The Attack Pt. 2

July 12 – Today’s Readings – Isaiah 37-39 and Psalms 12

In Isaiah 36:18-20, Sennacherib’s field commander makes one final verbal and mental attack on the people – trying to win the battle for their minds;

“Do not let Hezekiah mislead you when he says, ‘The LORD will deliver us.’ Has the god of any nation ever delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria? Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? Have they rescued Samaria from my hand? Who of all the gods of these countries has been able to save his land from me? How then can the LORD deliver Jerusalem from my hand?”

In comparing God Almighty with all the phony gods of this world, Sennacherib king of Assyria has finally shown his hand and his heart. He has no respect for The “I AM” and tries to portray The Lord as one of the many gods of this world – gods who have no qualities except those that are assigned them by man. It’s remarkable how many people still believe the enemy’s lie – that our Lord is a man-made fabrication.

Here then is the end of the story; Hezekiah does the right thing! He first tears his clothes and puts on sackcloth. Then he goes into the house of the Lord to seek God and pour out his heart. At the same time he is also sending word to the man of God to intercede and enquire of the Lord for him and to pray for Jerusalem. What a wonderful response to an attack from the Devil. It’s inevitable that we will encounter perilous situations in this life but when you take these problems to God and get spiritual encouragement and prayer, you will find the support you need. As soon as Hezekiah prayed, the enemy backed off briefly but soon was back in full force, along with more messages of demoralization. Hezekiah once again ran to the Lord and spread out the enemy’s communication before God – again came a response from the Lord! We must talk to the Father about what the Devil is saying to us. Imagine the outcome if Adam and Eve would have told God about the Devil’s conversation with them instead of acting alone! God not only had a response for Hezekiah but a solution – He fought Hezekiah’s battle for him – God Himself attacked the enemy. THIS IS HOW IT HAS TO BE WITH SPIRITUAL WARFARE.

Ephesians 6:12 reads, “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.” God Himself will fight for you if you go to Him for support and help.

Questions:

1. Has the devil ever told you that God is just a figment of your imagination?
2. How did Jesus respond to the enemy when He was lied to?