ISRAEL'S WAR IS YOUR WAR

People are moved by the Spirit of God or an evil spirit. The current war against Israel, its past sufferings, and the future trials it will endure are all demonically inspired, according to scripture. To understand today's war, we must lift our eyes higher than the news stations; we must see above the video content inundating planet Earth. There is no way we can fight in the natural world. We can't do anything but add to the conflict with our voices unless they are for the Kingdom of God. When we're not empowered by the Spirit of God, standing for the truth of God, or believing that He can take our lives and use the very least of us to make a difference, we only add to the trouble. Folks, Israel's war is your war.

In Ephesians 6:10–13, Paul the Apostle says, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”

In Genesis 3, Satan came into the garden of Eden, enraged that he couldn't be worshiped as God. The scripture tells us elsewhere that he had some exalted position in the heavens, but it wasn't good enough for him because somebody was above him. He wanted to be worshiped as God, so he entered the garden after being denied that position. He decided to pervert and to rule and reign over God's creation by coup. He sowed the seed that you don't need God into humankind. He wanted people to believe they could judge right and wrong without the parameters of God. He wanted them to think they didn't need a relationship with God or to listen to Him. Satan sowed that seed in Adam and Eve, and when he did, he took away that which was dear to the heart of God—but only for a season.

In verse 14, it says, “So the Lord God said to the serpent, ‘Because you've done this, you are cursed more than all cattle, and more than every beast of the field; on your belly, you shall go, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.’”

Amazing! This verse is the first time in the Bible the gospel is preached. God tells Satan there's a promise of a people who are going to be brought into this world through whom a seed will be born. This seed is the Savior and the people who were born again because of His victory. God takes out of the grasp of the Devil himself, the chord that bound humanity to him in his way of thinking, and destroys it. The seed will come from Abraham’s people group into the world and overthrow all of Satan's ambitions to rule and to be worshiped. God says there's going to be a woman, there's going to be a culture, and there’s going to be a Savior.

God says, “You're going to wound his heel.” In other words, you will drive a nail through His feet, but His feet will step upon your head when you do. He is going to destroy your power over humankind, and not only Him, but those who will be born back into a relationship with God through Him, and through what He's done, will also step on your head. They will be living proof that you don't have the right or the power to rule the human race. When people turn to Him, your power over them will be broken.

Fast forward to Revelation 12, where I will show you more of what transpired in Satan’s heart. Verses four and five, speaking of the Devil, say, “His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born. She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne.”

We don’t understand these verses fully. Many say that the Devil took a third of the angels and brought them into a rebellion along with himself. We get a picture of the demonic rage that arose in the heart of evil. It's a picture that he was there, waiting to devour the promise of God in Genesis 3. When we go to the New Testament to Matthew 2:16, after the birth of Christ, Jesus was somewhere between birth and two years old. It says, “Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise man, was exceedingly angry.”

Who is motivating this man? According to Genesis 3, you're either the seed of God or the serpent. Continuing in verse 16, the scripture says, “And he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men.” Here, we see the seed under the influence of darkness moved to destroy the seed under the influence of God. History just repeats itself.

The horrid atrocities against children committed this week are the same thing that happened in Bethlehem 2000 years ago. A foreign king was threatened by a baby who was promised that he would rule and be a king. He sent in his soldiers, and you can just imagine the cries in Bethlehem as the babies two years and older were slaughtered. It's the same scenario today, repeating itself, animated by the same powers of darkness. Israel's War is also yours.

Jewish people are so hated by so many in the world, and—please hear me—it’s a spiritual battle. Through the nation of Israel, the Savior was born. If it weren't for Israel, you wouldn't be here, and neither would I, and we'd have no hope. Israel gave us our Savior. Israel gave us the apostles and prophets. Israel gave us the Word of God. Revelation 12:17 says, “And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” Both Jew and Gentile, of course, would fit into this category, not just Israel but the offspring that were born. The dragon is still enraged with the woman and vows to war with her and the rest of her offspring, which is you.

Israel's war is ours. We are the seed of Christ, and it's through us that the victory of the cross is made known. It's through us that the head of the serpent is crushed again and again. Hallelujah. Every time you win a victory, you're stepping on the head of the Devil one more time. Every time we push away his lies, by the Spirit of God, we step on his head one more time. We shut the mouth of the serpent, we shut the mouth of the dragon, and he is infuriated because his desire is to be worshiped as God. Do you understand that the fact that we live proves that he is not God?

The Devil has no control, right, or power. He has no future for any of us. We live outside his control, and because we do, there's a fury in his heart. The scripture says he is coming down with great wrath in the last days because he knows his day is short. Jesus also warned His disciples in Matthew 24, saying, “You'll be hated by all nations for my name's sake and the hatred we see displayed toward Israel.” I wish I didn't have to say it, but much of that is coming the way of the church of Jesus Christ in the not-too-distant future, but by God's grace, we will stand.

By God's grace, in a darkened world, we will be lights. We will have a testimony that cannot be triumphed. No prison door can hold us; no wounded heart can keep us down. No evil words can supplant the Word of God spoken into our hearts and lives. We will stand and forgive. We will fight for our enemies. We understand that this war is not against people. It's against the Devil himself and every demon of Hell. We fight for every Jewish person; we fight for every gentile. We fight for those in prison and for the religious who don't know Christ yet is Lord and Savior. Our lives become a testimony, just as in the book of Acts. Our prayer meetings will become an upper room. We're going to know a fresh baptism of the Holy Spirit. We'll be given a joy that cannot be taken away by anything in this world. We'll be given power in our speech; we’ll have words that cannot be comprehended or overcome. They will have the power to transform the lives of those who can still hear. By God's grace, there's a people on this earth over whom the Devil has no power, and it irks him because it means he's not God. We are the one thing left in the world that proves to the Devil that he's not God because he has no right to rule over us and no power to rule over the people of God. Hallelujah.

Just as Israel is constantly under attack, so too will you be under attack in these last days. The attacks will be in your mind, your thought life. Attacks of hopelessness will bombard you. You'll be bombarded with everything that Hell's got in its arsenal. Thousands of missiles were launched against Israel just this week, but Israel has a defensive weapon called the Iron Dome. It’s a counter missile that takes out the missiles coming in. By God's grace, we have an iron dome on the helmet of salvation. Paul said you’ve got to know who you are.

Be prepared with the gospel and the willingness to go to wherever and whoever God sends you to and take the shield of faith. Pray in unison with the Spirit of God. Lord, what would you have me to do? Don't let the thoughts of this world cloud your mind. How can my life make a difference? Don't let my heart be gripped by the desire for vengeance in this world. I believe that in Jesus Christ, we will triumph in the end; I've read the book. God Almighty, thank you.

We pick up the shield of faith and sword of the Spirit; we've been equipped with iron. We have an iron dome. The Devil will try to get in your head, but you have a helmet of salvation in Christ when he tries to remind you of your past. Tell him about his future. My past is covered, forgiven, buried, and gone. Nobody can dig it up, but Satan, your past and future are written. You're going to be cast into the lake of fire. You're going to burn and be tormented forever. We are going to the right hand of God in Christ, and we will rule and reign in Him. We have obtained by faith in the victory of our savior Jesus Christ on the cross 2000 years ago. Hallelujah. Glory, glory, glory!