Bible Reading: Exodus 2-4
Topic: The Battles which God’s Battle Axe fight secretly
Memory Verse: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
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; own of strong holds;)
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; 2Co 10:4-5 )
God’s battle axe usually go through several struggles in their lives. Some of the battles are known to many around them, while others are known to them alone. It is exciting to know that God is aware of the struggles. God says you are His battle-axe, and with you, he will break nations and kingdoms to pieces. More importantly, your battles and struggles are God’s concern also.
You are not the only one with personal struggles; the saints of old also do. Moses fought many personal battles in his lifetime. He was the battle axe in God’s hands to destroy Egypt’s Israel’s oppression, yet he had struggles. I will divide his struggles into five categories.
- I will do it without God: After Moses realised that he is a battle axe for God, he began his assignment without God. He went ahead to kill and bury an Egyptian who beat a Hebrew. Moses assumed that the Hebrews would see him the next day and rejoice. Unfortunately, the opposite happened. The second day, he went back to the same spot, he saw the two Hebrew men fighting. Moses attempted to make peace but one of the Hebrew men challenged his authority to judge the Hebrews. He reminded him of the murder he committed the previous day. If you had attempted to do good things your way before now and met unfavourable results like Moses, run to God. Perhaps you have chosen to abandon those good things like Moses. Involving God is the best choice in whatever you want to do. I believe that it was easier for Moses to stretch his rod to path the red sea at God’s instruction than killing the Egyptian.
- Identity Crisis: Moses ran away to the Land of Midian, and he sat at the well. Within Moses, he has made up his mind not to be called one of Pharaoh’s Daughter’s sons. Moses wanted to be identified with the Hebrews, yet the daughters of Pharaoh referred to him as an Egyptian. Your parents may be complaining about your dressing and what is taking place in your heart is different. Your haircut may be a problem for your teen pastor. You are so worried about the type of designers, dress, phones, friends and family you do not have. Remember, what Moses wore or did not wear did not define his identity. He was described by his decision and passion for Israel to be liberated. Jesus Christ, the son of God who lives inside you is the hope of glory and your identity.
- Inferiority and Superiority Complexes: Moses was not ready to go to Egypt as God’s battle axe at the backside of the desert. He told God that he could not speak. God told him not to worry about the speech problem, but Moses insisted that God should send Aaron, his brother. Hence the society, media, culture could have said so many things about you. Over the years, I hear something like ‘I am too short’, ‘sir, my breasts are too small’, ‘I am not good enough to have some good things in life’, ‘I am not brilliant’, ‘I am too dark’, ‘my spoken English is not acceptable’, ‘my parents are poor and I am too dark’, ‘my mouth and body smell’ and so on from young people.
There was a brother I ministered to years back and he gave his life to Christ. We needed his birth certificate to process the admission he got to polytechnic Ibadan. His parents are divorced and we reached out to the father but he said he does not have it. Eventually, the mother said he had no birth certificate because he was given birth at home. After the call, the brother became teary, saying, ‘why is my life like this? I was given birth at home’. I encouraged him that how and where he was born is not essential. I told him that Jesus was born in a manger in Nazareth and the whole world eventually worships Him. This is an example of an inferiority complex that can affect God’s battle axe negatively.
In another case, we organised a bible quiz competition in a village some time ago for young people. It was a written examination in two stages. A certain brother believed he deserved to win. Still, a sister who does not look it eventually emerged winner of the competition. This brother was very unsatisfied that he came to confront me as though we marked him down. He told me that Augustus Ceaser did not give directives for the censor during the birth of Jesus. This is an example of a superiority complex. He thought he was better than everyone around. Some feel ashamed to tell their secondary schoolmates the course they are now studying in the University. He believes that the course does not match the intelligence his classmate knows he has.
Not only in the area of education but it also occurs in ministry. Some brethren assume that being a president on-campus/teen/youth fellowship automatically qualifies them for a prominent ministry/church outside the campus. However, your head usher may have a higher assignment in God.
Present the issue to God and let Him fix it for you. It does not stop God.
Gideon said I am the least in my father’s house (Manasseh) and my father’s house is the least in Israel (Judges 6:15).
Saul said he was just a Benjamite from the least tribe in Israel and his father’s house is not notable (I Samuel 9:21).
Paul, the apostle, said it severally that he is the last apostle (Eph 3:8; I Corinthian 15:9).
Jeremiah said he does not know how to speak (Jer 1:6)
David said he is poor and of no reputation to marry the daughter of the King (I Samuel 18:23)
God used all these men despite their complexes and their inadequacies.
- Relationship Issues: Immediately, Moses set out to return to Egypt for the assignment; he left with his family. On the way, the Lord wanted to kill Moses at night. Zipporah, his wife, had to circumcise the son, which the marriage produced for Moses to live (Exodus 4:25-30). We only heard of Zipporah when her father, Jethro, brought her back to her husband, Moses. Bible recorded that Jethro brought her and the children back to Moses after God defeated the Amalekites.
Zipporah offered great resistance to their son to be circumcised. Finally, she agreed to circumcise Gershom after she saw that her husband life is in the line. Zipporah eventually returned to her father because we heard nothing about her until Exodus 18:7. Zipporah was not there for Moses all through the plagues and crossing the red sea.
Your case may not be that of a wife but a father who was never there and a mother who abandoned you. It may be that your parents are insisting that you go in a direction in which is not your interest. Disappointment in finding a life partner could be a struggle or having challenges with a relationship. We often see adverts of churches/ministries with the image of the pastor and his wife. Moses did not enjoy this because Zipporah was not with Moses for the more significant part of his church in Egypt and the wilderness.
- The battle of offence: Aaron and Mariam were Moses elders and they felt accused when Moses took a Cushite wife (Number 12). The accusation of Moses was directed at both his conduct and his position of authority. The allegation from brethren and friends are meant to distract from your assignment as a battle axe. Besides, the devil wants you to be bitter with everyone around you. The devil also wants us to take offence from the actions of those close to us.
When you start living in an ungodly way and the children of God around you are warning you of the danger ahead, that is not an accusation. It is speaking the truth in love. Perhaps your parent, teacher and friends warn you about ungodly conduct such as disrespectfulness, fornication, adultery, telling lies, drinking, stealing and other flesh works (give attention to such). Those are not the type of accusation which we are discussing here.
Examples of such accusations are ‘you no longer come to our house now that you are a big man or woman. Another may say that you don’t give us money anymore and you are currently doing as if we don’t know you when you were young’. The devil sends them like fiery darts so that you can be bitter and the bond of love is broken
Prayer Points
- Oh Lord, fight all my secret battles for me in the name of Jesus Christ
- Oh lord, send me good friends and burden-bearer in all my journey in the name of Jesus Christ
- Oh Lord, I forgive my [Father, Mother, Sister, Wife, Husband, Friends, Relations] who has abandoned me in the name of Jesus Christ
- Oh Lord, I no longer see my inabilities in the name of Jesus. I begin to see your abilities in me.
- Every root of bitterness in me die in the name of Jesus christ
- Oh lord, give me the grace to deal with betrayals and rejection in the name of Jesus Christ
- Oh Lord, I repent of trying to do everything my way in the name of Jesus. I acknowledge you from today; show me the way in the name of Jesus christ
- I refuse to pursue satanic identity [fashion, friendship, media and all that I pursue} in life in the name of Jesus Christ.
- Oh Lord, help me to solve all the identity battle that I am fighting in the name of Jesus Christ
- No secret battle or sin will stop me from fulfilling my destiny in the name of Jesus Christ.
- Every secret battles and struggle that have distracted me from my destiny battles must disappear in the name of Jesus Christ
- All the time I have lost fighting the secret battles, I recover it in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen
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