God is calling us back in 2024 to Psalm 24: “Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.” Life is a warzone and is full of battles. Surely, we can all agree that we are in the midst of a great battle for the soul and freedom of this nation! We must lean on some of the Bible’s military tactics. Exodus 14:14 says, “The LORD will fight for you.” Nehemiah 4:20 says, “Our God will fight for us.” When young David faced Goliath, he said, “for the battle is the LORD’s.” (I Samuel 17: 47) Ultimately, every battle is spiritual between God and all that opposes Him and His children. The Lord must be at the head of every battle so that He takes the full force of the opposing wind. Otherwise, we will be wiped out and defeated. God is the source of power who determines the outcome of the battle. Like David we must stand under the protection of God and let Him take over the situation. Paul encourages us with these words: “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Cor. 15: 57) Tony Evans reminds us “You are not fighting for victory—you are fighting from victory. The battle has already been won!”
As we have concluded from reading and studying the Bible, history is repeated over and over as it follows God’s blueprint. The words of Habakkuk 1: 1-4 seems to echo where we are today. “The burden that Habakkuk the prophet saw: How long, LORD, have I cried for help, yet You do not hear? I cry out to You—Violence! Yet, You do not deliver. Why do You show me wickedness, and why must I behold mischief? Yes, devastation and violence are before me. There is strife, and contention arises. Therefore, the law has no effect, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked encircle the righteous, therefore justice comes out perverted.” A wicked king had arisen in Judah that erected altars for Baal and made an Asherah pole and worshiped these gods. They sacrificed their children on the altars inside the Temple and practiced witchcraft and consulted mediums and spiritists. Today, these words are more relevant than ever before. One of the largest groups on social media are witches and present library events for children. Just this week we heard of the World Economic Forum opening with a ritual by a Shaman witch. Despite the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022, some politicians and liberals campaign against and protest it.
There was another time in the history of this nation (1692-1693) when the Puritans fought against the practice of witchcraft within the colonies and 14 women and 5 men were convicted and hanged for claiming to be possessed by the devil! Historians have wrestled with the Salem Witch Trials for centuries, but they describe it as a “perfect storm” or rare combination of factors—diclinism, unwise judges, Indian wars, denominational strife, socioeconomic tension, pre-scientific superstition, petty jealousy, and paranoia—rather than reducing it to one interpretation. Does this describe the climate of our nation at the present as we hear repeated “the storm is coming?” Also, another interesting term coined during this period is “witch hunt” that described any sort of interrogation deemed unfair or based on group hysteria rather than solid evidence. Are we hearing these words in our current news?
Let us return to Habakkuk as he expresses his confidence in the LORD through a prayer and a passionate song in Chapter 3. He prays that God will revive His work throughout the years and remember compassion in His wrath. He declares His greatness as His majesty covers the heavens, and His praise fills the earth with His brilliance like light rays emanating from His hand. His ways are everlasting. In verse 13 he says: “You went out for the salvation of Your people—for the deliverance of Your anointed one. You shatter the head of the house of the wicked—to lay it bare from foundation up to the top. Selah.” Paul quotes the words of Habakkuk 1: 5 in Acts 13: 40-41: “Be careful, then, so that what is said in the Prophets may not come upon you: ‘Look, you scoffers, be amazed and vanish away. For I am doing a work in your days—a work you will never believe, even if someone tells it to you in detail.”
Yes, God is not finished with America and is about to do a work that we will not believe! We must not listen to the evil report of men as the excellency of the power may be of God and not of men! (2 Cor. 4:7) There are many scoffers and nay sayers today even in the church that refuse to believe that God is about to do a work in this nation and world that we have never seen to show us that He is the King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle! It is time for us to turn to Him and His Word in faith and trust knowing that Jesus has promised that the gates of hell will not prevail against His Church—His remnant of believers that are looking for His appearing. (2 Timothy 4:8)
This is a time like in the days of Isaiah Chapter 32-33 when he appeals to God for a king that would reign in righteousness and for princes who would rule in justice—to be a refuge from the wind and a shelter from the storm. He asked the LORD to deliver them. He believed in God, believed that God would hear and answer his prayer. Isaiah asked for grace, strength and courage. He addressed those who were bent on the destruction of the people and says: “when you have stopped destroying, you will be destroyed; and when you finish betraying, they will betray you.” He cries out for the LORD to be gracious—to give strength every morning and salvation in time of trouble. He looks forward to the LORD lifting Himself up and the nations will be scattered—and justice and righteousness will prevail! God announces to everyone that though He is always active, His activity will be clearer. The LORD declares: “Now I will arise and be exalted and those who are near will acknowledge My might.” The enemies of the LORD had made evil plans and executed them, expecting to achieve their goals. These plans and works, however, would turn out to be chaff and stubble. They would fail, and those who made them would be destroyed by their own works. The promise is that we will no longer see the fierce people, the people of speech too obscure to comprehend. When God arises, He judges and punishes all sinners—not just the enemies of His people. No one can stand against Him—all will be destroyed who do not trust in and rely on Him. God’s instructions are clear: 1. Walk in righteousness; 2. Speak sincerely; 3. Reject unjust gain; 4. Keep your hands too busy to hold a bribe; 5. Avoid hearing about violence; 6. Avoid filling your mind with thoughts of evil. The faithful will be rewarded: 1. They will dwell in the high places of beauty and safety; 2. They will have a refuge in times of struggle and trial; 3. They will be given the necessities of life; 4. Their eyes will see God; 5. They will see their eternal reward. The LORD will be for us! The LORD is our Judge, our Lawgiver, our King—He will save us!
Our nation and our world are experiencing great troubles. The Law of God as written in the Bible is deliberately misinterpreted, disobeyed, and ignored. Leaders call evil good and good evil. A few people have more money than they could ever spend, and many people have less than they need. Accusations, true and false, drive men apart from women, black apart from white, young apart from old, and rich apart from poor. We are more isolated now than at any time in history. Nonbelievers fret, believers pray, and God works. GOD IS ARISING, but what will we do?
The answer is combating the supernatural evil forces through spiritual weaponry (Ephesians 6: 10-19)—the root of change through spiritual awakening. (Galatians 5: 16) Every effort in the secular arena, no matter how righteous or worthy, must be simply the outgrowth of a heart in pursuit of God—seeking Him with all our body, soul and spirit. John Price in the Rebirth of America said: Repentant Christians in prayer will be able to do more for America than all the government programs rolled into one. They will find the purpose and power that allows them to take public stands in league with their fellow believers which could radically change the future of America.” United in God we stand, divided we fall!