Fear No Fear

(All scripture from the NET, netbible.org, all rights reserved)

For this reason, take up the full armor of God so that you may be able to stand your ground on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand.
Ephesians 6:13 (emphasis added)

How were battles waged against a castle? Surround it. Block supply lines and reinforcements. Starve them out or set up siege engines and attack the walls. Once there’s a breach, head inside and kill everything that moves. For the people inside the castle, there wasn’t a lot to do. Most of your preparation is laying in supplies and the strength of your castle. If the walls are built right, they won’t be torn down and you’ll be safe inside. When you have a strong castle with ample water and food (and ammunition like arrows), mostly what you do is stand there and let the enemy break themselves upon your walls. What IS Adonai to us? “The name of the Lord is like a strong tower; the righteous person runs to it and is set safely on high” (Proverbs 18:10). “The Lord is my high ridge, my stronghold, my deliverer. My God is my rocky summit where I take shelter, my shield, the horn that saves me, and my refuge” (Psalm 18:2).

Adonai is our shelter. Our fortress. Our strong tower. The Father and the Son and Ruach HaKodesh prepared that fortress before Creation was created (Revelation 13:8). He is the ULTIMATE fortress in a high place above trouble. Above the world. Above the enemy. Above our fleshy minds. At the same time? Right in the midst of them. Like the boat in the storm: “As he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. And a great storm developed on the sea so that the waves began to swamp the boat. But he was asleep. So they came and woke him up saying, “Lord, save us! We are about to die!”” (Matthew 8:23-25). But a boat unaffected by the storm: “But he said to them, “Why are you cowardly, you people of little faith?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it was dead calm. And the men were amazed and said, “What sort of person is this? Even the winds and the sea obey him!”” (Matthew 8:26-27). In this world we have trouble. Boat in a storm. But Jesus has OVERCOME the world. Boat unaffected by the storm. It only APPEARED to be affected to those who didn’t trust. The one who trusted? He was asleep, at peace, and settled in His spot.

The difference is what they were looking at. The disciples were looking at the small boat. Jesus was looking at the power of Elohim. He knew they might get wet. He knew they might get tossed. But He also knew it would only last as long as it took someone to let the Father release power. The disciples looked at the boat. They probably knew who made it. Maybe he did good work, but maybe not. They played together as kids, after all, and he was never all THAT good. I mean, good enough for a REGULAR day, but this? Look at the leaks. The water rising. Hanukkah week special indeed. Jesus trusted. The disciples were not sure of their trust. Jesus was able to move where the Father wanted, the disciples disqualified themselves.

When you’re a soldier on the battlements of the castle, you need to have some trust. You’re facing the opposing army. They’re laid out below you. Yelling. Screaming. They have catapults. They have flames. They have arrows dipped in pitch ready to be lit and fired. They have ladders. And they want you dead. They’re surrounding you. No one can get to you. No supplies can come in. You’ve only got what you’ve got. You put on your armour. You have your bow. Your arrows. There’s water in the well. There’s grain in the storehouse. You’ve done all you can. What is next? You stand. When you’ve done all else, you stand. While you’re standing, you are trusting. You’re trusting that the architect knew how to design the castle (especially the battlements). You’re trusting that the material used to build the castle was of high quality. You’re trusting that all the labourers and craftsmen either knew what they were doing or listened to those who knew what they were doing. Of course on the battlements it’s too late for that, but you’re trusting. Your life depends on it. While you stand there. Not much to do. If flaming arrows come your way, you’ve got your shield. If a catapulted stone comes, you’ll duck behind the walls and let them do their job. If a ladder comes, you and your fellow soldiers will try and push it off while attacking anyone at the top of it. But most of what you’re doing is standing. It isn’t exciting, but it is VITAL.

If you aren’t on those walls, ladders will come unopposed and let the enemy in. If you aren’t on those walls, you can’t call encouragement or warning to anyone else in the siege. If you aren’t on those walls, you can’t report what you see beyond the enemy army below. If you aren’t on those walls, there is no reason for anyone to be in the castle. They would be easily exposed to danger. Standing is boring. Actual fighting is intense, but short. Most of what you do is stand under the sun. In the rain. At night. Early mornings. It’s BORING. Stand, stand, stand, stand, and stand some more. But if you aren’t there standing, you’ll either have no idea what’s going on (the fletcher in the shop can’t see over the walls and neither can the cooks) or you’ll be outside the walls in the town. You know what happens to the town? It gets sacked! Burnt, destroyed, the people slaughtered, raped, beaten, and taken as slaves. You DON’T want to be in the town! Before a siege, when the lord of the castle knows an army is coming, he gathers the people of the town into the castle. Into the protection of the walls of that fortress. No one wants anyone in the town – except the enemy!

Our job is to stand on that wall. The wall that is built from every word that has come out of Adonai’s mouth. Each brick. Each piece of mortar. Every single thing that makes it up from the large foundation stones to the dust in the cracks. Each piece a word that Adonai spoke. Words imbued with His power and righteousness and purpose. “Remember what I accomplished in antiquity. Truly I am God, I have no peer; I am God, and there is none like me, who announces the end from the beginning and reveals beforehand[c] what has not yet occurred; who says, ‘My plan will be realized, I will accomplish what I desire;’ who summons an eagle from the east, from a distant land, one who carries out my plan. Yes, I have decreed, yes, I will bring it to pass; I have formulated a plan, yes, I will carry it out” (Isaiah 46:9-11). When we speak HIS words, we are speaking with power. That power doesn’t work for OUR ends, but His. They are imbued with HIS purpose, not ours. When we try and highjack them we are at best not going to get an answer and at worst are attempting magic (the appropriation of power not meant for you to accomplish what you want – the sin of the devil and many others. Adonai takes a DIM view of it. Exodus 22:18 & 1 Samuel 15:23). We need to speak His words according to His purpose when He tells us to, how He tells us to, and to WHOM He tells us to. We can try to appropriate anything we want, but if we are not appropriating what He has already spoken FOR US TO HAVE, it won’t come to anything. The great thing about where we stand though, is that there is SO MUCH that Adonai spoke and accomplished in order for us to walk in it.

After you’ve learned how to put on your armour. After you’ve managed to get it on. After you’ve adjusted it so that it fits. After you’ve gotten a weapon. After you’ve climbed up to where you’re supposed to be – and that after going through basic and even maybe some advanced training. After you’ve taken position. After you’ve been noticed by the enemy. After you’ve taken in the view. After you’ve gotten friendly with your fellow soldiers. After you’ve learned the duty roster. After you’ve taken a few shifts. After the buzz of being the ‘new guy’ has died down. After all of that. After you’ve done everything you have been told to do, know to do, and been trained to do. After ALLLLLLLLL of that. You stand. Right there. Or at the next spot. Or the next one. You stand. To have or maintain an upright position. To have or maintain an upright position. To be supported by one’s feet. Standing. It isn’t glamorous. It is necessary. It is the ONLY way to be prepared for an attack. Cooks can’t see it coming. People running up and down the stairs can’t see it coming. If you’re crouched down you’re not ready. If you’re turned the wrong way you can’t see it. If you’re hopping from foot to foot because you’re easily distracted you’re not ready. If you are standing, you are ready.

That is all it takes. Standing. On the FIRM FOUNDATION of the Word. That’s how we have victory. That’s how we defeat the attacks. We don’t need to chase the enemy down. We don’t need to use our own might or knowledge. We only need to stand. The sword slices on it’s own as long as we have it out and ready. The shield deflects automatically as long as we have it out and ready. We stand on the Word. We hold the Word. We hold our Trust in the Word. “so that your faith would not be based on human wisdom but on the power of God” (2 Corinthians 2:5). THAT is how we are free. Safe in Him. Our Fortress. Our High Tower. Our Healer. Our Redeemer. Our Saviour. Our Lord. Our King. The Almighty. Who can stand against Him? Who can get sickness on us when He is WHOLENESS in every way? When we have finished all the ‘us’ stuff, stand. Stand IN Him. Stand ON Him. Stand. It is the motionless and rewarding path to true freedom from ALL ills (Hebrews 11:6). Why? Because of WHO HE IS.
“The Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there and proclaimed the Lord by name. The Lord passed by before him and proclaimed: “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, and abounding in loyal love and faithfulness, keeping loyal love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin. But he by no means leaves the guilty unpunished, responding to the transgression of fathers by dealing with children and children’s children, to the third and fourth generation.”” (Exodus 34:5-7). He is loyal. He is compassionate. He is gracious. He is our Father. He is our Saviour. He is our Spirit. He IS. Trust in Him and stand.

Daily Affirmation Jesus IS Messiah: Isaiah 53:4

“But he lifted up our illnesses, he carried our pain; even though we thought he was being punished, attacked by God, and afflicted for something he had done” Messiah would bear penalty for mankind’s transgression. He would be sinless. He would be pure. He would do NO wrong. But He would become sin for us. He would bear our penalty. He would bear the FULL wrath for what WE did. “So when they came to the place that is called “The Skull,” they crucified him there, along with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left” (Luke 23:33). Jesus broke no law. The Roman authorities found no reason to crucify Him. But to satisfy the purpose of our Salvation – the Word spoken over Him – Jesus was crucified for us. He submitted to it with JOY for what it would bring to US who He LOVES so much (Hebrews 12:2). Jesus IS Messiah!

Your Daily Confession of Jesus/Yeshua’s Identity:

Yeshua is the Christ, the Son of the living God.

Matthew 16:16b