Are You Battle Tested?

Exodus 17:8-16, 8 The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. 9 Moses said to Joshua, "Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands."
10 So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. 11 As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. 12 When Moses' hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset. 13 So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword. 14 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven." 15 Moses built an altar and called it The LORD is my Banner. 16 He said, "For hands were lifted up to the throne of the LORD. The [a] LORD will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation."

What an awesome clash of physical and spiritual warfare! Once again, Moses, Aaron, and the nation of Israel were faced with another challenge or battle. Shortly before this time, the battle was against Pharaoh and the Egyptian army, but notice, that battle was over before it even started. Why? The Lord Himself fought the battle for the people. All they had to do was stand still and see God work wonders. Now, they are faced with a different kind of battle. One that they would not only have to trust in the Lord, but also fight. Why would God allow them to go through yet another battle in the Desert? So that they would be battle tested. As you know throughout the Old Testament the Nation of Israel would go on to fight many other battles. So my question is; as Christians today what kind of battles do we face and how do we overcome them VICTORIOUSLY?

Ephesians 6:10-12 reads, "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. As believers, sometimes we can forget that we are in a battle! When things happen in the spiritual realm it has a way of manifesting itself in the natural. For Moses, his physical battle was with the Amalekites, but his spiritual battle was with "the spiritual forces of evil."

Our battles that we face today come in various forms, but always remember that they start in the spiritual realm. Our battles that we face can come in the form of; relationships, at the workplace, financial hardships, depression or mental stress, and even between loved ones such as spouses and relatives. Don't laugh, because it's true! The Amalekites derived from Amalek who was the grandson of ESAU, who was the TWIN brother of Jacob. The Amalekites were known to fight dirty and unfair. The people that hurt us the most are sometimes those who we are closest to: our families. Why? Simply because they know where to hit us! Consider Jesus, who came to that which was His own, but His own did not receive Him. Powerful!

Lastly, notice how Moses overcame the battle Victoriously! There were a few things he had on his side. 1)A Few Good Men. Moses had people who he could call on in times of need. Find people that will stand by your side no matter what the circumstances. When you go through a tough time you really get to know your true friends. 2) Develop Spiritual Partners. Those individuals that can stand with you in divine prayer and intercession. Moses had Aaron & Hur to hold up his hands when he got weary in battle. Who do you have? 3)Of Course God. With God we ALWAYS win. It may feel like we are losing, but always remember that we win not by feelings but by faith! The blood of Jesus speaks on our behalf. Wow! We win EVERYtime. God has the ability of using your battles to actually work in your favor. How? "We become BATTLE tested," In order for us to become stronger believers. Think about this: When we go through battles we get to see God at His Best. Tell someone today about the love of God!

God is Good, All the Time, & All the Time, God is Good!