Warrior: Killing Your Inner Coward

WARRIOR – 2

KILLING YOUR INNER COWARD

Now the angel of the Lord came and sat under the terebinth at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the winepress to hide it from the Midianites.   Judges 6:11 ESV

And the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, “The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor.” Judges 6:12.   ESV

And Gideon said to him, “Please, my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all his wonderful deeds that our fathers recounted to us, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has forsaken us and given us into the hand of Midian.”  Judges 6:13.  ESV

Every warrior must fight their inner fear of failure

And the Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian; do not I send you?”Judges 6:14.  ESV

And he said to him, “Please, Lord, how can I save Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.” And the Lord said to him, “But I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man.”  And he said to him, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, then show me a sign that it is you who speak with me.Judges 6:15-17    ESV

In Christ, you have everything you need to fight and win.

And the Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian; do not I send you?” Judges 6:14.  ESV

For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 2nd Corinthians 10:4.   ESV

The Lord said to Gideon, “The people with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel boast over me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’ Now therefore proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, ‘Whoever is fearful and trembling, let him return home and hurry away from Mount Gilead.’” Then 22,000 of the people returned, and 10,000 remained.Judges 7:2.   ESV

With God, the Way Forward Often Starts With a Step Backwards

Every man stood in his place around the camp, and all the army ran. They cried out and fled. When they blew the 300 trumpets, the Lord set every man’s sword against his comrade and against all the army. And the army fled as far as Beth-shittah toward Zererah, as far as the border of Abel-meholah, by Tabbath.Judges 7:21-22.   ESV

“The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor.” Judges 6:12