount on the outstanding balance.
This seemed too good to be true, in fact, it was a miracle. The next problem was
that, no one was lending, let alone refinancing. Rather than accept this defeat,
she intensified her prayers requesting God to sort out her finances. God
intervened, she was able to get a new lender to refinance her mortgage at a good
rate. The new lender also gave her the opportunity to consolidate all her other
loans, tied to a new financial package with a condition that she obtain additional
discount from her current lenders within their own deadline.
The current lender was contacted immediately and they promised her a reply
within 10 working days. Bearing in mind, there was a deadline to meet, panic
set in. At that time, she had started studying the Word of God and praying more
about the situation. There was a Christian message she received that week, that
strengthened and encouraged her and she held on to the Word. Before the end
of that week, the new lender approved the new mortgage even without the
earlier requested condition being met. Later that day, there was a letter in the
post granting all her requests which included the additional discount.
LESSONS
Always seek God’s approval before making any financial decision. Some
people say – do not disturb God with issues you can handle. I have since
discovered that before making a ‘good’ investment decision, always ask for
God’s approval. It could save you a lot of heartache and loss at the end of the
day. It is important to ask God, because He alone is in control of the future.
Even if you did not get a go ahead from God before investing, and the
investment seems bad, genuinely ask for God’s intervention to get you out of
the mess. It does not have to be the way you expected, but He is faithful who
promised. Never resign yourself to any uncomfortable or disheartening
situation. Seek and hold on to the promises of God. The Bible says that He will
with the temptation also make a way of escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
After making the right investment decision, always present them to God for
protection. In doing this, you would realize that even if the investment is about
to go bad, you would receive an unction from the Holy Spirit to exit. If you put
your investment into God’s hands, you will be led to know when to enter and
exit such investments. The investment aim is to know the right time to enter and
exit an investment that is how to make profit in all seasons. If led by the Holy
Spirit, we would prosper at all times, irrespective of whether the world economy
is good or bad. Remember the word of God in 3 John 2 which says “Beloved, I
wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health even as thy soul
prospereth”. God wants us to prosper in all we do.

MY TESTIMONY
Sharing this testimony is indeed a miracle, because the devil kept coming up
with issues such as: why do you think people always want to read about you?
Why must your book have your testimony? Truthfully, I considered them, but I
realized my testimony was not about just me. Testimonies shared strengthen
others, God’s name is glorified, while the enemy is put to shame. We overcame
the enemy by the blood of the lamb and by the words of our testimony (Rev
12:11). I have always enjoyed good health prior to 2005, such that I did not
have a personal physician. As I was working towards the publication of my first
book, Trusting God, I started feeling sick.
Immediately after the publication and presentation, I realized something entirely
new was happening to me. Trusting God is a book detailing the miracles that
my children represent and so it felt like the enemy was saying, Oh, it is because
you gave her perfectly healthy children that she has written this book. Does she
really trust you? I asked God to give me a revelation of what was happening to
me because I could not understand it at that time. I remember the Holy Spirit
whispering to me ‘Soldier of Christ’. I just thought it meant write another book
titled that, I never expected I would have to go through a process that would
define that.
The ill feeling kept getting worse. Physically, it felt like my body had been
shredded and dry chili pepper poured all over. There was discomfort, my head
was throbbing continually, it was like I had tall buildings on my head. I was
always dizzy and had balancing issues. By December 2005, I was in a terrible
state. I ran to God as usual, again He told me that I had to be strong, fight this
battle, win and be promoted to the next level. The enemy had accused me of
being able to testify of God’s goodness because He blessed me with my
children and not that I really trusted God. I must confess I was not ready for this
test. A battle for my life. I had to forgo my banking career and focus on getting
my health back on track. I have often wondered if English language through
words can describe the discomfort and pain that people go through when in
warfare. I doubt, because even though I am giving a summary of what I went
through, I still believe that words ca not describe it fully. I ran to the Bible and
began equipping myself more with the Word, reading Christian books and
watching Cristian programmes on cable. As I was becoming better equipped, so
the intensity of the attacks became fiercer. I was told to do medical
examinations which included full blood work. All the results were good. My
palms were pale and anaemic. The doctor informed me that my body was not
receiving enough oxygen, which was why I had peppery sensations, muscle
spasms. He also mentioned something about nerves. I started rejecting all these
negative results and replacing them with the word of God. I was placed on
different medications, to clear all forms of malaria and to rebuild the body.
I thought I knew the word of God before this encounter, but this situation drove
me into a deeper study and meditation of the Word and I realized that you must
never put God in a box, thinking you know all about Him. The experience, was
like I was in a Bible school that was about practicality. My physical condition
got so bad that going out, standing for long, walking became difficult. I was
uncomfortable in almost all conditions. This was also a time, I was getting lots
of reports of people dying from one illness or the other. Negative reports of
others usually come when one is undergoing a challenge, it is to further attack
and weaken faith. By November 2006, the symptoms became worse, and I was
wondering, even after continuous prayers and declarations and treatment, I was
still in such state. This really dampened me. I again rushed to see the doctor,
who diagnosed acute malaria.
I was put on stronger medication for this new diagnosis. At this time, I was tired
of taking drugs, apart from the side effects, they were not working. I intensified
prayers, fasting, praise, worship and thanksgiving. I had studied the word of
God and meditated on them such that I could say some scriptures off hand, but I
was still feeling awful. In the early hours of January 15, 2007, I woke up
suddenly at mid-night, feeling so sick and about to lose consciousness, I cried
out to God and told him I had done all I knew as a Christian on this matter and
I needed special divine intervention. I went back to sleep and I had a dream
where it was revealed that the reason the malaria remained despite all the
medications taken, was because a spirit was attached to it. I woke up at about
3am, and started praying, for the first time attacking the spirit behind the
infirmity. I went to see the doctor the next morning and I remember him
complementing me on how I was looking. When I told him how I was still
feeling, he said they were malaria symptoms and that if he was not
knowledgeable on these things would have concluded I was beginning to have
psychological issues. He prescribed some more medications. This time, I spoke
to the drug before taking them and for the first time throughout my ordeal, the
fever broke out. I knew instantly that the process of recovery had begun. By
June 2007, I decided enough is enough, no more medicine, I would just have to
trust God. By September, I started doing some physical exercises with prayers. I
was now in a state of calm. I just knew God was doing something great in me
and I started receiving strength daily. It was a gradual improvement in my
health, as every day was better than the previous.
As tough as this experience was, it is a beautiful expression of “what the enemy
meant for evil, God has turned it around for my good”. The experience took me
deeper in my walk with God and exposed who I am in Him – I am a Soldier of
Christ. I am a living testimony that it is good to put your trust in God. It is my
hope that my experience and testimony will encourage you to never give up on
God, even though you might be in a blazing fiery furnace, God is with you and I
see victory for you at the end. Hold on!!!
 CONCLUSION

I t is important that you remember who you are in Christ at all times. Many
times, people suffer from identity crisis. What this book has attempted to do
is remind you of your identity and heritage. You must remember that you
have been enlisted in the army of God and the price has already been paid for
your life. It is a blood bought price (1 Cor. 6:20).
As a soldier, you must be ready for peace as well as war depending on the
situation you find yourself. The Bible says “And from the days of John the
Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence and the violent take
it by force” Matt 11:12. This is why you must know your kingdom rights as a
child of God. You must fight for your faith as the enemy always attacks your
faith. He wants to destroy your faith replacing it with fear. God’s promises and
blessings are there for you to inherit, but there exists an enemy who has come to
steal, kill and destroy and he always attempts to attack the children of God. As a
soldier of Christ, you should not fold your hands and allow the enemy fulfill his
ministry in your life. The enemy cannot be the determinant of your destiny. You
do not have to be good or bad to be attacked by the devil, even the best person
in the world will be attacked by the devil, because he always wants to fulfill his
own ministry,
This book has addressed the attributes of a soldier of Christ and then weapons
of warfare which should be worn at all times. A journey studying soldiers of
Christ, started with some Bible characters and their experiences to some
generals of the 20th century and their biographies then to recent testimonies.
These buttress the fact that as Christians we are all Soldiers of Christ. It is also
instructive, that even though some of these testimonies happened thousands of
years ago, the lessons are still relevant. This is because the word of God is
timeless and has solutions to any problem you may encounter.
Your responsibility as a child of God is to hold on to the word of God, which
gives a solid foundation and allows your faith grow to overcome challenging
situations. As you hold on, God will deliver you from everything that is
contrary to His promise. God is full of integrity and character. Once you remain
steadfast he would surely deliver you from all the plans of the enemy. Once you
are in him and His mark is upon you, He will see to your victory, but you have
to be sure of your stand in Him.
I would be including some promises from the Bible that can be used when
facing specific situations and also addressing them before they manifest.
Remember God’s word is eternal and when spoken, does not return to Him
void, it accomplishes the purpose for which it was sent and prospers in it. It is
important that as Christians, we become familiar with the entire Word of God.

GOD’S PROMISES ON SPECIFIC ISSUES

HEALTH
Exod. 15:26 – If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God
and wilt do that which is right in Hs sight, and wilt give ear to His
commandments, and keep all His statutes. I will put none of these diseases upon
thee which I have brought upon the Egyptians for I am the Lord that health thee
Deut. 7:15 – And the Lord will take away from thee all sickness and will put
none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which thou knowest upon thee, but will lay
them upon all that hate thee
Ps. 103:2-3 – Bless the Lord, O my soul and forget not all his benefits. Who
forgiveth all thine iniquities, who health all thy diseases.
Ps 107:20 – He sent his word and healed them and delivered them from their
destructions
Ps 118:17 – I shall not die but live and declare the works of the Lord
Jer 30:17 – For I will restore health unto you and I will heal thee of thy wounds
Jer 32:27 – Behold, I am the lord, the God of all flesh; is there anything too hard
for me?
Rom 8:11 – But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in
you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal
bodies by His spirit that dwelleth in you
1 Pet 2:24 – Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we
being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness by whose stripes ye were
healed

PROTECTION
Ps 91:1 – He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under
the shadow of the Almighty
Ps 91:7 – A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand,
but it shall not come nigh thee.
Ps 91:15 – He shall call upon me and I will answer him, I will be with him in
trouble, I will deliver him and honour him
Ps 121:7-8 – The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil, he shall preserve thy
soul. The Lord shall preserve thy going out and coming in from this time forth
and even forever more
Ps 125:1 – They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion which cannot be
removed but abideth for ever

FAVOUR
Ps 102:13 – Thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Zion, for the time to favour
her, yea, the set time is come.
Isa 49:23 – And kings shall be thy nursing fathers and their queens thy nursing
mothers; they shall bow down to thee with their face toward the earth, and lick
up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord; for they shall not
be ashamed that wait for me.
Luk 2:52 – And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature and in favour with God
and man.

DEALING WITH FEAR

Ps 91:5-6 – Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night, nor the arrow that
flieth by day, nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness, nor for the
destruction that wasteth at noon day.
Isa 41:10 – Fear thou not, for I am with thee; be not dismayed; for I am thy
God: I will strengthen thee, yea, I will help thee, yea, I will uphold thee with the
right hand of my righteousness
Isa 43:1 – Fear not, for I have redeemed thee. I have called thee by thy name,
thou art mine.
2 Tim 1:7 – For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of
love and of a sound mind.
PROSPERITY
PS 1:3 – His leaf also shall not wither and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper
Isa 53:10 – He shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper
in his hand.
3 John 2 – Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in
health, even as thy soul prospereth.

FRUIT OF THE WOMB

Deut 7:14 – Thou shall be blessed above all people; there shall not be male or
female barren among you, or among your cattle.
Ps 113:9 – He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful
mother of children.
Ps 127:3 – Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord, and the fruit of the womb is
his reward.
Ps 128:3 – Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house, thy
children like olive plants round about thy table.

CHILDREN
Deut. 28:4 – Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body
Ps 115:14 – The Lord shall increase you more and more, you and your children
Ps 127:4 – As arrows are in the hands of a mighty man; so are the children of
the youth
Ps 128:6 – Yea, thou shalt see thy children’s children and peace upon Israel
Isa 8:18 – Behold, I and the children whom the Lord hath given me are for signs
and wonders

VICTORY OVER NEGATIVE SITUATIONS

Deut. 28:7 – The Lord shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be
smitten before thy face, they shall come out against thee one way and flee
before thee seven ways
Ps 20:6 – Now know I that the Lord saveth his anointed, he will hear him from
his holy heaven with the saving strength of his right hand.
Ps 105:15 – Saying touch not mine anointed and do my prophets no harm.
Ps 140:1 – Deliver me O Lord, from the evil man; preserve me from the violent
man.
Ps 141:10 – Let the wicked fall into their own nets, whilst that I withal escape.
Obad 17 – But upon mount Zion shall be deliverance and there shall be holiness
and the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions.
 NOTES
Chapter One: Who Is A Soldier?
1. White, Paula. Deal With It (Thomas Nelson, Inc. Nashville. 2004) Pp 30
2. White, Paula. Deal With It (Thomas Nelson, Inc. Nashville, 2004) Pp 72-
73
3. Adeboye, Enoch A. Showers of Blessings (One Hour Books. Carrolton
2003) Pp 28
4. Trimm, Cindy N. The Rules of Engagement, Volume 3, Satanic Weapons
Exposed (Creation House, Lake Mary. 2006)Pp 5,6,7
5. Trimm, Cindy N. The Rules of engagement, Volume 3, Satanic Weapons
Exposed (Creation House. Lake Mary. 2006) Pp2,3
6. Trimm, Cindy N. The Rules of Engagement, Volume 2, Binding the
Strongman (Creation House. Lake Mary. 2006) Pp1,2

Chapter Two: Weapons of Warfare

1. Trimm, Cindy N. The Rules of Engagement, Volume 2, Binding the
Strongman (Creation House, Lake Mary, 2006) Pp 55,56.
2. Hagin, Kenneth. Biblical Ways To Receive Healing. (Faith Library
Publications. Tulsa. 1998) Pp5
3. White, Paula. Deal With It (Thomas Nelson, Inc. Nashville. 2004) Pp82
4. Hagin, Kenneth. Biblical ways To Receive Healing. (Faith Library
Publications. Tulsa.1998) Pp18
5. Trimm, Cindy N. The Rules of Engagement, Volume 2, Binding The
Strongman (Creation House, Lake Mary. 2006)Pp59
6. White, Paula. Deal With It (Thomas Nelson, Inc. Nashville.2004) Pp 143-
144
7. Wigglesworth, Smith. Smith Wigglesworth on Healing (Evangel
Publishers Ltd. Kaduna. 1999) Pp 166
8. Trimm, Cindy N. The Rules of Engagement, Volume 2. Binding the
strongman. (Creation House, Lake Mary.2006) Pp51,52,53

Chapter Four: 20th Century Soldiers Of Christ

1. Wigglesworth, Smith. Smith Wigglesworth on Healing. (Evangel
Publishers Ltd. Kaduna.1999) Pp 7-8
2. Wigglesworth, Smith. Smith Wigglesworth on Healing. (Evangel
Publishers Ltd. Kaduna.1999.) Pp 9-10
3. Hagin, Kenneth. Biblical Ways To Receive Healing. (Faith Library
Publications. Tulsa.1998)
4. Http:/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benson_Idahosa
 About The Author
Ozeke Ayo-Idowu is the Co-ordinator of Trusting God Ministry. She has
worked in the Nigerian Financial Industry for 14 years. She is a director of
Regina Samuels Consulting Limited and is married with two children. She is a
member of the Redeemed Christian Church of God and is the author of the book
- Trusting God.