War Cry: Let Worship Be Your Weapon

We have been waiting in silence, in stillness, ready for the day of battle. We march in the shadows, looking up at the overwhelming walls that loom over us - a great giant, guarding his land. The Lord has given us a plan. It's unconventional and a little strange. Yet, we will follow, living by faith and not by sight. Who knows, maybe our war cry will bring the walls tumbling down? Maybe our praise will defeat this giant?

There is a silence in the Spirit, a stillness. Can you feel it?

There’s anticipation hanging thick in the air? Can you sense it?

There’s an army coming forth? Can you see it?

There’s a battle about to be won? Can you believe it?

Taking New Ground

After we enter the Promised Land, we do not get to enjoy abundant blessings and leisure straight away. This can be a misconception for many believers – that once you enter the ‘Promised Land’ that you will be able to lounge around and enjoy the promises of God, feasting on large, juicy grapes, new wine and a great harvest. Let me break it to you, the Promised Land is not what you think.

Whilst the Promised Land contains great blessing, it requires believers to face obstacles and battles to take new ground, and only when every area is ‘taken over’ can we settle down in the land. These battles require us to lean on God and ask for His strategies, as sometimes ‘taking new ground’ requires supernatural strength and wisdom to be successful.

The Promised Land is where they had to go to work. It doesn't sound like the Promised Land for a lot of people. Why was it the Promised Land? Because God would breathe on human labour and bring supernatural increase. It is a partnership between our efforts and God's grace. - Bill Johnson

Whenever you are taking new ground in the Spirit, there will ALWAYS be opposition. The enemy does not want God’s Kingdom to succeed, and he will try anything and everything to hinder your movements and disarm you so that you cannot take the land for yourself.

Recently, I have felt that the old season has ended. We have emerged from the wilderness and crossed over the Jordan river into the Promised Land. This is in alignment with the corporate work that God is doing, in which He is “doing something new”, making a pathway through the wilderness and rivers in the dry wasteland (Isaiah 43:18-19). When I entered the Promised Land, I was a little thrown, as I had fallen into the belief that it would be a place of relaxation and leisure. It could not have been more of the opposite – at first!

As soon as the day ticked over, and it was my ‘first day’ in the Promised Land, (I say this, as God personally gave me a date that signified the crossing over into a new season and ‘land’), all hell broke loose. I immediately woke up with a heavy heart and a grieved Spirit and felt a sense of oppression on me that only seemed to grow stronger throughout the day. My mind was under siege, with anxiety, fear, doubt, worry and overwhelm flooding in suddenly! My emotions were being used against me and I was sent into a cloud of confusion, disillusion and hopelessness. I began to fall into Satan’s trap – whereby he was attempting to get me to give up, retreat and return to the wilderness. And I fell, giving up on hope and beginning to walk away. He DID NOT want me to take this new ground!

In this place, the Lord rescued me – fighting for me when I couldn’t fight for myself – and restored my clarity, peace and hope. He dropped Psalm 86 into my mind and instructed me to read it aloud. I pushed through my endless tears and read it twice, emphasising the lines of praise and declaring them over the darkness. The Lord then gave me a song, ‘Fighting for Me’ by Riley Clemmons, which I sung, lifting His name and asserting His goodness and faithfulness. In this place, He exposed the enemy’s schemes and reminded me that the opposition was because something new – something BIG – was about to break forth. After praising Him, my hope rose up again and I climbed back onto my feet, feeling stronger and ready to fight back.

Proverbs 24:16

The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again. But one disaster is enough to overthrow the wicked.

Draw Your Weapons!

As I experienced this opposition, the Lord instructed me to use two weapons – the Word of God and my voice!

We are aware that we should clothe ourselves in the armour of God to protect ourselves from attacks from the enemy, and we should use the Word of God, which is the sword of the Spirit, as our primary weapon. On this day, the Lord encouraged me to declare His promises louder than before. He urged me to cling tightly to what He had said and the instructions that He had given to me in this season. From deep within, I had a burning desire to fight, shoving God’s word in the enemy’s face and speaking it into the atmosphere more loudly than ever.

However, it didn’t stop there. The Lord reminded me of the strange strategy that He gave to Joshua and the Israelites when they were taking the land of Jericho.

Shout to the Walls

 

Jericho was a highly fortified city. It was surrounded by massive stone walls that were at least 13 feet high, with watchtowers rising about 28 feet. Its gates were tightly shut, and no one was allowed to enter or exit. The city was practically impenetrable (talk about an obstacle!), and yet, it was a city that the Israelites had to defeat and plunder. So, how could they possibly do this?

Well, the Lord gave them an unconventional plan, promising that if they obeyed the city would be theirs.

Joshua 6:2-5

2 But the Lord said to Joshua, “I have given you Jericho, its king, and all its strong warriors.

3 You and your fighting men should march around the town once a day for six days.

4 Seven priests will walk ahead of the Ark, each carrying a ram’s horn. On the seventh day you are to march around the town seven times, with the priests blowing the horns.

5 When you hear the priests give one long blast on the rams’ horns, have all the people shout as loud as they can. Then the walls of the town will collapse, and the people can charge straight into the town.

“Did you just say that our weapon would be to shout, Lord? How is that even possible? Wouldn’t it make more sense for us to send in our armies with weapons? Or for fire to rain down from Heaven?” Are the questions that probably ran through Joshua’s mind at this point. However, at the Lord’s command, Joshua obeyed and ordered the people to follow.

They walked around the city once for six days, silently, and on the seventh day walked around seven times before Joshua gave the command, “Shout! For the Lord has given you the town!”

20 When the people heard the sound of the rams’ horns, they shouted as loud as they could. Suddenly, the walls of Jericho collapsed, and the Israelites charged straight into the town and captured it.

And, of course, their roar broke down the seemingly ‘impenetrable’ walls and they rushed in to take over the land.

Praise in the Dark Places

Another instance where praise is used for deliverance, is when Paul and Silas sat, enclosed by darkness, between dank, prison walls and sung to the Lord.

Acts 16:25-26

25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.

26 Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose.

I remember being in a season of darkness, where depression loomed over me. I went to a conference and the speaker led us to write prophetic words to a mystery individual. I sought the Lord and wrote down the word that He gave me, it said:

“Your soul is meant to sing! Even in your anguish, cry out to the Lord. Wail! He wants to hear your questions, frustrations and that which is causing you pain.

I see an image of a lone lamb, covered in blood, crying out for help. The Lord wraps the lamb up in His arms, cleans it gently with warm water, massages it’s wool and restores its joy and safety. He protects it.

God is highlighting the words ‘Lyre and Harp’. We see these paired together all throughout the Psalms – Psalm 108:2, Psalm 150:3, Psalm 57:8, Psalm 81:2, Psalm 33:2. When it is mentioned it is always in conjunction with song.

I believe God wants you to SING, PRAISE, SHOUT! This is your cry to Him. SING and He will RESCUE you! SING and He will RESTORE you! PRAISE HIM and HE WILL COME!

Soon the leader of the session revealed that these words were not for a mystery person but instead, were for us individually. As I read it back, I was stunned. At that point of time, I was in a place where I needed rescue. I was in so much pain and felt utterly hopeless. But this was the key to my rescue. Unfortunately, in that season, although I received this word, I did not follow it. I had no strength to sing. I had nothing left in the tank. I felt void of hope and strength. I felt that all joy and life had been sucked from me. These are the moments we MUST sing, despite how we feel internally. I often wonder what might have changed during that season if I had of lifted my voice more often. Maybe, the darkness would have lifted. Maybe, my freedom and deliverance would have come sooner. Maybe, my joy and hope would have been restored as quickly as the rising sun.

Whilst this word is not completely aligned with the context of ‘taking new ground in the Promised Land’, it reveals that no matter what obstacle you are up against, your greatest weapon is to praise the Lord.

The Effect of Praise

When we praise, it postures our hearts to depend on the Lord. It turns our attention to the only One who can save us. It lifts our spirits and strengthens our faith. It causes weakness and despair to flee. It causes strength to rise within us. It stirs up hope and lifts our eyes.

Praise carries with it such potency for helping us fight and win our battles. That is why it is a weapon! When we don’t have the strength left to fight, or even open our mouths in prayer, our effort to praise moves God’s heart and frustrates the devil! When we praise, we climb back onto our feet.

When we praise, the walls come crashing down around us and the prison doors fling wide open! We can take the land as plunder and break free from the chains that bind us!

Selah!