Raising A Standard

"When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard
 against him and put him to flight."
                                                                                                                    Isaiah 59:19




Each one of us are called to live abundant and victorious lives. This means that we have already been given the Holy Spirit and we are connected to Jesus, who overflows in our lives like a fountain. Because of this source of life within us we are no longer relegated to average, run of the mill lives that have no purpose, direction, vision, or passion. God has clearly provided the best for us, through His Son, to have a bountiful life and then to share that bounty with others.

And then, life happens. Hard times of adversity and challenge arise during some seasons of our lives and it seems as if the battering ram never rests. The world desires to throw stones at us and remind us of our failures and defeats, while anxiety and fear crouch at the door just waiting for an opportunity to rush through it. At times, we can even come into agreement with the negativity and sorrow that shrouds our vision, which only creates more difficulties and angst.

These are the times and seasons when the enemy rushes in like a flood and we are left with the question, "How will I respond?" Second only to the decision to receive Christ and the gift of salvation is the decision of how we will handle intense seasons of challenge and adversity. Our response will either put a wedge in our relationship with Jesus or it will cause us to cry out to God, who is our Deliverer.

As we recognize God as our True Deliverer, we find that often it is because we have been thrown into a fiery furnace of affliction. Most of us would rather believe that God will always prevent all manner of evil from darkening our doorstep, and, quite often, He does. However, from a Biblical perspective, God is more often acknowledged as a Deliverer.

In the Old Testament, the Psalms are filled with such verses:"Arise, O Lord! Deliver me!(Psalm 3:7)". "For He will deliver the needy who cry out (Psalm 72:12)". Time and time again, in the history of God's people, He helps them out of their trouble and rescues them. In the New Testament, Paul declares, "On Him we have set our hope, that He will continue to deliver us (2 Corinthians 1:10)".

As much as our flesh tries to resist it, knowing God as our Deliverer is a beautiful thing that is comparable to nothing else. It drives us to a place of intimacy and holiness and purity which is where we can really see God. We see Him not for who we want Him to be, but for who He truly is and in all His glory.

When we recognize, trust, and rely upon Christ, who is our Cornerstone, we no longer recoil from the stones being hurled by the world. Instead, we gather them up and build an altar in our lives to the One who endured the pain of the Cross because He understood the benefit it would bring (Hebrews 12:2). We give glory to Him who will one day usher us into His presence and we will be made completely flawless (Jude,v.24).

Alignment with God is essential during these seasons of our lives. This means that we deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him (Matthew 16:24; 10:38). We stand against the ways of the world by interceding and intervening in the areas God gives to us. As we witness the world's system becoming increasingly corrupt, we remember the words of Jesus when He said, the kingdom of heaven has endured violent assault, and violent men seize it by force [as a precious prize- a share in the heavenly kingdom is sought with most ardent zeal and intense exertion] (Matthew 11:12)".

As Christianity and the Word of God is marginalized throughout the earth, God raises up a standard against it. The remnant God uses may even be called through the cleansing fires of adversity as He calls us through our troubles to His table of plenty. No matter what the enemy throws at us, if we are aligned with God, we will walk in His blessing

Living a victorious life is not a passive endeavor. It is intentional at its very core and great faith is required. One of the requirements is that we forsake meeting our needs in our own way and allow God to fill every void. We renounce our answers so that we can receive His answers and solutions to every situation we encounter.

Since sin never satisfies, we find that if there are areas of dissatisfaction in our lives that these are the areas God is highlighting for us. For example, many of us would view anxiety as the problem, but, in actuality, it is the answer. The truth is that we become anxious when we really don't trust that God is there for us and that we can lean on Him for support. We can take His yoke, which is light, instead of trying to lug around our heavy and burdensome one. If we humble ourselves under God's mighty hand and accurately assess the truth of our sin, He will lift us up at the right time (1 Peter 5:6).

Pain and trouble are always worth it if we use them as a catalyst to press in to God. It is never beneficial to come into agreement with the negativity of our circumstances or what the world has to say about them. It is also never beneficial to align ourselves with grieving and mourning if God's presence is no longer in that pit of pain. I am certainly not insinuating that there are not times to grieve, but what I am saying is that sometimes we can stay stuck when God has already called us to move forward emotionally.

Pressing in to God means practicing His presence (through prayer, meditation, and worship) and surrendering to His ways. It is also having the eyes to see things from His perspective. This is when His grace pours over us to identify the sin and sinful patterns in our lives and turn away from them. We renounce our excuses and we are blessed.

If we choose to not obey or we hold onto that which God has commanded us to release, complacency will ensue. This is what happened to the Jews in the book of Isaiah. God told them to leave Babylon and return to Israel so He could do new and great things for them (Jeremiah 50:8; 51:6; 45).
Instead of obedience, stubbornness prevailed as well as fear and a willingness to settle where they were comfortable. In doing so, they missed out on multiple blessings that God had planned for them.

This is what God said to these Jews, "Oh, that you had hearkened to My commandments! Then your peace and prosperity would have been like a flowing river, and your righteousness [holiness and purity] like the abundant waves of the sea (Isaiah 48:18)".

We have to abide in God's Word so that we know the truth. It is necessary to develop a deeper relationship with Jesus so that we are not just "hearing" about Him from other people. He will help us to identify whether our thoughts are kingdom thoughts or worldly thoughts. When we recognize accurately what does not honor Him, we vigilantly replace them with verses from scripture. This is how we set up watchguards in their stead.

Once we have sincerely asked our Heavenly Father for forgiveness and have turned in the opposite direction, we have to receive it by faith. Beating ourselves up mentally is an affront to our Creator. Instead of reminding Him of our mistakes, we can boldly remind Him of His Word. We focus our eyes on the prize, knowing that God is good and so are His plans for us. Right now, God is raising up a standard (a mighty remnant) in the earth so that His kingdom is advanced and He is glorified!


"We might be wise to follow the insight of the enraptured heart rather than the cautious reasoning of the theological mind."
                                                 A.W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy



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