- Mar 5, 2024
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Like War Horses They Will Run, Part 2
In Part 1 we discussed how there may be several reasons why soldiers in the end-time army of God were likened to war horses in Joel 2:4. One was because like ancient war horses, they will discipline their emotions in the spiritual war. The enemy will seek to instill in them a spirit of fear, causing them to run from the scene of battle. But our God has not given us a Spirit of fear but One of love, power and a sound mind, so although the enemy seeks to overcome them through a spirit of fear, the Lord will train them to bring their emotions in line with His will and calling.
As we shall see, the same principle will apply to disciplining our minds as well. War horses were trained to remain calm no matter how much violence they witnessed on the battlefield around them. When it was clear they might be facing overwhelming odds, they were required to discipline their minds and refuse to react in any way other than what their rider commanded.
The end-time army of God will be just as disciplined, and part of it will involve what they allow their eyes to see. Horses can only see with the natural eyes, but in the spiritual war, the Lord will open their eyes to see into the spiritual realm. Such was the case with Elisha when the King of Syria sent out an army to surround where he was, because the Syrian king knew Elisha could see and hear every move he was making prophetically, and that he was telling the king of Israel what his plans were.
14 Therefore [the King of Syria] sent horses and chariots and a great army there, and they came by night and surrounded the city. 15 And when the servant of the man of God arose early and went out, there was an army surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” 16 So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 17 And Elisha prayed, and said, “Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 18 So when the Syrians came down to him, Elisha prayed to the Lord, and said, “Strike this people, I pray, with blindness.” And He struck them with blindness according to the word of Elisha. (2 Kings 6:14-18)
Soldiers in the end-time army of God will remain calm in the face of danger, and for the same reasons. They will see things the enemy does not, and it will reorient our vision past the natural to things going on in the spiritual. This will aide them even in potentially facing death. Such was the case with the apostle Paul, who prior to going to Jerusalem to be martyred proclaimed that he already knew what was coming, and had prepared himself for it.
10 As we stayed many days, a certain prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. 11 When he had come to us, he took Paul’s belt, bound his own hands and feet, and said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt, and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’” 12 Now when we heard these things, both we and those from that place pleaded with him not to go up to Jerusalem. 13 Then Paul answered, “What do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” 14 So when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, “The will of the Lord be done.” (Acts 21:10-14)
Paul had been to Third Heaven (2 Corinthians 12:1-7), so he knew firsthand the rewards now waiting for him after he had run his race. So he was seeing with spiritual eyes things that those around him could not fully see. Stephen had the same kind of spiritual eyesight. When facing death in standing before the Jewish Sanhedrin, the Holy Spirit opened his eyes to see the Lord Jesus Christ seated at the Right hand of God in Heaven, and his mind was so redirected to what they could not see that he was no longer even focusing on the coming loss of his life. His mind was so focused instead on the Lord Jesus Christ and the victory He had attained, that Stephen kept glorifying Him even as their threats grew stronger. As a result, Stephen soon ascended to Heaven as His Master had for carrying out the will of God.
54 When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth. 55 But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, 56 and said, “Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” 57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; 58 and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. (Acts 7:54-58)
Like warhorses, the Lord will train His end-time army to reorient their minds in the heat of battle. They will see more than what the enemy sees, which will cause them to remain calm and resolute amidst all the dangers, instead of becoming restless and ill-at-ease. Scripture suggests that our will must also be increasingly be brought in line with the will of God as well, and we will discuss this in Part 3.
Blessings in Christ,
Hidden In Him
_____________________________________________
Like War Horses They Will Run, Part 3:
In Part 1 we discussed how there may be several reasons why soldiers in the end-time army of God were likened to war horses in Joel 2:4. One was because like ancient war horses, they will discipline their emotions in the spiritual war. The enemy will seek to instill in them a spirit of fear, causing them to run from the scene of battle. But our God has not given us a Spirit of fear but One of love, power and a sound mind, so although the enemy seeks to overcome them through a spirit of fear, the Lord will train them to bring their emotions in line with His will and calling.
As we shall see, the same principle will apply to disciplining our minds as well. War horses were trained to remain calm no matter how much violence they witnessed on the battlefield around them. When it was clear they might be facing overwhelming odds, they were required to discipline their minds and refuse to react in any way other than what their rider commanded.
The end-time army of God will be just as disciplined, and part of it will involve what they allow their eyes to see. Horses can only see with the natural eyes, but in the spiritual war, the Lord will open their eyes to see into the spiritual realm. Such was the case with Elisha when the King of Syria sent out an army to surround where he was, because the Syrian king knew Elisha could see and hear every move he was making prophetically, and that he was telling the king of Israel what his plans were.
14 Therefore [the King of Syria] sent horses and chariots and a great army there, and they came by night and surrounded the city. 15 And when the servant of the man of God arose early and went out, there was an army surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” 16 So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 17 And Elisha prayed, and said, “Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 18 So when the Syrians came down to him, Elisha prayed to the Lord, and said, “Strike this people, I pray, with blindness.” And He struck them with blindness according to the word of Elisha. (2 Kings 6:14-18)
Soldiers in the end-time army of God will remain calm in the face of danger, and for the same reasons. They will see things the enemy does not, and it will reorient our vision past the natural to things going on in the spiritual. This will aide them even in potentially facing death. Such was the case with the apostle Paul, who prior to going to Jerusalem to be martyred proclaimed that he already knew what was coming, and had prepared himself for it.
10 As we stayed many days, a certain prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. 11 When he had come to us, he took Paul’s belt, bound his own hands and feet, and said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt, and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’” 12 Now when we heard these things, both we and those from that place pleaded with him not to go up to Jerusalem. 13 Then Paul answered, “What do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” 14 So when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, “The will of the Lord be done.” (Acts 21:10-14)
Paul had been to Third Heaven (2 Corinthians 12:1-7), so he knew firsthand the rewards now waiting for him after he had run his race. So he was seeing with spiritual eyes things that those around him could not fully see. Stephen had the same kind of spiritual eyesight. When facing death in standing before the Jewish Sanhedrin, the Holy Spirit opened his eyes to see the Lord Jesus Christ seated at the Right hand of God in Heaven, and his mind was so redirected to what they could not see that he was no longer even focusing on the coming loss of his life. His mind was so focused instead on the Lord Jesus Christ and the victory He had attained, that Stephen kept glorifying Him even as their threats grew stronger. As a result, Stephen soon ascended to Heaven as His Master had for carrying out the will of God.
54 When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth. 55 But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, 56 and said, “Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” 57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; 58 and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. (Acts 7:54-58)
Like warhorses, the Lord will train His end-time army to reorient their minds in the heat of battle. They will see more than what the enemy sees, which will cause them to remain calm and resolute amidst all the dangers, instead of becoming restless and ill-at-ease. Scripture suggests that our will must also be increasingly be brought in line with the will of God as well, and we will discuss this in Part 3.
Blessings in Christ,
Hidden In Him
_____________________________________________
Like War Horses They Will Run, Part 3:
