I have a family that has always been close and tightly knit together. We have open communication and will put our family’s needs over our own. Lately we have been facing spiritual battles one after another. They can be really big and some can be small, but it has been constant. Just when we thought that we were growing tired and weak the Lord revealed some important truths to me.
When reading my daily devotional I came across one of the many names of the Lord, Jehovah Nissi. It is included in the title of the blog so you may have already figured it out, it means “The Lord is My Banner”. When I first read the meaning I did not understand what it meant by a banner. Upon diving deeper into research I found that back in Bible times a banner was to symbolize unity and purpose for a nation, tribe, or family. I thought this was pretty extraordinary because as christians we want to be a symbol of God’s family. We are Christ followers should not we be known as such? What banner are you raising in your spiritual battles, this was a question that the Lord dropped in my spirit.
My family has been going through a lot, but in this time we have grown immensely in the Lord. He has called us to arms and we have answered. We raised the banner of Jehovah Nissi. In Bible times when the Lord was described as such it was in relation to being Israel’s banner, in recognition of His powerful defense of His people. Moses in the book of Exodus built an altar for the Lord and called it “The Lord is my Banner” this can be found in Exodus 17 verse 15. This was because they were delivered from the enemy. God is their confidence in battle, He is their rallying point and their identity is found in Him.
“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.”
Ephesians 6:12 NIV
As stated before my family has been going through a lot as a whole, but at the same time we have realized it is not people, emotions, or anything else. It is purely satan coming up against us. It is a spiritual battle manifesting itself in our day to day life. Now that we have recognized it as such, we know how to fight it. It is up to you to recognize such deception satan puts in front of you. Every bad thing that comes up against you is just a battle waging. The devil thinks he has a hold on you and he does not. You are bigger and better. You are wiser and stronger, and this is because you have the Lord on your side. All you have to do is recognize the power that the Lord has given you. You have the authority to cast out anything ungodly that has attached itself to you during your battles. You may fall but you will rise up victorious, because even when you had your face in the ground crying, because it hurt so bad and you felt like you can do nothing no more, and you are physically exhausted from fighting your battles. Your family, your church family, and your God, Jehovah Jireh your provider, will pick you up from the ground that you had your face in. He will breathe life and power into you to continue the good fight. Because you grew deeper, you grew wiser, and you grew more capable when you had your face in the mud. It is because of the dark muddy spiritual battle you grew more sensitive and attentive to the Lord that you could overcome it and pull yourself out of the mud.
“May the Lord answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you. May he send you help from the sanctuary and grant you support from Zion. May he remember all your sacrifices and accept your burnt offerings. May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed. May we shout for joy over your victory and lift up our banners in the name of our God.”
Psalm 20:1-5 NIV
With everything I have learned thus far in this spiritual battle that I am fighting alongside with my family, it is that I have the confidence to shout for joy as I charge forth with my Jehovah Nissi banner, because I know without a shadow of doubt that my God has the victory and I have already won. You yourself have to believe and lean on the Lord, because He has already won. Go forth with confidence, prayer, and fasting because you have won. The enemy has no hold on you anymore more, and he does not know what he is up against.
Heavenly Harvest Blog 